Are DIM supplements making estrogen symptoms worse? Nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary reveals you might be skipping the first three steps.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary highlights the liver's role in clearing estrogen for symptom relief
- She advises fixing the gut first with 25-35g fiber from foods like raw banana and flax seeds
- Next, support the liver with choline, sulfur compounds, folate, and vitamin B6 rich foods
Nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary reveals that most women with estrogen dominance are directly trying to manage their estrogen symptoms while skipping the first three essential steps. But this is where you're making the mistake. She shared the correct order to support that one organ that's clearing your estrogen levels. Do you know which organ she is talking about? It's none other than the liver.
Alongside an Instagram video, she writes, “A lot of women I meet have already tried DIM, detox supplements or hormone balancers for estrogen dominance. And when I ask what happened, many say their symptoms actually felt worse. Most of the time, it's not because the supplement was wrong. It's because the foundation wasn't ready yet.”
According to WebMD, DIM (Diindolylmethane) is a natural compound produced in the body during the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. It is widely used as a concentrated supplement to support hormonal balance and healthy estrogen metabolism.
“Hormone balance is not just about changing hormone levels. It's about making sure the body can process and eliminate them properly. When the basics aren't in place first, adding more interventions can sometimes overwhelm the system instead of helping it. Sometimes the biggest improvement comes from simply fixing the order of support,” she adds.
Why Is Regulating The Liver Before Balancing Estrogen Essential?
The nutritionist explains, “Your liver processes estrogen in two stages. First, it breaks it down, then packages it for excretion.” According to her, when that process gets sluggish, estrogen doesn't leave and keeps recirculating in our body, and that is called estrogen dominance. She adds, “Now, here's what you need to actually do to support your liver and pay attention because the order really matters.”
Step One: Fix Your Gut
According to the nutritionist, a daily intake of 25 to 35 grams of fibre helps in fixing the gut. She says, “I don't want you to jump to DIM supplements or antacids. Choose any of these fibre options instead - raw banana, moringa, methi, and flax seeds.” This should be based on two key factors:
- Where is your gut right now?
- How much can you tolerate?
She also advises learning the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre. “You can add fermented foods like curd, kanji, and homemade pickles to your diet. Yoghurt only if it suits you, of course,” Rashi mentions.
Step Two: Feed Your Liver
The nutritionist suggests picking up the following food items to support your liver in clearing estrogen. These are:
- Choline -Eggs / Shiitake mushrooms
- Sulfur compounds - Cooked garlic & onion
- Natural folate - Leafy greens & cooked lentils
- B6 - Sunflower seeds
Step Three: Block Reabsorption
With foods such as oranges and apples, which contain glucaric acid, you can block reabsorption in the body. She explains, “Glucaric acid directly blocks the gut enzyme that could unpack estrogen before excretion.”
Step Four: Take DIM Supplements
She mentions, “If you've done all of these things, only then should you consider a DIM supplement because DIM will shift estrogen breakdown towards a very safe pathway.”
“But if you don't do steps one, two and three, you'll just accelerate the production to a blocked exit, which will make your symptoms worse. Which is why when women have DIM first, they realise that their symptoms are just getting worse, and then they stop the DIM supplement,” Rashi clarifies.
She recommends considering adding 1000 mg daily along with a higher-fat meal, but only when your body is ready for it, and the other steps are done.
Step Five: Dutch Plus Test
If you are still struggling, then here's an extra step. She mentions, “I don't recommend this to everybody, but I would love to see a Dutch Plus test to know exactly where your estrogen is kind of getting stuck and which pathway is it choosing to be at? Because this will then decide what you do next.”
Rashi adds, “Most women don't need to go to step five. Your estrogen symptoms aren't happening because you're making too much. They're happening because they never actually left your body.”
Conclusively, these five steps, in this particular order, support clearance in the right way.
Rashi ends the post by mentioning that if you struggle with constipation, this whole thing becomes even worse, which needs further analysis.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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