Do you want more DIM in your life? Then eat your vegetables! More importantly, eat your cruciferous vegetables!
What’s a Cruciferous Vegetable?
Cruciferous veggies are a diverse group that includes cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress, and radishes.
Why Do We Care About Cruciferous Vegetables?
Most cruciferous vegetables are rich in nutrients like folate, vitamin K, vitamin c, and iron. Dark greens also contain phytonutrients — plant-based compounds that may help to lower inflammation and reduce the risk of developing cancer. The one thing that they all have in common is that they contain compounds that your body metabolizes into Diindolylmethane (DIM).
Why Is DIM Important?
Diindolylmethane (DIM) provides powerful estrogen and hormone-balancing effects for both men and women.
Why Do Men Need DIM to Balance Estrogen?
DIM supports a ‘good’ healthy estrogen metabolism and reduces the less desirable or ‘bad’ estrogen metabolites. Why is that important in men? Because DIM shows is an aromatase inhibitor.
Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. Slowing down the conversion of testosterone to estrogen can free up some of your testosterone, maintain better estrogen levels, and balance out your hormones. Low-T has been all over the media, so you probably know why you don’t want to have low testosterone levels, but just in case, here’s the shortlist.
- Low-T can cause weight gain.
- Adequate T-levels support healthy muscle mass.
- Optimal testosterone levels give you more energy
- Testosterone boosts stamina.
- Low-T is associated with low libido and erectile dysfunction.
DIM also protects you against prostate issues and maintains bladder control.
Benefits of DIM Supplements for Men: A Deep Dive
Both men and women can reap the benefits of DIM’s, hormone-balancing, and weight management effects. However, there are a few ways that DIM may offer additional support for men.
Support for Low-T
We touched on this earlier. DIM can assist your body in optimizing testosterone levels.
Testosterone is an androgen, which regulates and dominates male characteristics like male genital development, a deeper voice, and body hair distribution. It is also an anabolic hormone. Anabolic hormones promote protein synthesis, which supports muscle growth and bone strength.
Testosterone is also a key driver of your sex drive and mood and is the primary driver of sperm production in adult men. Men can greatly benefit from DIM supplements because they free up bound testosterone and optimize its performance in the body. This lays the groundwork for a healthy hormonal balance, which is the foundation of good sexual, physical and mental health.
Protects Your Prostate
Research shows that, over time, unmetabolized estrogen can accumulate in prostate tissue. This accumulation may be a precursor to increased levels of prostate-specific antigen protein (PSA).
Doctors use PSA levels to screen for prostate enlargement and prostate cancer. If your levels are high, then you may have an issue with your prostate. Recent studies have shown that estradiol causes the prostate gland to increase its production of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The “good” estrogen metabolites promoted by DIM can inhibit the production of PSAs.
DIM may also help combat prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). This condition is characterized by prostate cell growth and is considered to be a precursor to prostate cancer.
Fewer Trips to the Bathroom at Night
DIM promotes a healthy testosterone-estrogen balance that is required for urinary tract health and nighttime bladder control.
DIM Supplements for Men Will Do It!
What if you don’t like cruciferous vegetables? Or what if you have to limit your servings of cruciferous vegetables because they can suppress thyroid production?
The thing is, even if you love your cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts, sometimes you need more than just a few servings of them a day. Sometimes you need a truckful. The best way to get that is through DIM supplements.
What Are the Side Effects of DIM Supplements?
Minimal side effects have been shown with DIM supplements for men. The most common side effects are:
- Increased bowel movements
- Darkening of urine
- Headaches
- Gas
- Smelly urine
If you already know that you have hormone sensitivity or have had trouble with hormone therapies, DIM might not be appropriate for you.
Don’t Just Do DIM On Your Own!
You can find a variety of DIM supplements on the market. Like so many other supplements today, it’s sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and even online. The problem with buying DIM, or any supplement, on your own is that you don’t know:
- The quality of the product you are buying.
- The dosage that your individual situation requires.
- What else has been included in the formula that might be contra-indicated with other supplements or meds you take.
Consulting a doctor who is familiar with DIM supplements and hormone replacement therapy is essential when deciding whether or not to add DIM to your daily regimen.
A Dazzling Duo
DIM has also been effectively used in combination with Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). BHRT treats hormone imbalances by adding back in the hormones that are crashing. Your hormones are powerful and control a lot of essential functions in your body.
Hormone imbalance can affect anyone. Feelings of lethargy, disinterest in sex, or just generally feeling “off” aren’t normal. Neither is memory loss, the inability to focus, or irritability.
Often considered as typical signs of aging, these symptoms are common in people suffering from hormone imbalance or low testosterone (Low T). Just because they’re common doesn’t mean you have to continue suffering!
We Can Help with DIM Supplements for Men
If you think you may have a hormone imbalance, check out our symptoms checklist for men. Hormone imbalances don’t just lead to these symptoms. As we have seen in this article, they can also lead to more serious conditions like prostate issues and bladder control issues.
If you’re ready to live your best life again, contact us! We’ll get you started and be with you the whole way.
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