Last modified on October 27th, 2022
What is the supplement DIM used for?
Some of the uses of DIM supplements include hormone balance, healthy metabolism of estrogen, weight management, and help with acne and prostate issues. This supplement may even improve cardiovascular health by helping you lose weight around your midsection.
There is research currently looking at the benefits of DIM supplements for conditions like cancer, particularly when they’re affected by your levels of estrogen and other hormones.
DIM supplements are thought to be safe, and there aren’t major known side effects associated with their use, although you should consult your doctor before taking anything new.
What is a DIM Supplement?
DIM stands for diindolylmethane. The compound is created when you digest cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables, include cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussel’s sprouts.
If you were to eat cruciferous vegetables, your stomach acid then breaks down a compound, indole-3-carbinol, producing a new compound, which is DIM.
While you can get DIM from food, it would take large amounts to get the benefits or amounts of what you get from a supplement.
When you take a DIM supplement, you’re not only getting a concentrated amount, but you’re also bypassing the process for it to convert to its active form.
With DIM, your body can produce more beneficial estrogen metabolites. The supplement can also prevent the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, balancing the two hormones. DIM has this effect because it blocks aromatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.
The less potent and more beneficial form of estrogen that DIM produces is called 2-hydroxyestrone. DIM may reduce the effects of a stronger type of estrogen, 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone. 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone is associated with weight gain and a higher risk of certain types of cancer, including breast and uterine.
Symptoms of an estrogen imbalance in women can include:
- Irregular or missed menstruation
- Very light or heavy menstruation bleeding
- Severe premenstrual or menopausal symptoms
- Night sweats or hot flashes
- Noncancerous lumps in the breasts
- Changes in mood
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain, especially in the thighs, waist, and hips
- Low sexual desire
- Vaginal dryness
- Fatigue
- Symptoms of anxiety
- Depression
- Dry skin
High estrogen in men can contribute to erectile dysfunction, infertility, and gynecomastia. Men with low estrogen might also experience low libido and belly fat.
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What is the Supplement DIM Used For?
Below, we cover specific benefits a DIM dietary supplement can have for hormonal balance and other areas of your health. We cover the benefits of not only DIM for women but also for men in terms of healthy estrogen metabolism and hormonal balance.
Anticancer Activity and Cancer Prevention
In both test-tube and animal studies, DIM studies appear to help prevent the spread and growth of breast cancer cells, but studies in humans are limited right now.
- In one study, spanning for a year, 130 women with breast cancer on tamoxifen were given either a placebo or 150 milligrams of DIM twice a day. The DIM supplement seemed to significantly improve the ratio of two types of estrogen, which may reduce the risk of breast cancer and have anti-tumor effects.
- In another 30-day human study, postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer were given 108 milligrams of DIM per day. The supplement appeared to create beneficial changes in estrogen levels.
- In animal and test-tube studies, DIM’s effects have protected against cancers including prostate, colon, and ovarian.
- A mouse study found DIM helped prevent cervical cancer.
- DIM may also help with uterine cancer cell growth. These anticancer effects may be due not only to DIM’s ability to help with healthy hormone balance but also its antioxidant activity.
Prostate Health
Taking a DIM supplement can be beneficial for men as well as women. These supplements may protect against prostate enlargement and combat human prostate cancer cells.
More specifically, DIM supplements might help combat something called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or PIN. PIN causes prostate cell growth and is thought to lead to prostate cancer.
In a study of 21 men with high-grade PIN, they were either given 900 mg of DIM a day or a placebo. The men given DIM had significant benefits in PIN and their prostate health.
Weight Loss
Estrogen plays a vital role in fat accumulation. DIM supplements may help with weight loss. There are studies linking an imbalance of estrogen, whether too much or too little, to an increase in weight gain in men and women.
DIM supplements may also prevent fat cell formulation and trigger the breakdown of fat.
For example, in a study of mice on a high-fat diet, 23 mg of DIM per pound of body weight reduced the formation of new fat cells significantly.
Acne
When asking what is the supplement DIM used for, we have to talk about its potential benefits for hormonal acne breakouts.
When you take a DIM supplement, since it balances your hormones, it may block the effects of excess testosterone. Testosterone is a male hormone, but women have small amounts as well.
Testosterone produces sebum or oil in the skin that’s associated with acne. When your beneficial estrogen is balanced, then it can also create balance in progesterone and testosterone levels. This affects your oil-producing glands and may clear hormonal acne.
Reduced Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms
Sometimes, as women, we tend to that that severe PMS symptoms are normal. In reality, if you experience a lot of problems before your period, it may be a sign your hormones are out of balance.
DIM supports healthy levels of hormones and helps your body detox them properly.
When you have balanced estrogen levels, it reduces the symptoms of PMS and makes them more manageable.
Changes in hormones are the reason you experience those difficult PMS symptoms, including anxiety, bloating, cravings, and mood swings.
Estrogen dominance and high levels of bad estrogen are major contributors to what you might have thought were inevitable symptoms.
Hormone balance and healthy estrogen metabolism can greatly increase your quality of life.
Reduced Menopause Symptoms
The symptoms women experience with menopause are due to fluctuations in hormones and the effects of estrogen imbalance.
Their estrogen levels decrease, and some of the signs of menopause include weight gain, mood swings, hot flashes, and insomnia. Regulating estrogen is an excellent way to support your health holistically during menopause.
In research, women who took a DIM supplement experienced supported production of estrogen metabolites that helped even out their fluctuations in hormones and reduced their menopausal symptoms.
What is the Supplement DIM Used for in Men?
We often associate the use of DIM with benefits for women, but it can have powerful health benefits for men too.
DIM inhibits aromatase, which is an enzyme. Aromatase is responsible for converting testosterone to estrogen. For men, DIM can block the conversion of your testosterone to estrogen.
Adequate testosterone levels in men and reduced estrogen production are associated with healthy muscle mass, libido, stamina, and decreased body fat.
As we talked about above, DIM also has benefits for prostate health.
DIM can help free up your bound testosterone and optimize how it performs in your body. Men often experience physical, sexual, and mental health benefits when they take a DIM supplement, much like female patients.
What Are the Side Effects of DIM?
DIM is considered a safe supplement, with few side effects or adverse effects. Initially, during the first few days of taking a DIM supplement, you might experience mild, common side effects.
One of the most common is a headache. Some people also experience brain fog and fatigue or dark urine.
Some believe DIM turns your DIM a darker color because it’s positively affecting your liver and neutralizing excess estrogen metabolites.
For most people, DIM side effects are like detox symptoms, and they’re short-lived. DIM is pulling excess estrogen out of cells and then pushing them into the bloodstream so they can be removed properly from the human body.
To minimize the initial symptoms of DIM, make sure that you’re drinking plenty of filtered water.
It can be a good sign if you have symptoms of detox when you start DIM because it might mean you were being affected by excess estrogen, and you did need to take steps to remove it.
Final Thoughts—What is the Supplement Dim Used For?
What is the supplement DIM used for?
DIM supplements are a powerful and highly effective way to balance hormones in men and women. You can use DIM supplements to reduce symptoms of PMS and menopause. DIM supplements can lower excess estrogen and make sure everything in your body is working as it should.
For men, DIM supplements can help promote healthy testosterone levels and prostate health.
Anyone with questions about this supplement, hormone replacement therapy, or the hormone estrogen should speak to their healthcare providers.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5059820/
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/diindolylmethane
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15623462/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818865/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28586165/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15623462/
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