Showing posts with label DIM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIM. Show all posts
Friday, 22 August 2014
Arimidex or NOT...... that is the question
So as many of you will know I have been kind of given the all clear see few posts below. All the scans are clear and there is currently no cancer anywhere whoopie! However, in place of the dammed Tamoxifen which I stopped taking on the 21st July I have been prescribed Arimidex because apparently I am now through the menopause. Last week I decided to have a look into the side effects of this particular hormonal drug and found to my horror even worse side effects than the Tami! My main ache on Tami was the weight gain and the migraines, on this new tablet the side effects are and I quote from real life stories cataracts and blindness!, more fucking weight gain, joint pain, migraines etc etc etc oh with the added high possibility that I will develop arthritis in my thumbs (already have problems with the thumbs) which would need operations!! WOW and they didn't tell me of any of these side effects when they prescribed it to me if they had of done I would of said a flat out NO THANKS. Feeling a bit livid with the docs and hospital for not telling me of this and have weighed it all up...... so if I take it I might prolong my life by a bit longer but I might go blind and have problems with my hands so wouldn't be able to paint and create its a no brainer really isn't it of course I'm not gonna take the shit, I'd rather not be here if I couldn't see the world to create my art. I have an appointment in October to see how I'm going on the Arimidex..... yeah right.....!!!!! not sure what I will tell them at the moment and quite honestly don't want to take anything else. Will continue on the Herceptin because in comparison the side effects are minimal and don't affect me that badly. I would be interested to hear from any of you reading about this drug Arimidex or by brand name Anastrozole and your experiences on this and if you find or recomend any of the other hormonal drugs to be better or with less horrible side effects. Please post a comment below and I will return the message. In place of prescribed drugs I sent off and received my first supply of 120 caps of DIM which I am going to take as a natural alternative to the hormonal's for further information see my report on it in the post titled "DIM definitely not stupid......"Many thanks for listening.
Thursday, 8 May 2014
DIM definitely not stupid.......
Before we progress on to todays post properly I would like to put a shout out to Dani from the BCC forum who left a comment on one of my posts. Hi Dani, would you please send me a private message via the BCC forum then we can discuss the subject further, I can certainly point you in the right direction. xxxx
Right back to the nitty gritty of this post. Anyone ever heard of DIM or Di-Indolyl Methane (its a mouth full isn't it!) is a food-based compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussel’s sprouts. Studies have shown that it has the ability to reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially those influenced by excessive estrogen levels, such as breast, uterine and prostate. DIM can also stimulate fat breakdown and encourage an increase in muscle mass. An added bonus of this supplement is that it effectively modulates estrogen metabolism, helping to do away with uncomfortable symptoms of PMS, perimenopause and prostrate issues. Some experts also recommend DIM to fight chronic inflammation in the body, especially as it ages. With inflammation, it gets harder for your body to absorb nutrients from food, to keep it’s immune system under control, and fight pain. Currently, there are clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that are focusing on using DIM to treat breast, cervical and prostate cancer. I think you probably have guessed where I am going with this, yes its the Estrogen factor. Natural sources of DIM can be found in:
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Kale
Mustard greens
Watercress
Right back to the nitty gritty of this post. Anyone ever heard of DIM or Di-Indolyl Methane (its a mouth full isn't it!) is a food-based compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussel’s sprouts. Studies have shown that it has the ability to reduce the risk of certain cancers, especially those influenced by excessive estrogen levels, such as breast, uterine and prostate. DIM can also stimulate fat breakdown and encourage an increase in muscle mass. An added bonus of this supplement is that it effectively modulates estrogen metabolism, helping to do away with uncomfortable symptoms of PMS, perimenopause and prostrate issues. Some experts also recommend DIM to fight chronic inflammation in the body, especially as it ages. With inflammation, it gets harder for your body to absorb nutrients from food, to keep it’s immune system under control, and fight pain. Currently, there are clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that are focusing on using DIM to treat breast, cervical and prostate cancer. I think you probably have guessed where I am going with this, yes its the Estrogen factor. Natural sources of DIM can be found in:
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Kale
Mustard greens
Watercress
Pretty much anything that is ultra green and healthy.
Now for the science bit.
The following excerpt comes from Dr. Scott Rollins, MD, founder and Medical Director at the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (http://imcwc.com/news/index.php?id=3271124400587032289). This is a very well-written and comprehensive account of the effects of DIM and how to best use this supplement to make the most out of its incredible benefits: (I particularly like the bits I've highlighted in red)
How does DIM work?
There are two main pathways in the liver for our estrogen to be normally metabolized and excreted. One pathway leads to very good metabolites called 2-hydroxy estrogens. The other pathway leads to bad metabolites called 4 or 16-hydroxy estrogens. DIM stimulates the favorable 2-hydroxy pathway for estrogen metabolism and this is how DIM works to improve our health. DIM is not a hormone, nor is it a hormone replacement. It is a plant compound that will improve our hormone balance. By improving the metabolism of our natural estrogens DIM will help lower high levels of estrogen in the body. This alone can help remedy estrogen dominant conditions and restore a healthy estrogen/testosterone ratio in men and women. The favorable 2-hydroxy metabolites promoted by DIM are potent anti-oxidants and help prevent muscle breakdown after exercise, as evidenced by female athletes having less muscle tissue breakdown after intense exercise than men. By reducing the estrogen dominance and also reducing the accumulation of cancer-promoting 4/16-hydroxy metabolites DIM can help lower the risk of cancer. The 2-hydroxy metabolites help increase the active testosterone levels in men and women by displacing inactive protein-bound testosterone to its active “free” portion. This leads to significant improvements in the ability to build muscle and enjoy the benefits of testosterone including better mood, increased stamina, endurance, sex drive and erectile function. The accumulation of fat around the belly, hips and buttocks is partly due to excess estrogen levels combined with falling testosterone levels. DIM will help lower excess estrogen and promote the fat-burning 2-hydroxy metabolites. This can help you achieve a leaner body with less body fat.
Hormone balance with DIM
How do you supplement DIM and how much should you take? First of all, only the “micro-encapsulated” forms of DIM are well absorbed. For women, doses of 100-200mg daily are typical, and after menopause, whether taking hormone replacement therapy or not, doses of 50-100mg daily will improve estrogen metabolism. Doses as much as a thousand times higher have been shown to be safe in animal studies and there has never been a reported complication with DIM usage in humans.
How do you know if DIM is working? Aside from the improved clinical circumstance we often measure the good and bad estrogen metabolites with a simple blood test. We routinely observe increases in the good 2-hydroxy metabolites with the use of DIM. As an aside, correction of low thyroid conditions also improves estrogen metabolism. I recommend DIM instead of its precursor compound known as I3C or indole-3-carbinol. Two I3C molecules combine in the body to make DIM. But I3C is variable in its absorption, reacts with other supplements such as vitamin C, and can convert to unhealthy compounds. As much as 10 times amount of I3C is needed to get levels comparable with straight DIM supplementation. I start many women on DIM in their early 40s when there are signs of falling progesterone levels early in the perimenopause. For many this alone can help the estrogen dominance while also increasing a low testosterone level. Sometimes we add progesterone to further balance the estrogen. We also routinely add the health-promoting adrenal hormone known as DHEA during this time which helps with weight loss, strength, sex drive and more. We strategically combine DIM with other supplements to help with athletic conditioning or with overall healthy detoxification. During weight-loss or athletic training we might add creatine and a higher-protein diet, combined with targeted workout and recovery drinks that maximize insulin and muscle building. My favorite DIM supplement also contains curcumin, green tea and wasabia for a broad detoxification effect.
DIM can be used at any age as part of a weight-loss or strength training program. DIM promotes healthy hormone balance that can help you achieve peak exercise efficiency and healthy aging. Hormone balance can help you stay healthy, resist aging and get the most from your exercise or weight-loss efforts.
Now for the science bit.
The following excerpt comes from Dr. Scott Rollins, MD, founder and Medical Director at the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (http://imcwc.com/news/index.php?id=3271124400587032289). This is a very well-written and comprehensive account of the effects of DIM and how to best use this supplement to make the most out of its incredible benefits: (I particularly like the bits I've highlighted in red)
How does DIM work?
There are two main pathways in the liver for our estrogen to be normally metabolized and excreted. One pathway leads to very good metabolites called 2-hydroxy estrogens. The other pathway leads to bad metabolites called 4 or 16-hydroxy estrogens. DIM stimulates the favorable 2-hydroxy pathway for estrogen metabolism and this is how DIM works to improve our health. DIM is not a hormone, nor is it a hormone replacement. It is a plant compound that will improve our hormone balance. By improving the metabolism of our natural estrogens DIM will help lower high levels of estrogen in the body. This alone can help remedy estrogen dominant conditions and restore a healthy estrogen/testosterone ratio in men and women. The favorable 2-hydroxy metabolites promoted by DIM are potent anti-oxidants and help prevent muscle breakdown after exercise, as evidenced by female athletes having less muscle tissue breakdown after intense exercise than men. By reducing the estrogen dominance and also reducing the accumulation of cancer-promoting 4/16-hydroxy metabolites DIM can help lower the risk of cancer. The 2-hydroxy metabolites help increase the active testosterone levels in men and women by displacing inactive protein-bound testosterone to its active “free” portion. This leads to significant improvements in the ability to build muscle and enjoy the benefits of testosterone including better mood, increased stamina, endurance, sex drive and erectile function. The accumulation of fat around the belly, hips and buttocks is partly due to excess estrogen levels combined with falling testosterone levels. DIM will help lower excess estrogen and promote the fat-burning 2-hydroxy metabolites. This can help you achieve a leaner body with less body fat.
Hormone balance with DIM
How do you supplement DIM and how much should you take? First of all, only the “micro-encapsulated” forms of DIM are well absorbed. For women, doses of 100-200mg daily are typical, and after menopause, whether taking hormone replacement therapy or not, doses of 50-100mg daily will improve estrogen metabolism. Doses as much as a thousand times higher have been shown to be safe in animal studies and there has never been a reported complication with DIM usage in humans.
How do you know if DIM is working? Aside from the improved clinical circumstance we often measure the good and bad estrogen metabolites with a simple blood test. We routinely observe increases in the good 2-hydroxy metabolites with the use of DIM. As an aside, correction of low thyroid conditions also improves estrogen metabolism. I recommend DIM instead of its precursor compound known as I3C or indole-3-carbinol. Two I3C molecules combine in the body to make DIM. But I3C is variable in its absorption, reacts with other supplements such as vitamin C, and can convert to unhealthy compounds. As much as 10 times amount of I3C is needed to get levels comparable with straight DIM supplementation. I start many women on DIM in their early 40s when there are signs of falling progesterone levels early in the perimenopause. For many this alone can help the estrogen dominance while also increasing a low testosterone level. Sometimes we add progesterone to further balance the estrogen. We also routinely add the health-promoting adrenal hormone known as DHEA during this time which helps with weight loss, strength, sex drive and more. We strategically combine DIM with other supplements to help with athletic conditioning or with overall healthy detoxification. During weight-loss or athletic training we might add creatine and a higher-protein diet, combined with targeted workout and recovery drinks that maximize insulin and muscle building. My favorite DIM supplement also contains curcumin, green tea and wasabia for a broad detoxification effect.
DIM can be used at any age as part of a weight-loss or strength training program. DIM promotes healthy hormone balance that can help you achieve peak exercise efficiency and healthy aging. Hormone balance can help you stay healthy, resist aging and get the most from your exercise or weight-loss efforts.
So in a nutshell its a natural estrogen moderator will convert the bad estrogen into good estridol which also makes it an alternative to Tamoxifen. Now then before you all go off and throw away your Tamxoifen hear me out. I am going to take DIM but I'm going to take it in ADDITION to Tamoxifen for the time being anyway. Can't seem to purchase it over here (UK) but have ordered some from Amazon in the states. Will keep you all posted on this one. Certainly is food for thought.
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