Effectiveness of 3,3′-Diindolylmethane Supplements on Favoring the Benign Estrogen Metabolism Pathway and Decreasing Body Fat in Premenopausal Women

Abstract

The Estrogen Metabolites (2-hydroxyestrogens: 16α-hydroxyestrone) Urine Ratio (EMUR) has been negatively associated with breast cancer; Mexican women have a lower EMUR than other populations. We evaluated the effectiveness of 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM) supplementation on increasing EMUR in premenopausal women. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial (NCT02525159 at ClinicalTrial.gov) was carried out on 60 women with an EMUR below 0.9. Patients were assigned randomly to receive a placebo or 75 mg of DIM a day (administered as 300 mg of DIM-BR®) for 30 day. Urine samples were obtained at baseline, at 30 day of supplementation, and 30 day after finishing supplementation. A Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the EMUR; an ANOVA was used to analyze differences in body composition. EMUR was analyzed using ESTRAMET™ kits. While DIM-treated subjects did not increase their EMUR at 30 day of supplementation (p > 0.05), there was a non-significant positive trend 30 day once supplementation ended (p = 0.06). The DIM group saw a more significant decrease in body fat percentage than the placebo group (p = 0.04). In premenopausal Mexican women, 75 mg of the daily DIM supplement was ineffective in increasing EMUR; further studies are needed to evaluate the effective dosage, time frames, and effect on body fat.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Luz María de Regil Vélez for her scientific advice and the Nutritionist Carolina González for her technical support, as well as Dr. Silvia Rodríguez Colorado for facilitating access to the clinical files of the patients of the Clinic of Gynecological Urology of the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes.

This work is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Esther Casanueva and Dr. Gregorio Pérez-Palacios.

Authors’ Contributions

All authors listed have contributed sufficiently to the project to be included as authors, and all those who are qualified to be authors are listed in the author byline. All authors (E. Godínez-Martínez, R. Santillán, R. Sámano, G. Chico-Barba, Mari Cruz Tolentino, and J-Hernández-Pineda) had a role in formulating the research question(s), designing the study, carrying it out, analyzing the data, and writing the article.

Disclosure of Interest

The authors report no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Instituto Nacional de Perinatología [grant number: 212250-49491].