DIM (diindolylmethane)
Studies Reinforce Benefits
By by Don Chaddock
Isn"t it nice to know that your mother was right? Eating cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts is good for you, but youd have to eat a whole lot of it to achieve results researchers have been getting.
Found in such vegetables is a powerful phytonutrient called DIM, or diindolylmethane. Like broccoli? To get just 10 to 30 mg of DIM youd need to eat one-and-a-half pounds of it. While 30 mg is better than none, its not therapeutic. Michael Zeligs, MD, recommends people take 100 to 200 mg of bioavailable DIM daily. (1) To get this amount from food just isnt practical, youd require four to six pounds of broccoli to achieve beneficial levels.
Over 25 Years of Research
DIM is nothing new. Researchers have long known about its numerous anti-cancer benefits. In 1975, DIM was identified as a naturally-occurring indole that affects the metabolism of chemical carcinogens. The researchers also went so far as to conclude DIM could play a critical role in the bodys response to environmental carcinogens. (2)
Other studies reinforce DIMs ability to protect against environmental cancer-causing elements. A later in vitro study at Oregon State University showed that DIM inhibited the metabolism of aflatoxin B1, a food contaminant and potent carcinogen. (3)
Can DIM Kill Cancer Cells?
DIMs anti-cancer properties have been studied thoroughly by researchers worldwide. In 1996, scientists for Israels Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology
discovered that DIM actually induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in human cancer cells. (4)
Tumor Inhibition
DIMs ability to inhibit tumor formation was studied as early as 1978. Researchers administered an anti-cancer cocktail of DIM and indole-3-carbinol to female rats 20 hours prior to chemically-inducing mammary tumors. They found that the combination had an inhibitory effect on tumor growth. (5)
Anti-Estrogenic
A 1999 study on human breast cancer cells found that DIM blocked estrogen receptors without the presence of estradiol and even inhibited the growth of estrogen-dependent
cancer cells. Researchers concluded that DIM possessed anti-estrogenic properties. (6)
Weight Loss and Workouts
According to Zeligs, supplemental use of DIM promotes higher levels of good estrogen, which promotes fat-burning for energy. (7) He recommends women take up to 300 mg
of DIM daily for this purpose. (1) Men engaged in exercise training programs may also find 300 to 400 mg daily helpful. (7,1)
Conclusion
DIM has been studied for more than 25 years. Its estrogen balancing and anti-cancer properties, especially for prevention, have been well-documented. All this, teamed
with the apparent fat-burning ability of DIM, only leads us to conclude that DIM is safe, effective and has many potential uses.
References:
1. Challem, J. DIM: The New Hormone Balancer, Lets Live, 2000 May; 56.
2. Wattenberg, L.W. Effects of dietary constituents on the metabolism of chemical carcinogens. Cancer Res, 1975 Nov; 35(11 Pt. 2): 3326-31.
3. Stresser DM, Bjeldanes LF, Baily GS, Williams DE. J Biochem Toxicol, 1995 Aug:10(4):191-201.
4. Ge X, Yannai S, Rennert G, Gruener N, Fares FA. 3,3-Diindolylmethane induces cell apoptosis in human cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1996 Nov
1;228(1):153-8.
5. Wattenberg LW, Loub WD. Inhibition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced neoplasia by naturally occurring indoles. Cancer Res, 1978 May;38(5):1410-3.
6. Chang YC, Rilby J, Chang GH, Peng BC, Firestone G, Bjeldanes LF. Cytostatic and antiestrogenic effects of 2-(indol-3-ylmethyl)-3,3-diindolylmethane, a
major in vivo product of dietary indole-3-carbinol. Biochem Pharmacol, 1999 Sep 1;58(5):825-34.
7. Zeligs M, Connelly AS. All About DIM. Penguin Putnam Inc., New York, NY, 2000; 14-18.