There is also data to support its benefits in certain cancers. Studies on DIM have shown promise for breast health, acne, and reducing PMS. How Does DIM Affect Your Estrogen?ĭIM works at the Phase 1 detox level to help your liver make the most favorable metabolite, 2OHE1 and reduce the excess production of potentially harmful 4OHE1 and 16OHE1. This is why drinking ample water, eating fiber, supporting microbiome health, and ensuring regular bowel movements is so important to your hormone health. Many people mistakenly think that the liver is the only organ involved in estrogen metabolism and while it is very important, so is the health of your kidneys and bowels. In Phase 2 detox these metabolites are methylated and prepared for excretion via the kidneys and bowels. The other metabolites, 4OHE1 and 16OHE1 are associated with unfavorable growths of breast and uterine tissue, including cancer. The most favorable of the three is 2OHE1. Within the liver there are two steps to estrogen metabolism known as Phase 1 and Phase 2 detox.ĭuring Phase 1 your liver converts estrogen into 3 metabolites-2 hydroxy estrone (2OHE1), 4 hydroxy estrone (4OHE1), and 16 hydroxy estrone (16OHE1). When your body no longer needs estrogen it is the liver’s job to package it up so it can be sent out via the urine and stool. To understand how DIM supports your estrogen we first have to understand how estrogen is metabolized. Problems can arise when there is too much estrogen circulating in our bodies or the wrong metabolites. So the goal would not be to drop estrogen as low as possible. But, like all hormones, it needs to be balanced. I know estrogen is often demonized, but we need estrogen! It’s an essential hormone for women, and is responsible for so much good stuff - like cognition, protecting our bones, and helping us have healthy pregnancies. In some instances, estrogen can look normal in labs but the metabolites that are produced in the liver can be problematic. Symptoms of estrogen dominance can include: This can result from the ovaries or other tissues producing too much estrogen, testosterone being converted into estrogen, or from poor metabolism of estrogen itself. Estrogen dominance could unfortunately come about for various reasons: anovulation (no ovulation), stress, adrenal issues, excess fat in the body, the environment, digestive problems, and autoimmune conditions. I’ve written at length about estrogen dominance and the impact it may have on the body. there is not enough progesterone to oppose estrogen). Put simply, estrogen dominance refers to a situation where there is too much estrogen in the body in general or when there is too much estrogen relative to progesterone (i.e. Estrogen imbalance or excess estrogen, often called “estrogen dominance” can lead to a cascade of undesirable symptoms like hormonal headaches, breast tenderness, and PMS, to name a few. One of the most significant things DIM may do for women is improve estrogen metabolism. Hair loss, or hair popping up where you don’t want it.Difficulty with weight gain on your hips, butt, or thighs. Breast tenderness or fibrocystic breasts.This nutrient has a lot of potential hormonal health benefits for women - particularly in the case of excess estrogen, which is why many people opt for the supplement. It also can inhibit the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, which may help balance these two hormones. That is why many people take a concentrated amount in the form of a supplement.ĭIM supplements also skip the entire process of converting it to its active form and deliver the specific nutrient.Īs I’ll explain in this article, DIM supports the body in producing more favorable estrogen metabolites, specifically 2-hydroxy estrogen (2OH). While DIM can be derived from food, it would take eating a whole lot of broccoli to match what can be found in a supplement. When broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables are exposed to stomach acid after chewing, indole-3-carbinol is created, which is then converted into DIM. DIM is a compound that can only be made from cruciferous vegetables. What Are DIM Supplements?ĭIM is short for diindolylmethane, a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol. That’s because DIM supports healthy estrogen levels in the body. If you’ve been struggling with PMS symptoms, heavy periods, acne, breast tenderness or symptoms of PCOS or perimenopause then you’ve probably come across a DIM supplement as a solution.
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