DIM Reviews, User Experiences & Supplement Results

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DIM reviews shared by users online cite benefits for improved menstrual cycle regularity and period pain, improved PCOS symptoms, weight loss, acne, bodybuilding, and infertility.

In research trials, preliminary results suggest it may work as a chemopreventive agent, especially for estrogen-sensitive cancers like breast, colorectal and uterine.

DIM (diindolylmethane) also demonstrates antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiproliferative, antiparasitic and other properties.

DIM is made from I3C (indole-3-carbinol), a natural substance found in cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli and cabbage. When these foods are consumed, I3C is converted by stomach enzymes into diindolylmethane.

Thus, Diindolylmethane is known as a stomach acid-catalyzed major condensation of indole-3-carbinol. Reviews of DIM by women and men say that this supplement helps to normalize hormone levels and balance the ratio between estrogen and testosterone.

DIM

Hormone Supplement

Estrogen

Testo- sterone

Body- building

How It Works:

• Aids healthy hormone balance for men & women
• Mitigates some effects of excess estrogen
• Anti-oxidant & anti-inflammatory benefits

Dosage:

Between 100 - 600 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

Top DIM Products* ❯

View User Ratings* ❯

DIM Reviews on Estrogen Effects

One of the major benefits of DIM supplements is a reduction in estrogen levels among individuals who have high levels.

Excess estrogen in women can cause a wide range of health problems including increased severity of PMS symptoms, heavier menstrual cycles, irregular cycles, acne, weight gain, bloating, erratic moods and more.

In user reviews of DIM capsules posted on Amazon and other websites, many women say that this supplement helps to correct these problems.

The top-rated Nature’s Way DIM-Plus supplement on Amazon has a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 based on 591 reviews.

Below are some of the comments made by reviewers who have used this product:

“my skin is clearer, smoother….my cycle?..lighter, no cramps and came normally (26 days vs 23!)…ive even lost a inch or so around my abdomen area (bad bad estrogen!) without working out!” – Shannon

“This should be the go to supplement for hormone balancing in woman. It grabs up the bad type of estrogen that causes chaos and rids our bodies if it while keeping the healthy estrogen balanced and hormones in harmony. Give it 2 months before expecting results though I think I could tell it was working with even less time than that.” – BeautifullyMeInside&Out

“I’ve been using this consistently for about a month, and it has definitely helped my PMS symptoms. It also seems to help with cravings a little.” – Dani Cripe

“I started taking this two weeks ago on the advice of a friend, and my energy levels have gone through the roof. I have struggled with constant exhaustion for years, and that seems to have disappeared. I’m sleeping like a rock at night, and I think I’ve lost a bit of weight around my mid-section. I’m excited to see how my body continues to adjust in the coming weeks. One night – I started by doubling the dose in the beginning and the first night woke up with the most intense headache I’ve ever had in my life. I had read several reviews saying that this can happen so I thought it must by the DIM. But as soon as I went back down to the regular does (once in AM and once in PM) the headache disappeared.” – mountaingirl

“I had hormonal acne from age 15-28. Tried every skin care gimmick out there, and did everything I could to naturally balance my hormones. Nothing worked until I tried DIM. My skin is clear and my mood swings have abated. I’ve been recommending it to everyone.” – Sara

How DIM Affects Estrogen

I3C and DIM are believed to promote both Phase 1 and Phase 2 liver metabolism and detoxification. This includes estrogen detoxification.

In microsomes from rodent livers, diindolylmethane administration lowered the synthesis rates of 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone from estrone. It also changed 4-androstenedione metabolism, leading to estrogen aromatization.

Further, DIM reviews seem to show that it activates protein kinase A-dependent estrogen receptors. It is also believed to upregulate the activity of EROD (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase), thereby decreasing testosterone 16-alpha.

In trout experiments, diindolylmethane has been shown to slow down 17-beta-estradiol digestion, making it less estrogenic. Currently, both estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects have been linked to DIM administration.

DIM Reviews and Anti-Cancer Effects

DIM research is currently being conducted by the US NCI (National Cancer Institute) to better understand the mechanisms of action that it exhibits.

The majority of research data generated to this point concerns the anti-cancer effects of diindolylmethane.

This natural compound has shown actions against various cancer cell lines. It seems to act widely to slow down oncogenesis, inhibit growth of cancer cells and induce natural cellular apoptosis.

However, most of the results observed so far have been in animal or in vitro trials. More research is required to determine clinical efficacy in humans.

One area that has attracted significant interest is in using DIM as a preventative agent for hormone-sensitive cancers. Breast cancer in particular is believed to be linked to high exposure to estrogen to some degree.

Since DIM seems to prevent estrogen levels from getting too high, it may have some therapeutic role to prevent the conditions that can lead to this type of cancerous cell from developing.

Concerning its potential actions against breast cancer, administration of diindolylmethane supplements in experiments has been found to:

• Limit the expression of estrogen receptor alpha;
• Alter the expression of microRNA (miRNA);
• Inhibit mutations of EGFR (endothelial growth factor receptor);
• Reduce activity of AKT and ERK pathways;
• Inhibit angiogenesis by preventing the actions of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor);
• Inhibit uPA (urokinase plasminogen activator) and uPAR, its receptor;

Research into Cervical Cancer

Research has also looked at the effects of DIM for cervical cancer. Observations from experiments include the following:

• Blocking cell cycle actions via affecting cyclin D synthesis;
• Changing CA2+ homeostasis inside cancerous cells;
• Causing ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress responses in C33A cervical cancer cells;
• Delaying the progression of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer;
• Limiting the onset of cervical lesions induced by oncogene expression;

Research into Colon Cancer

Concerning its possible effects against colon cancer development and progression, diindolylmethane supplementation apparently may:

• Induce apoptosis and CYP1A1 expression in human colon cancer cell lines;
• Upregulate p53-dependent apoptosis via caspase-8 activation;
• Induce cytotoxic and cytostatic effects against colon cancer cells in vitro;
• Induce DNA damage and cell cycle arrest via expression of p27 and p21 genes;
• Limit tumor growth via activation of NGFI-B-alpha (nerve growth factor induced B alpha);

Research into Lung Cancer:

Diindolylmethane administration, especially when combined with docetaxel, seems to affect lung cancer cell lines in the following ways:

• Promoting mitochondrial apoptosis via activation of procaspase-3 and procaspase-9;
• Decreasing expression of Bcl-xL;
• Strengthening the effects of docetaxel in various signaling pathways;
• Reducing the expression of VEGF, survivin, NF-kappaB, cyclin D1 and Akt ;
• Limiting BaP and NNK-induced tumor development;

DIM Research for Other Types of Cancer:

Experimental administration of 3,3′ diindolylmethane derivatives also seems to be effective for various other cancer cell lines.

Following are some of the generated and published data from recent scientici DIM reviews:

• Laboratory research on DIM showed cytotoxic actions against human melanoma cells in vitro.
• Diindolylmethane caused G2/M cell cycle arrest in human ovary cancer cells via activation of checkpoint kinase-2.
• DIM activates both receptor-independent and receptor-dependent ER stress pathways to induce apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells.
• In human prostate cancer cells, diindolylmethane supplementation limits cell growth, causes cell cycle arrest, limits action on the NF-kB nuclear factor pathway, inhibits Akt pathway action, modulates the expression of various gene profiles and induces cellular apoptosis.

While these initial findings from in vitro studies are promising, more research in humans is necessary to determine clinical efficacy of diindolylmethane for protecting against cancer onset and progression.

DIM Review for Safety

In user reviews, the most commonly reported side effect from DIM is headaches. Some users say that the headaches can be quite severe if taking his supplement at high dosages.

It seems that reducing the dosage is the best way to avoid this unwanted effect.

The average human diet provides somewhere between two and twenty-four milligrams of 3,3′-diindolylmethane each day from I3C metabolism. Supplementation in those amounts is considered likely safe, even for children and pregnant/nursing women.

Higher levels of DIM dosages (up to 300 milligrams daily) are considered possibly safe, but there have been reports of minor side effects like headaches and nausea.

In situations where higher dosing is required, as with treatments for cancer, 600 milligram and higher daily doses are considered possibly unsafe.

There have been two separate cases where supplementation lasting up to 28 days seemed to induce asymptomatic hyponatremia (low sodium levels), although one of the cases is thought to have been pre-existing.

This side effect is still considered to be rare, but precaution should be exercised to prevent low sodium.

There are some pharmaceutical drugs which can interact with diindolylmethane. DIM reviews suggest that it should not combined with diuretic drugs, estrogen and/or cytochrome P450 substrates.

Anyone considering taking diindolylmethane for cancer or other therapeutic targets, should consult with their doctors beforehand. While it may be considered effective in user reviews for conditions linked to high estrogen levels, there may be underlying factors that need to be addressed.

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