Indole 3 Carbinol & DIM For Estrogen Balance

For estrogen balance and natural alternative to Tamoxifen.

Here we have a phytochemical from cruciferous vegetables, showing to have anticancer properties.

What are cruciferous vegetables? They are broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage & brussel sprouts. After crushing or cooking them, an enzyme "myrosinase" is activated, which produces I3C.  I3C then causes a release of  "DIM" (diindolylmethane), due to the enzymes in the plant along with the action of gastric acid during digestion. DIM is said to be the more absorbable form.

One source is Protective Breast Formula, (Enzymatic Therapy) with 120mg of Indolplex complex, 25% of which is DIM (30mg), and equal to about 2 pounds of raw broccoli. Some dosage recommendations are 40-60mg once or twice a day. A dose of 3 tablets/day yields 45mg,  by my calculations.  Other brands are Pure Encapsulations, which has 25mg DIM, Source Naturals, and NSI. They can be compared here at Vitacost.

It's anticancer mechanism works by blocking estrogen receptor sites thereby balancing estrogen levels in women as well as men. It increases the ratio of good estrogen (2- hydroxyestrone) to bad estrogen (16-hydroxyestrone), and stops the formation of the cancer causing estradiol (4-hydroxyestrone).  The bad estrogen is then escorted by DIM to the liver to be excreted. Some reports say that DIM has immune activating and anti-inflammatory properties.

High estrogen levels can be caused by things like stress, diet, toxins, cleaning supplies, pesticides, plastics, even makeup. We are all exposed to these everyday insults on our bodies, which is why men can also suffer from high estrogen levels. There is a product formulated just for men for this reason. It is called "Chrysin".  Some brands include Bioperine in them, which is said to aid in its absorption.

For those interested in additional information, here is another resource:

1. From Pub Med>
2. University Of California At Berkeley (1998, February 16). Chalk Up Another One For Broccoli! Chemical In Vegetable Shown To Halt Growth Of Breast Cancer Cells. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 29, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980216080338.htm