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Ingredients

DIM (Diindolylmethane)

Diindolylmethane · DIM

Snapshot

IndicationsContraindications
  • Estrogen metabolite modulation1
  • Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia2, 3
  • Endometriosis adjunct4
  • Breast density in BRCA carriers5
  • Tamoxifen therapy1
  • History of venous thromboembolism6

Diindolylmethane (DIM) is the main condensation product of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, and is taken to shift estrogen metabolism toward the 2-hydroxylated pathway7. Supplementation is used for estrogen-related concerns, including hormonal acne and endometriosis, and in cervical and prostate research settings4. The typical patient is a woman with estrogen-linked symptoms or a person on a hormone-focused protocol.

Human trials show consistent shifts in urinary estrogen metabolite ratios and sex hormone-binding globulin1. Clinical outcome data are small and mixed: a cervical dysplasia trial found no difference from placebo, while a phase IIa trial of intravaginal suppositories reported higher regression rates than placebo8, 9. In 2024, a review of popular acne supplements found DIM among the most common ingredients, with efficacy and safety data lacking; no trial has tested DIM for hormonal acne. Products are mostly capsules and powders, with absorption-enhanced formulations used in many trials; see Form comparison.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

47 sources, 29 studies

  • When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
  • SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
  • InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
  • Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
  • How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
  • Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
  • Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
  • Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.
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Sources

  1. 1A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of diindolylmethane for breast cancer biomarker modulation in patients taking tamoxifen.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govThomson, Chow, Wertheim et al. · Breast cancer research and treatment · 2017 · Pubmed
  2. 2First results of the double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial of DIM-based therapy designed as personalized approach to reverse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN).pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPaltsev, Kiselev, Drukh et al. · The EPMA journal · 2016 · Pubmed
  3. 3[The role of indole-3-carbinol and epigallocatechin-3-gallate in maintaining men's health (a systematic literature review)].pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSokolov, Tsareva · Voprosy pitaniia · 2026 · Pubmed
  4. 4Comparison of dienogest effects upon 3,3'-diindolylmethane supplementation in models of endometriosis and clinical cases.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govMorales-Prieto, Herrmann, Osterwald et al. · Reproductive biology · 2018 · Pubmed
  5. 53,3-Diindolylmethane (DIM): a nutritional intervention and its impact on breast density in healthy BRCA carriers. A prospective clinical trial.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govYerushalmi, Bargil, Ber et al. · Carcinogenesis · 2020 · Pubmed
  6. 6A Possible Association of Diindolylmethane with Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Venous Thrombosis.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govBui, Moualla, Upson · Case reports in medicine · 2016 · Pubmed
  7. 7Pilot study: effect of 3,3'-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDalessandri, Firestone, Fitch et al. · Nutrition and cancer · 2004 · Pubmed
  8. 8Oral diindolylmethane (DIM): pilot evaluation of a nonsurgical treatment for cervical dysplasia.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDel Priore, Gudipudi, Montemarano et al. · Gynecologic oncology · 2010 · Pubmed
  9. 9Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled multicenter clinical trial (phase IIa) on diindolylmethane's efficacy and safety in the treatment of CIN: implications for cervical cancer prevention.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAshrafian, Sukhikh, Kiselev et al. · The EPMA journal · 2015 · Pubmed