While I am taking a few days R&R I though it was a great time to post up some information on the Biosignature Estrogen Protocol that I am currently on. Today the article is on DIM, and while the first section is a little technical it is worth hanging in for the read. The protocol is designed to decrease body fat scores in the lower body, however the protocol has supplements that provide significant other benefits as you will see......

DIM - A Great Plant Indole

by Charles Poliquin


A Plant Indole For Your Protection - Answering your questions about DIM

Participants in our Biosignature seminars will be familiar with DIM or Diindolylmethane. This article discusses this plant indole in greater detail.

What exactly is DIM?
Plant indoles, also know as glucosinolates, are found in cruciferous vegetables and provide a host of health benefits to humans. Cruciferous vegetables are known for their many roles in cancer protection. Two such indoles provided by cruciferous vegetables are I3C (Indole 3 Carbinol) and DIM (Diindolylmethane).
DIM is not naturally present in these plants. It is released with the help of enzymes upon crushing of the broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or brussel sprouts or during human digestion.
Stomach acid, or HCl, can also aid the joining of two indole 3 carbinols to make diindolylmethane. Lack of HCl will hinder one's ability to make DIM from I3C. If you are deficient in stomach acid (see my article on that topic), getting rid of lower body fat may be an issue.
Basically, DIM is two molecules of I3C combined together. I3C in a capsule is not shelf stable because it is sensitive to light, heat and moisture. I3C is irritating to the stomach. Research tells us that it can have very negative side effects in doses over 300 mg daily such as dizziness and unsteady gait, which may be due to nervous system toxicity. One study shows evidence that 90% of orally consumed I3C converts to other compounds. Perhaps it is these other compounds that cause these side effects. One compound I3C converts to is ICZ, or indololcarbizol. This compound causes DNA damage. DIM studies show no toxicity when given triple the dose in humans.

Is DIM Hard to Absorb?
Due to its crystalline structure, oral absorption of DIM in a capsule is minimal, similar to CoQ10. DIM absorption can be greatly enhanced by emulsifying it with lecithin in rice bran oil, including with it compounds that hold it in solution such as beeswax, and finally adding fat-soluble nutrients that aid absorption through the gut wall. DIM•AvailTM is a unique combination of such ingredients. We use the same technology to make our CoQ10 more bioavailable in comparison to powdered CoQ10 and sublingual forms.

How to Take DIM Avail?
Patients should expect to get therapeutic results taking DIM Avail at the recommended dose of 1 to 2 soft gels per day taken with breakfast or dinner.

What Actions Does DIM Have on the Body that make it Beneficial to our Health?
It has been suggested that a low level of the 2-hydroxyestrogen metabolites (2-OHE) and a high level of 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone (16 alpha-OHE1) is associated with an enhanced risk of breast cancer. DIM increases hydroxyestrone and therefore improves the 2/16 hydroxyestrone ratio, making it very protective for women at high risk for this condition.
Research by Bradlow says that DIM also reduces availability of 4-androstenedione for aromatization to estrone. He concludes that DIM is more potent than I3C at protecting against mammary carcinoma due to decreased formation of 16 alpha-hydroxyestrone from estrone.6
Doesn't Research Support the Use of I3C for Cancer Prevention Such as Breast Cancer?
There are positive studies on supplementation of I3C because they are looking at limited parameters such as improvement in the 2/16 hydroxyestrone ratio. When we take a broader look, however, I3C raises 4-hydroxy estrogen with the potential of aggravating cancers such as breast, endometrial and prostate cancer.
I3C increases 4-hydroxy estrogen production in animals and in humans. 8 DIM does not. 4-hydroxy estrogens and CYP1B1, the only CYP source of 4-hydroxy estrogen, have both been implicated in the causation of prostate and breast cancer in humans. 4-hydroxy estrogens and CYP1B1 are also implicated in the causation and growth of uterine fibroid tumors and endometriosis.
Researchers from the Department of Pathology, Sasaki Institute, Tokyo, Japan concluded the following: “These results suggest that induction of the CYP 1 family in the liver and sequential modulation of estrogen metabolism to increase 4HE might play a crucial role in promoting the effects of dietary I3C on endometrial adenocarcinoma development.”

Should Men Take DIM?
Men who wish to prevent prostate cancer and men with a family history of prostate cancer should take DIM. Men who have a problem with aromatization of testosterone would also benefit from using DIM.

What about the role of DIM in Biosignature?
If your hamstrings and quadriceps score are elevated in relation to the triceps reference score, DIM helps reduce those scores. I recently had National team female weightlifter reduce her lower body fat significantly by adding DIM to her supplement protocol. DIM is a favorite of female physique competitors to help get their legs shredded.

Males who have elevated scores in the pectoral skinfold in relation to the triceps skinfold also benefit from the use of DIM.

For more information on DIM or any other Poliquin Product just drop me an e-mail! (you will find this on the left hand side bar in my profile).

Happy Saturday!

Lisa