DIM

Your body produces diindolylmethane, or DIM, from substances naturally found in cruciferous vegetables : The acids in your stomach turn indole-3-carbinol, a phytochemical in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, into DIM. Once it’s absorbed into your system, DIM is an active ingredient that influences the activity of estrogen and, in some instances, regulates the activity of genes.
An advantage of supplementation with DIM over consumption of large amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables is avoidance of goitrogenic isothiocyanates. These compounds compete with iodine for binding in the thyroid, potentially contributing to hypothyroidism. DIM is thought not to have goitrogenic properties. To obtain the benefits of DIM contained in just two capsules per day, it is estimated that the average person would have to consume two pounds of raw cabbage family vegetables per day, an intake that might court the danger of thyroid suppression.

Special Precautions of DIM

DIM is generally well-tolerated with a few mild symptoms for a few days. Side effects of DIM include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Dark urine (orange to brownish)

The consensus is that darkened urine is harmless and will return to normal once you stop taking your DIM supplement. Some say it’s a good sign that DIM is working on your liver to neutralize estrogen metabolites. Whatever the cause, don’t be alarmed.

The rest of the side effects of DIM are short-lived and resemble the effects of general detox symptoms — because that’s precisely what’s happening. DIM pulls excess estrogens out of your cells and sends them out into the bloodstream for elimination. While it’s all circulating, you’ll feel like crud.

That’s the case with any detox. When you pull things like chemicals, heavy metals, and mold toxins out of hiding, they have an effect on the cells they come into contact with while they’re on their way out. That’s why it’s crucial to support your body’s detox and elimination systems while you’re taking DIM or doing other detoxes.

The benefits of DIM are

• Hormonal acne : Hormonal acne results from an imbalance of good estrogens, bad estrogens, and testosterone. When you supplement with DIM, it works to prevent the bad estrogen pathways and strengthens the good estrogens and testosterone. When everything is in balance, you skin will have the proper support to stay clear and healthy.
• Preventing negative effects of testosterone supplementation
• Estrogen dominance
• Weight loss : Because DIM combats excess estrogen in females, it might help as a diet aid for women who struggle with a pear-shaped fat distribution.
• Potential cancer therapy : DIM has been shown to exert control over cancer cell growth in breast, uterine, cervical, ovarian, and colon cancer. DIM helps balance the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. When the body breaks down estrogen, for example, it can form either a harmful or beneficial metabolite. DIM, in some clinical and animal studies, has been shown to help the body form the more beneficial estrogen metabolite and reduce formation of the harmful metabolite. The beneficial estrogen metabolites can have many positive effects, including reducing the risk for some types of cancer. DIM may benefit patients with certain types of prostate cancer and may help reverse abnormal changes in cells on the surface of the cervix. Some scientists think DIM will be useful for preventing breast, uterine and colorectal cancer. However, because of the variability in types of cancer and the sensitivity of the estrogen system in the body, DIM and I3C supplements may not be appropriate for everyone. DIM has been found to exert direct anti-cancer effects via a variety of mechanisms: It may promote DNA repair; accelerate the death of cancer cells by restoring apoptosis (programmed cell death); it stimulates the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, the immune system’s surveillance against cancer; and some studies suggests it has anti-angiogenesis effects, depriving growing cancers of their blood supply. Is DIM compatible with conventional therapy for cancer? Some studies suggest that, not only does it not interfere, but instead may protect normal tissue from the harmful effects of radiation while reinforcing cancer cell destruction. Other research suggests DIM may prevent drug resistance, a major cause of chemotherapy failure.
• Thyroid disorders
• Menopause