Bloating and Estrogen: Can DIM Help Solve This Issue?
Bloating and estrogen… two words that, when used, resemble a four-letter word that starts with “F.” We’ll keep things PG here, but you get the picture. Luckily, a three-letter word, DIM (diindolylmethane), can come to the rescue and help you better optimize your hormone levels.
Nothing can ruin a physique more than bloating and estrogen levels that are seemingly out of control. Unfortunately, estrogen isn’t exactly something you can measure without medical intervention (such as a blood test to show hormone levels), whereas bloating is something you can physically see in the mirror. That said, many assume their bloating and water retention is due to “too much salt” in their diet or consuming too much food at a single meal.
In this article, we will break down how bloating and estrogen can go hand-in-hand and how a supplement that includes DIM can help reduce such issues while allowing you to optimize your testosterone and estrogen levels.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
How Does Bloating and Estrogen Work Together?
While your body needs some estrogen (such as for sexual function), elevated levels can negatively affect a man’s physique. There are many reasons why estrogen levels can be elevated, such as the use of certain medications and antibiotics, a result of aging where testosterone levels decline and estrogen levels rise, the food you eat, high stress levels, and even obesity.
Adult males should have the following estrogen levels to be considered “normal”:
- Estrone – 10-60 pg/ml
- Estradiol – 10-40 pg/ml
When suffering from increased levels of estrogen, your body may retain water – causing a bloated appearance. Estrogen itself is considered a “fluid retaining hormone.” To solve this, you could use something like a diuretic. If you notice bloating that subsides, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an estrogen issue. In that case, it could merely be something you at that was high in sodium or simply a large meal that caused a bit of distension.
Related Article: Is Indole-3-Carbinol the Key to Manage Estrogen Levels?
The tell-tale sign of elevated levels of estrogen in men is when their hands and feet tend to be swollen all of the time. Men may also find their sexual performance is off, and they aren’t able to get and stay hard, which may be a sign of erectile dysfunction (ED). Another side effect of heightened levels of estrogen in men is the presence and formation of gynecomastia (gyno). Gyno is a condition where men start to form breast tissue (like women) which causes them to form what looks like female breasts. Their nipples may get puffy, and the area surrounding the nipples may become enlarged. Should you suffer from either gyno or erectile dysfunction, it would be a good idea to schedule a consultation with your doctor to understand what options you have for reversing such issues.
Men with high estrogen levels may find they are accumulating body fat quite quickly and easily. In addition, their hardness may shift to a softer and puffier appearance – hiding your hard work and musculature that you’ve achieved in the gym.
In the case of elevated estrogen levels that can bring upon bloating, you have some natural options such as the use of over-the-counter supplements (or you can see a doctor for their medical opinion on the issue). One such supplement to consider that can help return estrogen levels to their normalized range is DIM.
What is DIM and How Can It Help Your Bloating and Estrogen Issue?
While DIM is a commonly available supplement on the market, it is also found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, to name a few. In the stomach, these cruciferous vegetables get broken down and produce DIM, which may be utilized to help manage estrogen levels.
That said, to get in a dosage that would be efficacious and truly affect estrogen, you’d need to eat extremely high amounts (around two pounds, which isn’t exactly an ideal situation) – therefore, it’s generally recommended that a supplement be introduced into your regimen (but you may still consume cruciferous vegetables as well and you should have them in your daily nutrition anyway).
The role of DIM is to help promote estrogen metabolism, which can naturally help restore and drop estrogen levels back down into their normal range. Additionally, DIM can help inhibit aromatase, an enzyme that’s function is to take testosterone and convert it into estrogen.
As mentioned earlier, men who suffer from high levels of estrogen can gain weight fairly easily. By supplementing with DIM, men may find they are able to better manage their weight through DIM’s ability to aid in stimulating the breakdown of fat and prevent fat cell formation from taking place.
Regardless of whether an increase in estrogen is due to a decrease in testosterone which can raise estrogen levels (such as with age), stress, obesity, or any other reason, DIM could be a solution to your bloating and estrogen woes by not only helping to metabolize estrogen but also aid in increasing your production of natural testosterone. The increase in testosterone could help correct erectile dysfunction issues along with helping to increase lean muscle mass.
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