DIM
Supplements · Hormone Support · Supplement, Typed Supps
A compound your body makes from broccoli and cabbage, concentrated into a capsule.
Stage by stage
- Intake (Capsule): Absorbed in the small intestine.
- Small intestine (Absorbed): Absorbed in the small intestine.
- Liver (Influences oestrogen metabolism): Processed by the liver, where it influences how oestrogen is metabolized into downstream forms.
- Hormone balance (Studied over time): Effects are studied in the context of hormone balance rather than a single measurable target.
What the evidence supports
- Shifting urinary oestrogen metabolite ratios (2-hydroxy to 16-hydroxy) — moderate evidence. Controlled studies consistently show DIM changes oestrogen-metabolite profiles. But this is a biomarker change, not a proven health outcome.
- Treating hormonal acne or PMS, or lowering breast or prostate cancer risk — insufficient evidence. These are the popular selling points, yet no adequate clinical trial shows DIM improves any of them. The metabolite shift has not been linked to a clinical benefit.
- Evidence on Long-term safety — insufficient evidence. Short studies report only mild effects, but large-scale, long-term safety data do not exist.
Typical dose
100–200 mg daily, taken with food
Upper limit: No established UL; long-term data are lacking
Timing
With food, standard dosing.
Time to effect
- Wks–mo: Any reported hormonal effect.
Medication interactions
- Oestrogen-based therapies (HRT, oestrogen-containing contraceptives): DIM alters how oestrogen is metabolised and can change effective hormone levels. (moderate)
Common myth
“DIM lowers oestrogen.” In reality: It shifts which downstream forms your liver produces more of — a more nuanced claim than "lowers oestrogen."
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