Tracy Allwine

DIM supplements are being studied for their protective effects against certain cancers. They’re also used to help prevent prostate enlargement, treat acne, aid weight loss, and reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause symptoms.

While these benefits are promising, overall research on DIM’s effectiveness and long-term safety in humans is limited.

Test-tube and animal studies suggest that DIM supplements may help prevent the growth and spread of breast cancer cells. However, human studies are limited (1, 2).

A yearlong study gave 130 women with breast cancer on tamoxifen therapy either a placebo or 150 mg of DIM twice a day. DIM supplements resulted in a significantly improved ratio of two types of estrogen — 2-hydroxyestrone and 16-hydrozyestrone (8).

Although research is ongoing, increasing the ratio of 2-hydrozyestrone to 16-hydrozyesterone may reduce breast cancer risk and cause anti-tumor effects (8).

A 30-day study in 19 post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer found that taking 108 mg of DIM per day also resulted in beneficial changes in estrogen levels (9).

Test-tube and animal studies indicate that DIM protects against ovarian, prostate, and colon cancers as well. All the same, human studies are needed (10, 11, 12).

Notably, a mouse study found that DIM helped prevent cervical cancer. However, in a 6-month study in 551 women with cervical abnormalities, taking 150 mg of DIM per day had no effect on cervical cell changes (3, 13).

DIM supplements may safeguard against prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

In fact, it may help combat prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a condition that’s characterized by prostate cell growth and considered to be a precursor to prostate cancer (14).

In a 12-month study, 21 men with high-grade PIN were given either a placebo or 900 mg of DIM per day. Those given DIM experienced significant improvements in prostate health, as well as PIN (14).

Test-tube and animal studies likewise suggest that DIM helps fight prostate cancer. Still, more human research is necessary (15).

Given that estrogen plays an important role in regulating fat accumulation, DIM supplements may aid weight loss — although no human research currently supports this effect.

All the same, studies link an imbalance of estrogen — either too much or too little — to an increased risk of weight gain in both men and women (16, 17, 18).

Furthermore, DIM supplements may stimulate fat breakdown and inhibit fat cell formation.

In one study in mice on a high fat diet, 23 mg of DIM per pound (50 mg per kg) of body weight significantly reduced the formation of new fat cells (19).

Keep in mind that human studies are needed.

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