DIM is an anti-aromatase (estrogen blocker) that promotes beneficial estrogen metabolism and healthy hormonal balance. It is especially helpful for managing estrogen dominant conditions. DIM is a naturally occurring phytonutrient that is found in cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Though discovered many years ago, the connection between plant-derived dietary ingredients and estrogen metabolism are just now beginning to be understood. Research has shown that DIM has the ability to act as an estrogen balancer or blocker in both women and men. All men have some estrogen, just as all women have some testosterone. However, as men age excess estrogen starts acting more and more like a poison in their bodies. Too much estrogen can be a problem in women as well, especially women who have had abnormal cell growth in their reproductive organs and women who are breast cancer survivors.
DIM contributes to a better metabolism in the most natural way possible by working with your own hormones and adjusting their actions to avoid hormonal imbalance. DIM produces more ‘good’ estrogen metabolites, which compete with testosterone for protein binding. This helps to maintain a higher ‘free’ testosterone level. Free testosterone is testosterone that is much more active. Once testosterone becomes "bound", it is pretty much useless.
Excess estrogen in men can lead to hair lost, prostate problems, obesity, low libido, and gynocomastia (male breast growth). Excess estrogen becomes more of a problem when taking herbals or pharmaceuticals that increase testosterone in the system. With higher testosterone levels, more testosterone aromatases into estrogen, making some type of estrogen blocker or anti-aromatase a necessity.
In the DIM Complex offered on this site, 100mg of 98% DIM is in each capsule. This yields 98mg of pure DIM per capsule. A lot of the DIM products available only deliver 25mg per capsule as the manufacturers utilize 100mg of 25% DIM per capsule. In Barlowe's DIM Complex, 190mg of Chamomile Extract standardized to 1.1% apigenin are also added to each capsule. Chamomile is itself a fair anti-aromatase herbal and brings added benefits such as a calming, anti-cortisol effect and better digestion. Finally, since DIM by itself is absorbed poorly into the system, 10mg of 95% Piperine (black pepper extract) are added to this complex. Piperine greatly increases the absorbability (or bio-availability) of DIM. Of course, this new DIM Complex is stearate and additive free, as are all of Barlowe's products. All you receive in each high quality vegi-cap is pure DIM, chamomile and piperine.