If you want to buy DIM pills online, you may have some questions regarding the best way to use these supplements, the possible benefits as well as side effects.
Diindolylmethane (DIM) supplements are used to reduce the risk of a variety of health conditions including PMS (premenstrual syndrome), BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy), RRP (recurrent respiratory papillomatosis) and some forms of cancer.
DIM has been found in research studies to exhibit antitumor, antiproliferative, antimetastatic, antiarthritic, antiparasitic, antioxidant and antiangiogenic properties.
Most notably, it helps to establish a healthy balance in estrogen levels, increase free testosterone levels in men and acts as an aromatization inhibitor.
Diindolylmethane (DIM) is naturally manufactured in the stomach when cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli are eaten.
DIM pills and tablets sold online provide a significantly higher dosage of this ingredient for improved effectiveness.



- Aids healthy hormone balance for men & women
- Mitigates some effects of excess estrogen
- Anti-oxidant & anti-inflammatory benefits
Are DIM Pills Worth your Money?
Related Topics
DIM has been shown to reduce the risk of hormone-sensitive conditions like breast, colon and uterine cancer from developing.
These forms of cancer are particularly sensitive to high levels of estrogen.
Taking DIM may help to control estrogen levels and particularly to reduce levels of so-called “bad” estrogen metabolites.
Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute, are currently conducting large-scale human trials to determine the curative and preventive capacities of 3,3′-diindolylmethane.
Best Sources of DIM
There are several different sources of DIM that you can use to supplement your diet. DIM is made from the indole-3carbinol (I3C) found in cruciferous vegetables. I3C is a glucobrassicin manufactured via the enzyme myrosinase.
This compound is converted by active enzymes in the stomach to produce DIM. You can increase your levels of DIM by eating cruciferous vegetables that contain I3C.
The following is a list of some common food sources and the amount of glucosinolates each contains, based on ½-cup amounts (4 ounces, chopped):
- Brussels sprouts: 105 mg;
- Garden Cress: 99 mg;
- Mustard Greens: 80 mg;
- Turnips: 60 mg;
- Savoy Cabbage: 35 mg;
- Red Cabbage: 30 mg;
- Broccoli: 28 mg;
- Cauliflower: 24 mg;
- Bok Choy: 20 mg;
The average human gains between 2 and 24 mg of diindolylmethane from the foods they consume daily. This is a very low amount.
According to some estimates, one would need to eat at least two pounds of raw cruciferous vegetables a day in order to attain sufficient levels of DIM to promote health-boosting effects.
In some research trials, supplementing with higher levels of broccoli, cabbage juice and vegetable extracts did not show benefits for normalizing estrogen levels, whereas DIM supplements do show benefits.
This suggests that for many of the positive effects of DIM on health, it is necessary to take properly formulated supplements.
In addition to providing higher dosages, high quality DIM pills are formulated with absorbable DIM that does not need to be first converted by stomach enzymes.
I3C has been called an “unstable precursor” because it needs to first undergo a chemical reaction in your stomach in order for it to be utilized as DIM.
Some researchers have suggested that DIM pills are more bioavailable compared to the DIM that can be produced from eating vegetables. While there are certainly benefits to eating vegetables like broccoli, there may be greater health benefits if you purchase a DIM supplement to improve estrogen balance.
What are the Effects of DIM Pills?
3,3′-diindolylmethane has been associated with anticancer and chemoprotective effects. It seems to increase the rate of apoptosis (cell death) for cancerous cells by increasing caspase activity.
A number of other mechanisms of action have been reported, including signaling of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-kB), repair of damaged DNA, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) action, activating various protein kinases and CYP19, CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 cytochrome P450.
DIM pills may reduce risk factors related to the development of estrogen-sensitive cancers. Administering this supplement is reported to cause anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulating effects.
The following effects of DIM tablets have also been reported in research studies:
- Activating the AhR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) via the upregulation of natural killer T-cells;
- Increasing the manufacturing of IFN-? (interferon gamma), inducing cytostatic and cytotoxic actions against tumor cells;
- Impeding cancer cell growth via the upregulation of effector T-cell activity;
- Stimulating natural apoptosis (scheduled death) in cancer cells;
- Increasing the expression of BRCA1 (a protein that suppresses tumor growth);
- Controlling the expression of genes which are estrogen-dependent;
- Slowing down the actions of S-phase proteinases;
- Regulating androgen receptor pathway activities;
- Inhibiting angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) in existing tumor cells;
DIM Pills for Obesity and Weight Loss
Although the majority of research published on diindolylmethane relates to its anticancer and chemopreventive effects, some studies also show antiobesogenic properties.
This means that DIM pills may prevent weight gain and even support weight loss in certain cases.
This is likely a result of DIM’s ability to control estrogen levels. Estrogen dominance has been linked to increased lipid storage in women.
In animal tests, daily 5 mg injections with I3C (the precursor to DIM) decreased the expected gains of fat associated with a diet high in saturated fats. Other studies have shown similar effects, though primarily only in obese individuals.
Research continues exploring the possible effects of diindolylmethane on long-term weight management and obesity.
Anti-Oxidant Benefits of DIM
Low doses of DIM may help reduce the effects of oxidative damage to DNA. Oxidation is caused by free radical particles that are created in large amounts within the human body during the normal course of metabolic functions.
While the presence of free radicals is completely normal, high levels can begin to cause mutations in cell DNA and damage to other cell structures. This has been linked to the development of cancers, premature signs of aging and a number of other disease states.
Daily injections of DIM two weeks before total body irradiation in rats seemed to induce dose-dependent survival rate improvements of roughly 60%.
The protection provided by DIM is believed to be caused by the activation of the repair enzyme ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM). DIM supplementation also seems to increase the efficacy of ATM actions.
Are Diindolylmethane Supplements Safe?
Diindolylmethane pills seems to be very safe for human supplementation. It is classified as likely safe when used for period of less than twelve consecutive weeks, and in doses less than or equal to 24 milligrams daily.
DIM doses up to 300 mg daily are accepted as possibly safe. Rare reports of upset stomach and headaches have been noted at these DIM dosage levels. For therapeutic doses of 600 mg daily and more, rare cases of hyponatremia have been noted.
Hyponatremia is a condition where serum sodium amounts have been depleted to unsafe levels. In most cases, hyponatremia causes only mild side effects, but if left untreated, it can lead to the onset of cerebral edema (swelling of the brain), cardiopulmonary arrest, congestive heart failure, stroke, coma and/or death.
There are some interactions possible between diindolylmethane supplements and prescription drugs. Talk about them with your doctor before you buy DIM pills for any therapeutic purposes.
- Zaidi MR, Merlino G. The two faces of interferon-? in cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2011 Oct 1;17(19):6118-24. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-11-0482. Epub 2011 Jun 24.
- A Castañon, A Tristram, D Mesher, N Powell, H Beer, S Ashman, G Rieck, H Fielder, A Fiander and P Sasieni Effect of diindolylmethane supplementation on low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities: double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Br J Cancer. 2012 Jan 3; 106(1): 45–52.
- Prabodh K. Kandala and Sanjay K. Srivastava Diindolylmethane-mediated Gli1 Protein Suppression Induces Anoikis in Ovarian Cancer Cells in Vitro and Blocks Tumor Formation Abilityin Vivo* J Biol Chem. 2012 Aug 17; 287(34): 28745–28754.
- Mohan, Sumit et al. "Prevalence of Hyponatremia and Association with Mortality: Results from NHANES." The American journal of medicine 126.12 (2013): 1127–37.e1. PMC. Web. 24 July 2015.
- Fan, Saijun et al. "Low Concentrations of Diindolylmethane, a Metabolite of Indole-3-Carbinol, Protects against Oxidative Stress in a BRCA1-Dependent Manner." Cancer research 69.15 (2009): 6083–6091. PMC. Web. 24 July 2015.
- Chinnakannu, Kannagi et al. "Cell Cycle-Dependent Effects of 3,3?-Diindolylmethane on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells."Journal of cellular physiology 219.1 (2009): 94–99. PMC. Web. 24 July 2015.
- Gregory A. Reed, Jean M. Sunega, Debra K. Sullivan, John C. Gray, Matthew S. Mayo, James A. Crowell, and Aryeh Hurwitz Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics and Tolerability of Absorption-Enhanced 3, 3?-Diindolylmethane in Healthy Subjects Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 Oct; 17(10): 2619–2624.
- Dent P. Crosstalk between ERK, AKT, and cell survival. Cancer Biol Ther. 2014 Mar 1;15(3):245-6. doi: 10.4161/cbt.27541. Epub 2014 Jan 14.
- Ye Q, Cai W, Zheng Y, Evers BM, She QB. ERK and AKT signaling cooperate to translationally regulate survivin expression for metastatic progression of colorectal cancer. Oncogene. 2014 Apr 3;33(14):1828-39. doi: 10.1038/onc.2013.122. Epub 2013 Apr 29.
- Prabodh K Kandala1 and Sanjay K Srivastava 1 Diindolylmethane suppresses ovarian cancer growth and potentiates the effect of cisplatin in tumor mouse model by targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) BMC Med. 2012; 10: 9.
- Shishinn Sun, Jing Han, Walter M. Ralph, Jr., Alamelu Chandrasekaran, Kai Liu, Karen J. Auborn and Timothy H. Carter Endoplasmic reticulum stress as a correlate of cytotoxicity in human tumor cells exposed to diindolylmethane in vitro. Cell Stress Chaperones. 2004 Mar; 9(1): 76–87.
- Xuemin Qian, Jung Min Song, Tamene Melkamu, Pramod Upadhyaya and Fekadu Kassie Chemoprevention of lung tumorigenesis by intranasally administered diindolylmethane in A/J mice. Carcinogenesis. 2013 Apr; 34(4): 841–849.
Article last updated on: April 16th, 2018 by Nootriment