The supplement industry is rife with misinformation. Each and every day there seems to be a new supplement on the market that promises the world, but disappears within a year or two.
So when one sticks around, we start to take notice.
And one new supplement that has garnered a lot of attention in the health and fitness industry of late is Diindolylmethane
What is Diindolylmethane?
Diindolylmethane (also known as DIM) is a unique compound that your body creates after you eat cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and lettuce.
This particular group of vegetables contains specific plant nutrients that are converted into Diindolylmethane after you eat them.
Taking this into consideration, Diindolylmethane supplements provide a potent dose of this unique compound straight to your body -- eliminating the need to convert it from plant based products.
What does Diindolylmethane do?
Some research has shown that those people who eat a lot of cruciferous vegetables tend to be at a lower risk of developing several different cancers than those who don't -- including both breast cancer and prostate cancer [1].
And Diindolylmethane is thought to be responsible for this phenomenon.
Moreover, there is also some evidence to suggest that Diindolylmethane can help regulate your hormone levels [2].
It appears to do this by stimulating the production of a less potent form of estrogen (known as 2-hydroxyestrone), while reducing the production of a more potent form of estrogen (16 alpha-hydroxyestrone).
This is important, because high levels of 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone have been linked to weight gain, in conjunction with an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer
Finally, Diindolylmethane has also demonstrated an ability to inhibit an enzyme called aromatase -- an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.
Benefits of Diindolylmethane
It should be apparent that Diindolylmethane has some pretty interesting effects on the human body -- but what does that mean for you?
1. Potential Anticancer Effects
Arguably the most heavily researched property associated with Diindolylmethane relates to its ability to prevent against certain cancers.
Early laboratory studies in cells have shown that Diindolylmethane can slow the growth and spread of breast, prostate, and colon cancer cells. While more research in humans is needed, this does provide an indication that it might have the capacity to help prevent cancer over the course of a human lifetime [1].
2. Help Promote Weight Loss
As I alluded to above, excess secretion of certain types of estrogens can increase fat accumulation, leading to weight gain.
Given that Diindolylmethane supplement can help restore estrogen balance in the body, it appears likely that it may have the potential to promote weight loss [3] -- although more human research is needed before this can be said with a sense of real certainty.
This suggests that it could be useful during a cut, or even if you are in a bulking phase and want to minimise fat gain.
3. Improve Prostate Health
Research conducted in adult males has shown that supplementing with Diindolylmethane can protect against prostate enlargement, possibly helping in the prevention of prostate cancer.
In this study, 21 men with some notable prostate issues were either given 900mg of Diindolylmethane, or a placebo. Those who were given the Diindolylmethane saw significant improvements in prostate health, while those given the placebo did not [4].
While this is only a single study, it does provide real world insight into the impact that this unique compound can have on prostate health.
4. Correct Testosterone Imbalances
Finally, as Diindolylmethane has been shown to stop the conversion of estrogen to testosterone [1], there is reason to believe that it could have a positive effect on your testosterone levels -- particularly if they are on the lower side.
Given that testosterone has positive effects on muscle growth and strength development, there is some reason to believe that supplementing with Diindolylmethane might improve your training results.
However, it is important to note this has not been demonstrated in humans yet, so it is merely speculative at this stage.
Does Diindolylmethane Have any Side effects?
Research conducted in humans has shown Diindolylmethane to be quite safe.There is no reason to suggest that it is toxic, or that its supplementation will result in any serious side effects.
Although some minor side effects have been reported in the research [5], including:
- Darkening of the urine
- Headaches
- Gas and bloating
- Increased number bowel movements
It is important to note that these are rare, and only occur in a small portion of the population.
With that in mind, we still encourage you to seek advice from your medical professional prior to supplementation.
Diindolylmethane Dosing
Given that there is not a huge body of human research on Diindolylmethane yet, the perfect dosage has not been determined. However, taking between 200 and 300mg appears to be safe and effective [6].
Some researchers have also safely explored doses of up to 900mg per day, but this does not appear to be necessary.
Final Points
Diindolylmethane is one of the newest supplements on the market. However, early signs are promising, with research indicating it may be able to correct hormone imbalances, promote weight loss, improve prostate health, and even prevent certain cancers.
While more research is needed, it does appear to be safe and well-tolerated in moderate dosages, suggesting it could be an important part of your supplement regime.
References
- Thomson, C. A., Ho, E., & Strom, M. B. (2016). Chemopreventive properties of 3, 3′-diindolylmethane in breast cancer: evidence from experimental and human studies. Nutrition reviews, 74(7), 432-443.
- Rajoria, S., Suriano, R., Parmar, P. S., Wilson, Y. L., Megwalu, U., Moscatello, A., ... & Tiwari, R. K. (2011). 3, 3′-Diindolylmethane modulates estrogen metabolism in patients with thyroid proliferative disease: a pilot study. Thyroid, 21(3), 299-304.
- Yang, H., Seo, S. G., Shin, S. H., Min, S., Kang, M. J., Yoo, R., ... & Kim, J. R. (2017). 3, 3’‐Diindolylmethane suppresses high‐fat diet‐induced obesity through inhibiting adipogenesis of pre‐adipocytes by targeting USP2 activity. Molecular nutrition & food research, 61(10), 1700119.
- Paltsev, Mikhail, et al. "First results of the double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial of DIM-based therapy designed as personalized approach to reverse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)." EPMA Journal 7.1 (2016): 5.
- Castanon, A., Tristram, A., Mesher, D., Powell, N., Beer, H., Ashman, S., ... & Sasieni, P. (2012). Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. British journal of cancer, 106(1), 45-52.
- Reed, G. A., Sunega, J. M., Sullivan, D. K., Gray, J. C., Mayo, M. S., Crowell, J. A., & Hurwitz, A. (2008). Single-dose pharmacokinetics and tolerability of absorption-enhanced 3, 3′-diindolylmethane in healthy subjects. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers, 17(10), 2619-2624.
