Best DIM Supplements of 2021
DIM is a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables. Numerous studies have found it to be effective in treating acne, promoting weight loss, reducing symptoms of PMS, balancing hormone levels and even treating cancer.
DIM – known as diindolylmethane to scientists – can be found in broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage and more. However, to reap the above-mentioned benefits you need to take it in greater quantities than can be easily obtained from fresh vegetables. That’s where DIM supplements come in.
Our team of experts examined dozens of DIM supplements and concluded that the following represent the 10 best DIM Supplements of 2021.
1. Nature’s Way Dim-Plus
Nature’s Way has spent years burnishing their reputation for quality and their DIM-Plus is one result of their exhaustive efforts. This is a well-considered supplement that contains next-gen Indolplex BR-DIM, which exhibits enhanced bioavailability. The diindolylmethane here is absorbed faster by your system and does not suffer from degradation as it sits in your stomach.
That is especially good news when you are taking DIM for acute conditions such as PMS. All Nature’s Way supplements are free of food allergens like yeast and soy, free of artificial preservatives and fillers, and completely free of genetically modified organisms. Nature’s Way supplements are produced in a good manufacturing practices facility right here in the US.
2. NOW Supplements DIM 200
NOW is a family-owned and operated business that has been producing outstanding supplements since 1968. Their DIM 200 is so named because it delivers 200 mg of high-potency diindolylmethane in every capsule. Alongside the DIM is 100 mg of calcium D-glucarate; a compound with an unremarkable name but a remarkable ability to promote hormone metabolism.
This acts as a kind of turbo-boost for the DIM, facilitating its activity and bolstering its effectiveness. That calcium D-glucarate provides the added benefit of flushing toxins from the liver, which enables the DIM to go about its work unencumbered. All NOW supplements are produced in a GMP-certified facility in the US and subjected to rigorous third party testing for purity and potency.
3. Nutricost DIM Plus BioPerine
Nutricost is not messing around with their DIM Plus BioPerine supplement. Each capsule contains a full 300 mg of diindolylmethane along with 5 mg of BioPerine to facilitate absorption and increase bioavailability. Nutricost DIM Plus BioPerine is a good choice for those with BPH or acne, or women seeking to balance estrogen levels.
As for Nutricost, we’re not sure how they do it, but they are able to consistently offer high-quality supplements like this for significantly less than many of their competitors. And in these challenging times a penny saved is, well, a penny saved. All Nutricost supplements are subjected to rigorous third party testing, are gluten and GMO-free and are produced in an FDA-certified facility in the US.
4. Neurobiologix DIM Pro
Neurobiologix is not a household name, but there is no denying the quality of their DIM Pro supplement. Each capsule contains 200 mg of diindolylmethane, the same compound that gives cruciferous vegetables like broccoli their laudable reputation. The DIM in these Neurobiologix capsules is buttressed by black pepper extract to facilitate absorption, and calcium D-glucarate.
The calcium D-glucarate purges your system of toxins that foster the development of many health conditions, thereby clearing a path for the DIM to get to work. It’s a potent combination that will pay both short and long-term benefits. Neurobiologix DIM Pro is free of gluten, yeast, soy, and other common food allergens and is produced in the US in a GMP-certified facility.
5. Smoky Mountain Naturals DIM Supplement
Smoky Mountain Naturals DIM Supplement is a good choice for women and men seeking the long-term benefits diindolylmethane has to offer. Those include warding off benign prostatic hypertrophy in men, and balancing estrogen levels in postmenopausal women. Older men looking for a safe and effective way to restore testosterone levels will likely find this an outstanding choice.
The 200 mg of DIM in each veggie capsule is bolstered by the inclusion of 2.5 mg of black pepper extract. That pepper is not there for taste, but instead to improve absorption of the DIM in the digestive tract. If you are considering DIM supplementation to address any of a number of long-term health conditions, consider Smoky Mountain Naturals DIM.
6. Eu Natural DIM Supplement
This Eu Natural DIM Supplement does not rewrite the book on how to do this type of supplement. Instead, they adhere to the tried and true formula of 200 mg of DIM along with a wisp of black pepper extract to facilitate absorption. So why would someone select this supplement over other 200 mg DIM supplements? Well, because unlike lesser supplements Eu does not use bovine gelatin to make their capsules. Instead they use vegetable cellulose.
Also, there are no artificial ingredients, fillers, preservatives, additives, flavors or colors of any kind used in the making of this supplement. And Eu supplements are subjected to some of the most stringent third-party testing regimens in the business. So, if purity and reliability are important to you, consider Eu Natural DIM Supplement.
7. Purest Vantage DIM with Bioperine
Purest Advantage DIM with Bioperine is designed with women in mind. Its potent combination of diindolylmethane, bioperine and dong quai is ideal for women looking for a supplement to deal with symptoms and ramifications of menopause. Each vegetable capsule contains 250 mg of DIM that is activated by 3 mg of black pepper extract (the aforementioned bioperine).
There is also vitamin D and dong quai, both of which are known to alleviate menopausal symptoms. What you don’t get with Purest Vantage DIM with Bioperine are any artificial ingredients that could undermine the activity of the DIM. You also don’t get any genetically modified organisms, and there are none of the food allergens included in lesser capsules as fillers or binders.
8. Zazzee DIM 300
Zazzee DIM 300 is one of the most potent DIM supplements on the market. With 50% more diindolylmethane per capsule than most other DIM supplements it is a good choice for people seeking treatment of acute conditions like acne or PMS, and those looking to get their weight under control.
Zazzee DIM 300 capsules also contain an industry-best 10 mg of black pepper extract to enhance absorption, and 100 mg of organic broccoli powder, which is loaded with beneficial vitamins and minerals. If you are looking for something to provide long-term prophylactic benefits, you might want to go with a 200 mg capsule. But if you are looking for a supplement to deal with a pressing condition, this is an excellent choice.
9. Effective Nutra DIM Supplement
While we’re on the subject of long-term vs short-term supplements, here is another that is great for dealing with what ails you today. Effective Nutra DIM provides 300 mg of high-potency diindolylmethane in each capsule, along with 5 mg of bioperine to enhance absorption. If the issue is acne, PMS, weight management, or BPH this is a better choice than a standard 200 mg capsule.
Those smaller doses are better for long-term, big picture health concerns like fending off cancer or bolstering liver health. Just one word of caution: although DIM typically produces few if any side effects, the larger the daily dose the more likely you are to encounter something like darkened urine or mild headaches. Such side effects, however, while perhaps unpleasant, are not typically symptomatic of bigger problems.
10. Nutra BioGenesis DIM Balance
The final entry on our list is Nutra BioGenesis DIM Balance. The folks at Nutra BioGenesis take a slightly different approach to DIM supplementation, reducing the amount of diindolylmethane per capsule to 75 mg but including 450 mg of glycine to enhance the effectiveness of the DIM. That glycine has the added benefit of being able to reduce some of the symptoms of BPH, making this perhaps more of a male-centric DIM supplement than some others.
The company also takes the bold but risky step of including soy. We say ‘bold’ because soy is known to be an effective treatment for some menopausal symptoms. And we say ‘risky’ because its very inclusion is bound to turn off some consumers wary of anything soy-related.
FAQs
What Is a DIM Supplement?
Diindolylmethane, commonly referred to as ‘DIM’, is a nutrient found in abundance in certain vegetables, including broccoli, watercress, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale and more. In a very real way the reputation of these vegetables as being ‘good for us’ rests on the activity of DIM.
From a chemical standpoint, DIM is similar to estrogen and is even metabolized in a similar fashion. It has demonstrated numerous potential benefits, including the ability to regulate the balance between male and female hormones, as well as impressive anti-tumor properties that bolster its potential as both a cancer preventative and treatment.
Let’s look into some of the many benefits of DIM now.
What are the Benefits of DIM Supplements?
DIM may be helpful in treating cancer – DIM has numerous potential benefits as we’ll soon see. But none of them carry quite as much weight as its anticancer potential. DIM has been cited in numerous studies for its potential as a treatment for colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer (1), and breast cancer (2). Its growing reputation in this regard is based on its ability to kill certain cancer cells and to prevent others from proliferating. These are precisely the types of mechanisms that are most sought after in cancer therapies and DIM seems to have them in abundance. Almost as important as its ability to stand up to cancer cells is the fact that DIM therapy produces almost no side effects.
DIM helps regulate estrogen levels – Estrogen is vital to women’s health but estrogen imbalances are an all-too-common fact of life for many women. Excessive estrogen coursing through a woman’s body can cause bloating, mood swings, weight gain, hair loss, insomnia, and anxiety and disrupt her normal menstrual cycle. And that is just a partial list. DIM takes an active role in regulating estrogen levels in women. Because of that, DIM supplementation is being studied as a potential therapy for dozens of maladies, including the ones we just listed.
DIM supplements can help men fend off environmental estrogen – Estrogen is thought of as a female hormone. And it is. But that doesn’t mean men don’t have estrogen in their systems too. They do (3). Although at much lower levels under normal conditions. Sometimes, however, estrogen levels in men become excessive due to environmental factors such as chemical byproducts in the food they eat. Physiological dysfunction can also result in a man producing excessive amounts of estrogen from fat or bone tissue. DIM supplements can correct this imbalance and fend off conditions such as ED and enlarged breasts in men.
DIM may help reduce acne – There are many factors that contribute to the development of acne. Hormones are certainly one. When levels of testosterone, progesterone and estrogen become unbalanced it has a profound effect on the largest organ in the body, the skin. One of the unfortunate results of this type of unbalance is acne. Hormone-based therapies are already in widespread use (4) and typically show good results. Because it works to regulate the balance male and female hormones DIM may turn out to be an effective addition to current hormone-oriented acne treatments.
DIM may be helpful in treating BPH – Both women and men can benefit from DIM supplements. One of the most important potential benefits for men is that DIM may be able to arrest or even reverse benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men. BPH is not in itself a life-threatening condition, but it can lead to a number of problems including a loss of urinary control, kidney and bladder damage, UTIs and more. A 2016 (5) study strongly bolsters the thesis that DIM can be a potentially effective treatment for BPH. More study is needed to confirm the results of the 2016 study. But the preliminary data is very encouraging.
DIM may help prevent breast cancer in older women – Estrogen, or more correctly, an imbalance in estrogen levels, is thought to play a central role in the development of breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women (6). Because DIM has demonstrated an ability to modulate estrogen levels, many researchers believe it may have a role to play in preventing the development of breast cancer in older women.
DIM supplements may boost weight loss efforts – Obesity in older women is not only, or always, a direct result of overeating. Estrogen deficiency also plays a role (7). Estrogen is directly involved in the metabolism of adipose (fat) tissue. So a lack of estrogen can lead to an overproduction of fat cells culminating in obesity. Using DIM to stabilize estrogen levels may help older women keep their weight in check. Also, because obesity is linked to the development of breast cancer in older women (8) DIM supplements that help these women control their weight may also help them avoid developing breast cancer.
DIM may be helpful in treating PMS – Although the exact cause of PMS is still unknown, there is little doubt that hormones play a role. That assumption is based largely (though not solely) on the fact that PMS stops after women pass through menopause. Because DIM acts as an estrogen regulator of sorts it is thought DIM supplements might have a role to play in PMS treatment. Because there have not been any comprehensive studies on the subject, however, it must be said that the jury is still out on whether this is the case.
DIM may alleviate symptoms of HPV – The CDC estimates that as many as 79 million Americans are infected with HPV, or the human papillomavirus (9). In most cases the virus will go away without treatment, and the person may never know that they had it. But in other cases it may develop into genital warts or even cancer. DIM has demonstrated an ability to combat some conditions stemming from HPV infection, including recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (10). Findings are still preliminary, and DIM does not seem to produce uniform benefits for everyone. Nonetheless, it may turn out to be a valuable weapon in the still limited arsenal of anti-HPV treatments.
DIM supplements help protect the liver – There are numerous studies that suggest diindolylmethane can be beneficial for the liver. Including one that indicates it can help prevent staphylococcal enterotoxin B (one of the toxins responsible for food poisoning) from causing damage to the liver (11), and another which points to DIM providing a whole host of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects (12). In addition, DIM also seems capable of altering liver function in a way that helps modulate estrogen metabolism. While all these effects are potentially beneficial, researchers are still exploring ways to best capitalize on them.
Are There Side Effects to Taking DIM?
DIM has been studied extensively. There is no compelling evidence that DIM supplementation is likely to produce adverse side effects in most individuals. In a few cases, people have reported experiencing slight headaches or more frequent bowel movements. And there have been isolated cases of people claiming DIM supplements caused a darkening of their urine. It should be emphasized, however, that such side effects are very rare and there are no cases of anyone winding up in the hospital as a result of DIM supplements.
If DIM is Present in Vegetables Why do I Need a DIM Supplement?
This is a pretty common question and one that has a pretty simple answer. You need DIM supplements because the amount of diindolylmethane present in vegetables is not nearly enough to enjoy most of the benefits listed above. People who eat lots of vegetables will likely get enough DIM to satisfy normal needs. But in order to fend off cancer, regulate hormones, or treat PMS you need more than you can get from even the most vegetable-heavy diet.
Can DIM supplements offset age-related testosterone loss?
As men age the amount of testosterone they produce begins to wane. This has a multitude of negative health effects including erectile dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, depression and more (13). By way of a complex series of interactions involving what is called ‘2 hydroxy estrogen’ DIM has the ability to promote the production of testosterone and stave off many of the above-mentioned maladies. Increased testosterone levels can also help older men get more from resistance training, which will help them avoid bone loss and the devastating late-life fractures that accompany it.
Does DIM Really Fight Cancer?
Numerous studies have pointed to the potential cancer fighting properties of DIM. While there is some evidence to suggest DIM may kill pancreatic cancer cells, there is more convincing evidence for its ability to fight gastrointestinal cancers (14). There is also a growing body of evidence that it may have a role to play in treating prostate cancer (15). This is not to say that DIM is a potential cure for cancer. But it may be able to fend off the development of certain cancers and may help bolster various cancer treatment regimens as well.
Can DIM Supplements Cause DVT?
A few years ago a story made the rounds that an elderly man had allegedly developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as a result of taking DIM supplements. This story seems to have precipitated the myth that DIM supplements will cause DVT. Subsequent investigation into that case in particular concluded that there was no evidence linking the man’s DVT with DIM supplementation (16), and that he, in fact, manifested a number of conditions that were more likely to have led to his DVT. So there is no scientific reason to think using DIM supplements will cause deep vein thrombosis.
The Bottom Line
DIM is one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare. It possesses numerous potential benefits that go well beyond those of the average dietary supplement.
Above, we made the case that DIM supplements should be on the radar of, among others, older men looking to build muscle mass, women seeking to balance estrogen levels, anyone in search of an effective acne treatment, or men looking to prevent or treat benign prostatic hypertrophy.
In truth, it’s not such a difficult case to make, since all of those potential benefits are backed by an increasing amount of scientific research and clinical experience. Use the information in this guide to determine which DIM supplement is right for you.
