A concentrated form of a compound the body makes from cabbage-family vegetables, taken to change how the body handles estrogen. It reliably shifts estrogen breakdown toward the less active form, but that shift has never been shown to make anyone healthier. Mild stomach upset, headache and darkened urine are usual; low blood sodium sets the dose ceiling. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Serum sodium | 138–142 mmol/L | Detects the dose-limiting toxicity, which is silent |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) | 0.5–2.0 mIU/L | Addresses the thyroid-suppression question directly |
| Free thyroxine (free T4) | 1.0–1.5 ng/dL | Confirms whether a TSH shift reflects real thyroid change |
| Urinary 2-hydroxyestrone : 16α-hydroxyestrone ratio | Above 2.0 | The one effect DIM reliably produces |
| Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) | 30–90 nmol/L (women), 20–60 nmol/L (men) | Rises on DIM and lowers free hormone levels |
| Total testosterone (men) | 600–900 ng/dL | Detects the fall a rising SHBG can produce |
| Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) | Below 25 U/L (men), below 20 U/L (women) | Screens for liver strain from a hepatically metabolized compound |
| Prostate-specific antigen (PSA, men over 40) | Below 1.0 ng/mL under age 50; below 2.0 ng/mL thereafter | Tracks the endpoint the prostate trials targeted |
| Complete blood count with platelets | Platelets 175–250 × 10⁹/L | Baseline against which any bleeding or clotting concern is judged |
Cadence: Baseline before starting; sodium and thyroid function rechecked at 4–6 weeks; metabolite ratio repeated at 3 months; annual testing thereafter at a stable dose, returning to a 4–6 week recheck after any dose increase.