Natural Health Reviews

What is Diindolylmethane (DIM)?

DIM (Diindolylmethane) is a phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. Unlike other plant nutrients such as soy isoflavones, diindolylmethane has unique hormonal benefits. DIM supports the activity of enzymes that improve estrogen metabolism. Scientific research shows DIM increases the level of “good” estrogens (2-hydroxyestrogen) while reducing the level of “bad” estrogens (16-hydroxyestrogen). 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 also treats 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. 

Benefits of DIM

• Improves estrogen metabolism and supports healthy estrogen and testosterone balance in both men and women
• Protects against conditions related to estrogen dominance
• Protects against cancer, heart disease
• Promotes healthy skin and bones
• Promotes fat loss
• Supports healthy prostate tissue in men
• Supports healthy breast, cervical and uterine tissues in women
• Relieves PMS symptoms in women

Choose a Brand That Uses BioResponse DIM®

DIM should not be confused with Indole-3-carbinol (I3C).  Some manufacturers label their products as DIM, but when you scan the ingredient list it will read Indole-3-carbinol as either the sole ingredient or blended with diindolylmethane (DIM).  I3C is a natural precursor to DIM and it requires the body to convert it to DIM.  I3C has been around and used for many years, but recently it has come under some scrutiny with regards to consumer safety.  When settling on a brand, make sure that you choose a Diindolylmethane (DIM) supplement that lists “BioResponse®” on the label for its absorption qualities.  BioResponse DIM® is a patented delivery system that has been shown to produce predictable absorption.  Some generic brands may contain a higher percentage of DIM, but studies have shown these brands to be very poorly absorbed. 

At the advice of my physician, I started using DIM about a year ago to help alleviate the symptoms of PMS and fibrocystic breast disease.  Since DIM increases good estrogen (2-hydroxyestrogen)and lowers bad estrogen (16-hydroxyestrogen), and since my younger sister was diagnosed with early breast cancer at age 36, my doctor believed I could benefit from DIM.  This is a supplement that I intend to take for the rest of my life unless told otherwise by my doctor.  I suffered with chronic fibrocystic breasts for years until I started taking DIM.  In the past, I made all the recommended dietary changes that were supposed to alleviate the problem, but nothing seemed to bring me the relief I needed.  It took two monthly cycles using DIM on a daily basis for my symptoms to disappear.  For almost 20 years I suffered with the pain of fibrocystic breasts so you can imagine how overjoyed I was to have this problem go bye-bye.  Most of the testimonials I have read on DIM have been positive as well.  For those people that did not get the desired effect, I always inquire into which brand they used.  In the majority of these cases they did not use a product formulated with BioResponse® DIM.   BioResponse® is the only patented delivery system on the market today that guarantees absorption.  The owner of this patented process manufactures under the label of BioResponse® Nutrients.  They have also distributed this patented dietary ingredient to companies worldwide under supply and licensing agreements.  Any product that says “licensed from BioResponse®” guarantees that you are getting the microencapsulated formulation that provides maximum absorption.  One caveat here, however, is that you want to make sure the supplement is not blended with Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which, as mentioned above, has been scrutinized for safety reasons. 

For my personal use, I chose the product created by the owner of the BioResponse® patented system- BioResponse® Nutrients.  This is the DIM product that I started with, and I got the results that I wanted so I have stuck with it.   The downside to BioResponse® Nutrients is the cost- it is quite expensive.  I use their BioResponse DIM 150 which is a 60 capsule bottle.  You can buy the product directly from BioResponse® Nutrients’ website for $39.00 plus shipping.  The shipping charges are very low, however, and they include a free copy of the book “All About Dim” with your first order.  The recommended daily dosage for DIM is 300 mg, but my doctor told me that 100 to 200 mg. should be just fine.  If you followed the recommended daily serving of 300 mg. the 60 capsule bottle would last you only one month.  At almost $42.00 per bottle it does not fit most people’s budget.  And, since the product is closely held by the company and not distributed on a broad retail basis, your options for price hunting are limited.  There are a few places on the internet that you can buy this product, but you will not find it on price searching sites such as Amazon.  Also, you will not find this product in a health food store; however, you may find it at a compounding pharmacy in your area, though usually at a much higher price.

Here are a few less expensive alternative brands of DIM supplements that were granted authorization to manufacture under the BioResponse® label: 

• Allergy Research DIM Enhanced
• Nature’s Way DIM Plus
• Enzymatic Therapy EstroBalance
• Pure Encapsulations DIM Pro-100 (hypo-allergenic product)

All of these brands are manufactured under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) as defined by the FDA, and are not blended with Indole-3-carbinol (I3C).   Most of them come in 120-capsule bottles so you get more product for less money than you would spend on BioResponse® Nutrients. The potency per capsule varies from brand to brand.  I recommend starting out at 75 to 150 mg. per day to see if you get the desired results before bumping up to the higher dosages (300 mg).  I know several people that use Nature’s Way DIM Plus and Allergy Research DIM Enhanced and have gotten great results from those products.  Allergy Research DIM comes in 75 mg. capsules which makes it easier to incrementaly adjust the dosage for the desired effect.  Most of the other brands come in 100 mg. capsules so you can start with one a day and bump it up if you need to.

You can get these DIM supplements at Amazon.com by clicking on the product links below.  Many of these products are carried by Amazon and are subject to their free shipping.  By accessing Amazon with the product links below I will receive a small referral fee from Amazon through their affiliate program.  You will not be charged any additional amount by Amazon for this referral fee.