DIM can help with hormone
imbalances by metabolizing and reducing
excess estrogen, which has been implicated
as a factor in those suffering from fibromyalgia.
Hormonal disruptions in the brain’s
hormonal regulatory mechanisms are thought
to lead to common symptoms associated
with fibromyalgia.
DIM and Fibromyalgia
Many health care professionals are now beginning
to recognize a link between hormone imbalances and
fibromyalgia symptoms. Like hormone imbalances, fibromyalgia
can be one of the most frustrating and elusive problems
that conventional medicine is facing today. Most physicians
would like to help their patients, but they generally
do not know what to do beyond prescribing medications
that are aimed at reducing symptoms, instead of addressing
the underlying cause(s). DIM has been shown to help
reduce excess estrogen levels that lead to symptoms
that are associated with estrogen dominance and fibromyalgia.
For example:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Sleep disturbances
- Migraine headaches
- Memory loss
- Foggy thinking
- Depression
Benefits
of DIM
DIM™
is a naturally occurring phytonutrient that is found
in cruciferous vegetables. Though discovered over
ten years ago, the connection between plant-derived
dietary ingredients and estrogen metabolism are just
now beginning to be understood. Research has shown
that DIM has the ability to act as an estrogen balancer
in both women and men. It can be used by those addressing
estrogen
dominance problems and seeking to reduce conditions
such as uterine
fibroid tumors, fibrocystic breasts, and other
women's fibrosis related conditions.
DIM in its pure crystalline form requires an absorption
enhanced delivery system for use in dietary supplements.
Therefore, Energetic Nutrition has chosen to use Dr.
Michael Zeligs’ BioResponse DIM under the
name DIMPRO with a patented absorption enhanced formula
in order to bring you the highest quality product
we could find.
Dr. Zeligs not only suggests DIM for balancing women’s
hormones, he also recommends DIM for the symptoms
of hormonal
imbalance in men, such as weight gain, hair loss,
and prostate enlargement. A balance of hormones can
help bring the health advantages all of us would like
to achieve:
- Promotes healthy estrogen metabolism
- Protects against conditions related
to estrogen dominance
- Protects against cancer, heart disease
- Promotes fat loss, healthy skin and
bones
- Supports healthy prostate tissue in
men
How
DIM Works
The dietary use of micronutrients found in plants,
which are also known as phytochemicals, encompasses
what we now know as Phytonutrition. The phytochemical
DIM (diindolylmethane) that naturally occurs in broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts has been
shown to increase the regulation of hormone metabolism.
The plant indoles in these cruciferous vegetables
promote health and scientists have discovered that
adding these plants to the diets of animals could
prevent certain forms of cancer. DIM is more biologically
active than other indoles found in the cruciferous
vegetable family.
Supplementing with Dim can help overcome the need
to eat 3 pounds of broccoli per day and can effectively
shift the balance of sex hormones. “An optimal
estrogen balance has implications for cancer prevention
and successful aging in both women and men,”
according to Dr. Michael Zeligs, M.D., co-author of
the “All
About DIM” book.
DIM can help increase the specific aerobic metabolism
for estrogen, multiplying the chance for estrogen
to be broken down into its beneficial or "good"
estrogen metabolites. Many of the benefits that are
attributed to estrogen, which includes its ability
to protect the heart and brain with its antioxidant
activity, are now known to come from these "good"
metabolites.
A slow metabolism of estrogen can result in too much
active estrogen known as estradiol in the body; this
can be problematic for both sexes. In women, elevated
estradiol levels have been shown to cause weight gain
(waist, thighs, hips), moodiness, and breast pain.
Men tend to suffer from weight gain, loss of sex drive,
prostate enlargement, and male patterned baldness,
to name a few.
When supplemental DIM increases the ‘good’
estrogen metabolites that are known to be antioxidants,
there is a simultaneous reduction in the levels of
undesirable or ‘bad’ estrogen metabolites
which are not antioxidants and can actually cause
cancer.
Taking DIM not only promotes healthy estrogen metabolism,
it can also promote a more desirable action from testosterone.
“Testosterone supports energy and mood and helps
sustain interest in sex for both men and women”,
according to Dr. Zeligs.
What
Is Estrogen Dominance?
Many women in their twenties, mid thirties through
forties, and even women who are menopausal can be
overloaded with estrogen. At the same time they may
be suffering from a deficiency of progesterone due
to a severe drop in the body’s production, which
leads to insufficient progesterone to counteract the
amount of estrogen in the body. It is most noticeable
among peri-menopausal women who do not ovulate, which
is quite common. You may have a fairly normal cycle,
but no egg is released and very little progesterone
is produced.
Even if a woman has low estrogen levels, she can
have symptoms of estrogen
dominance, because she may have little or no progesterone.
However, estrogen dominance can be caused by more
than the body’s production of hormones. For
example
The end result of an imbalance between estrogen in
relation to progesterone adds up to a condition Dr.
John Lee has termed “estrogen dominance.”
Dr. Lee’s books, What
Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause
and What
Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Menopause explains
this and more, in-depth. These books are available
on our website.
Men can benefit from taking DIM, as they too can
suffer from estrogen dominance. Estrogens from plants
and environmental sources, also known as xenoestrogens,
produce hormonal stimuli that can contribute to inappropriate
growth of mammary tissue cells, resulting in a problem
society is calling “man boobs.” Some theorize
that estrogen dominance in men is also contributing
to:
- Hair loss
- Atherosclerosis
- Prostate problems
- Lowered libido
- Weight gain
- Impotency
Therefore, both women and men who are suffering from
estrogen dominance can benefit from taking an estrogen
metabolizer such as DIM that can help bring hormones
back into balance.
DIM
and Estrogen Receptor Tumor Growth
DIM has a unique ability to affect estrogen metabolism,
as mentioned above. Normally, estrogen metabolizes
along one of two very distinct pathways, one pathway
leads to tumor growth, and the second leads to tumor
suppression. One physician hypothesizes that this
second pathway may prevent estrogen from entering
certain cellular receptor sites causing tumor growth.
As DIM works to regulate hormones by increasing the
body’s production of healthy estrogen by decreasing
the undesirable forms, cells are protected and tumor
growth is inhibited. It is important to remember that
there are different forms of the three main estrogens
that are important to women and they are estradiol,
estrone, and estriol.
Research involving DIM has identified two good estrogens,
2-hydroxy estradiol and 2-hydroxy estrone. These are
the antioxidants of the estrogen world and induce
the self-destruction of tumor cells. When these two
estrogens are low, tumor growth is more likely to
occur. DIM increases the body’s production of
these healthy estrogens.
Supplementing with DIM helps reduce the estrogen
metabolites now known to be responsible for the cancer
initiating and cancer promoting effects of estrogen
by lowering the two bad forms, 16-hydroxy estrone
and 4-hydroxy estrone, which are linked to tumor growth.
These so called “bad” estrogens can have
a negative impact by allowing oxidation of cells,
damage of DNA, and the promotion of cancer. It can
be said that DIM interferes with cells that are prone
to divide and grow in the presence of these two particular
forms of estrogen.
In short, DIM increases the good estrogens, and decreases
the bad estrogens. Research suggests DIM may reduce
the risk of breast, uterine, cervical, and prostate
cancers. These cancers are estrogen related and that
is why it is so important to reduce estrogen
dominance in both women and men. The following
chart demonstrates how estrogen is metabolized into
its beneficial forms:
DIM
and Women
For women, estrogen is a good thing when metabolized
correctly. It improves mood, memory, assists with
overall function, and lowers the risk of breast and
uterine cancer, all of which are associated with estrogen
dominance, as mentioned above. Furthermore, properly
metabolized estrogen can also produce beneficial effects
from testosterone which helps support moods, as well
as libido and energy.
In menstruating women, estrogen may not be metabolized
due to many different factors, such as stress, diet,
poor liver function, obesity, xenoestrogens
from environmental chemicals, and pesticide residues
in food. DIM’s conversion of unhealthy estrogen
metabolites into the beneficial forms will not only
help protect against hormone related cancers, it can
also help with the symptoms associated with hormonal
imbalance, including PMS, as suggested by Dr. Zeligs.
In premenopausal women, the first age-related hormonal
imbalance involves a decreased production of progesterone.
This reduction in progesterone output during the second
half of the menstrual cycle, can cause irregular periods
and contribute to premenstrual mood disorders. The
“good estrogen” metabolites stimulate
increased progesterone production from ovarian cells.
Hormonal imbalances in premenopausal women can also
be attributed to the same factors as menstruating
women listed above.
Another cause of hormone imbalance in menstruating
and premenopausal women is birth control pills. Taking
DIM can have a balancing effect benefiting disorders
and symptoms associated with estrogen-progesterone
imbalance, including but not limited to:
- Fibrocystic diseases
- Fibromyalgia
- Endometriosis
- Uterine
fibroid tumors
- Ovarian cysts
- Irregular periods
- Chronic, recurring breast pain
- PCOS (polycystic ovaries syndrome)
In Menopausal women with prolonged exposure to Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT), DIM can help decrease estrogen-related
breast cancer and other estrogen related disorders.
It was once believed that women who are menopausal/postmenopausal
have low levels of estrogen. However, this may no
longer be the case. While it may be true that women
in this phase of life are no longer producing as much
estrogen as they did in prior years, many are still
remaining estrogen dominant due to the long term use
of hormone replacement therapies, exposure to environmental
estrogens, obesity, poor liver function, and declining
progesterone production.
DIM supplementation is an effective means to insure
positive estrogen metabolism, especially for those
who are or have used long term HRT, as it can provide
a margin of safety while reducing the negative consequences
of “bad” estrogen metabolites.
DIM is generally recommended for those who are menstruating
(early thirties), premenopausal (mid-thirties on)
with high estrogen levels. Menopausal women using
HRT, as mentioned above can also use DIM to help counter
balance the negative effects associated with this
type of hormone therapy.
Menopausal women who are not using HRT can use Myomin
which is a Chinese herbal formula that can help reduce
excess estrogen, as well. This product is not as strong
of a metabolizer as DIM and is often suggested for
those who are menopausal to post-menopausal because
they are not producing as much natural estrogen.
Myomin and DIM can also be used safely by women in
their twenties and thirties. Because DIM has actions
that differ from Myomin, many women who are not menopausal
choose to take them both for a more aggressive approach.
DIM
and Men
Dim is not only beneficial in reducing symptoms of
estrogen dominance in women such as, fibroid tumors,
fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, breast pain, moodiness,
and loss of sex drive, it can also benefit men by
improving estrogen-dominance related health issues
such as hair loss, atherosclerosis, prostate problems,
lowered libido, man boobs, and impotency.
German Researchers have documented a correlation
between age related accumulations of estrogen in human
prostate glands with the presence of benign prostate
enlargement.
This research suggests the role of estrogen as a
growth promoting hormone in men, as well as women.
Dr. Zeligs states, “the accumulation of this
particular hormone is indicative of male ‘andropause’.
Increased PSA (prostate specific antigen) production
was shown to be specifically inhibited by 2-methoxyestradiol,
the beneficial form of estrogen metabolites, which
is promoted by DIM.” Therefore, supplementing
with DIM is the ideal way for men to get rid of unwanted
estrogen, as too much estrogen not only leads to prostate
problems, it can also lessen the action of testosterone.
DIM works by promoting more “free” testosterone
that can help maximize the body’s response to
weight training and dramatically changes the fat-burning
ability of men. When a man is estrogen dominant, the
body produces a protein that testosterone can bind
to, and then it is no longer considered to be in its
“free” beneficial form; bound testosterone
can have undesirable effects similar to that of excess
estrogen. For example, low libido, excess weight gain,
impotence, and depression.
Scientific studies have shown that high levels of
“free” testosterone and low levels of
estrogen have been linked to lean body mass, an efficient
fat-burning metabolism, and low abdominal obesity.
Other benefits from “free” testosterone
are improved moods, cardiovascular health, memory,
libido, and better overall physical conditioning.
According to Zeligs, “testosterone exerts its
actions differently depending on whether it is free
or bound to carrier proteins in the blood.”
When estrogen is metabolized into the good hydroxyl
forms, as mentioned above it has the ability to set
testosterone free by bumping it off of the testosterone
binding proteins.
Other
uses for DIM
Weight loss
DIM supplementation can help promote fat loss by
reducing the levels of unhealthy estrogens that can
cause excess weight to be deposited around the abdomen,
thighs, and hips in both women and men. Naturally,
DIM can be even more effective when combined with
a low-fat, high-fiber diet, as well as exercise.
Furthermore when studied, the combination of “good”
estrogen metabolites in conjunction with an increase
in “free” testosterone promoted by DIM,
is responsible for a more active release of fat cells
that have been stored in the body by increasing metabolism.
Muscle Development
"Improving estrogen metabolism with DIM results
in direct and indirect support for more efficient
weight training. Using DIM can help provide the first
estrogen-management system for women and men. ‘Good’
estrogen metabolites directly support muscle well-being
through their antioxidant action,” says Dr.
Zeligs.
DIM can be used during intense workouts with maximum
weights to develop larger and stronger muscles quickly.
Dr. Zeligs also states, “You can start out with
this as your goal, then move to lighter weight and
more reps to encourage complete growth of new muscles.
This regimen will maximize your metabolic rate and
keep you fit and trim.”
Fibromyalgia
Many health care professionals are now beginning to recognize a link betwen hormone imbalances and fibromyalgia symptoms. Like hormone imbalances, fibromyalgia can be one of the most frustrating and elusive problems that conventinal medicine is facing today. Most physicians would like to help their patients, but they generally do not know what to do beyond prescribing medications that are aimed at reducing symptoms, instead of addressing the underlying cause(s). DIM has been shown to help reduce excess estrogen levels that lead to symptoms that are associated with estrogen domiance and fibromyalgia. For example:
- Joint and muscle pain
- Sleep disturbances
- Migraine headaches
- Memory loss
- Foggy thinking
- Depression
Calcium
D-Glucarate and DIM
DIM helps reduce the levels of undesirable or ‘bad’
estrogen metabolites. One of the processes by which
estrogenic compounds and toxins are metabolized, broken
down, and eliminated is through the conjugation and
glucuronidation processes that occurs in the liver.
However, there is an enzyme known as Beta-Glucuronidase
that can interfere with the elimination process by
breaking the bond between the used hormone/toxin and
the water soluble substance that was designed to carry
them out of the body.
 |
Fortunately,
Calcium D-Glucarate
can help to inhibit or stop the beta-glucuronidase
enzyme that can interfere with this process, allowing
the body to properly eliminate them. Calcium D-Glucarate
is an important part of fully eliminating excess
estrogens and toxins. We highly recommend Calcium
D-Glucarate for anyone's dietary supplement program,
and particularly when taking DIM. |
Suggested
Further Reading
Hormonal
Balance - for more information about balancing
hormones when you have fibroid tumors.
Estrogen
Dominance - For further information about hormones,
estrogen dominance, and environmental estrogens.
Fibroid
Tumors – to learn about fibroid tumors.
Fibromyalgia
– to learn about fibromyalgia.
Calcium
D-Glucarate - is an important supplement in fully
eliminating excess estrogens and toxins.
Natural
Progesterone and Myomin
- for other products which may also assist with obtaining
hormonal balance.
National
Cancer Institute - The National Cancer Institute
(NCI) coordinates the Nation’s research program
on cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment,
rehabilitation, and control. BioResponse Nutrients
works with the NCI to discover the further health
potential of DIM.
ClinicalTrials.gov
- ClinicalTrials.gov is a service of the U.S. National
Institutes of Health and lists clinical trials conducted
in the United States and around the world. Visit this
site to see Active Clinical Studies using BioResponse
DIM (BR-DIM).
DIM FAQ
- An online resource site about Diindolylmethane (DIM).
Includes references, published articles and abstracts
on DIM, and more.
Other
Important Facts
DIMPRO also contains phosphatidylcholine.
Phosphatidylcholine's role in the maintenance of cell-membrane
integrity is vital to all of the body's basic biological
processes. Clinical studies have demonstrated that
choline is essential for normal liver function. When
the liver is functioning properly, it is able to efficiently
metabolize estrogen. Phosphatidylcholine is derived
from soy, in a form that does NOT include any phytoestrogens,
so it is safe for those who are estrogen dominant.
References
Dalessandri KM, Firestone GL,
Fitch MD, Bradlow HL, Bjeldanes LF. Pilot study:
effect of 3,3'-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary
hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with
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Bradlow HL, Telang NT, Sepkovic
DW, Osborne MP. 2-hydrodyestone: the 'good' estrogen.
J Endocrinol. 1996. Sep;150 Suppl:S259-65.
Zeligs, MA, Brownston PK, Sharp
ME, Westerling KC, Wilson SM, Jons SM.Managing cyclical
mastalgia with Absorbable Diindolylmethane: A randomized,
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Zeligs MA, Fulfs JC, Peterson
R, Wilson SM, McIntyre L, Sepkovic DW, and Bradlow
HL. In vivo, uterine-protective activity of absorption-enhanced
diindolylmethane: Animal and preliminary human use
in combination with Tamoxifen. Proc Am Assoc Cancer
Res 2003.44:1268.
Zeligs MA, Sepkovic DW, Manrique
C, Macsalka M, Williams DE, and Bradlow HL. Absorption-enhanced
3,3'-Diindolylmethane: Human Use in HPV-related,
Benign and Precancerous Conditions. Proc. Am. Assoc.
Cancer Res. 2002 Apr; 43, 3198.
Teas J, Cunningham JE, Fowke JH,
Nitcheva D, Kanwat CP, Boulware RJ, Sepkovic DW,
Hurley TG, Herbert JR. Unrinary estrogen metabolites,
prostate specific antigen, and body mass index among
African-American men in South Carolina. Cancer Detect
Prev. 2005; 29(6):494-500.
Visit: http://clinicaltrials.gov,
keyword:"diindolylmethane."
Chang YC Rilby J, Chang GH, Peng
BC, Firestone G, Bjeldanes LL. Cytostatic and antiestrogenic
effects of 2-(indol-3-ylmethyl)-3,3'-dinndolymethane,
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