Image source: freedigitalphotos.net / David Castillo Dominici
Further to my article of December 11, 2012 “Dim Is NOT The Wonder Supplement We’ve Been Led To Believe“, the article written by Dr Jacob Schor, for which we were waiting publication in the Townsend Letter, the Examiner of Alternative Medicine, has been published and I wanted to share that link with you: Estrogen Metabolite Ratios: Time For Us To Let Go
Dr Schor is a gifted naturopath in Denver, and is also President of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Fair warning – the article is not an easy one to read – I suggest you print it out and go put your feet up in a quiet place to digest the information. It will probably require several readings to fully appreciate what Dr Schor is telling us about estrogen metabolite ratios.
I found the information fairly depressing, because I (and many like me) had been relying on DIM to keep circulating estrogen levels at a safe range without having to resort to the toxicity of Tamoxifen. Having said that, I really appreciated Dr Schor’s review of the research, and his courage to publish an article that goes against the current thinking. We need more fine minds like his in this fight.
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (Marnie Clark, Breast Health Coach). It is my honor and my goal to help you through this.
Hi Marnie,
Saw your posting on BCO and followed it over here to this link. Thanks so much for sharing this article. Very interesting. One question I have is re: the effectiveness of DIM, regardless of whether or not it affects estrogen metabolism. In Schor’s response to his critics, he seems to suggest that there is good evidence for the effectiveness of DIM, but that the hypothesized pathway for that action is not accurate, i.e., there are other mechanisms that better explain how/why DIM works. My takeaway from that is that DIM might still be worthwhile in preventing recurrence…do you have any thoughts on that and/or have you discussed with Dr. Schor?
all the best,
Lorelei
Hi Lorelei-
Thanks for your comment, nice to hear from you! The subject of DIM and whether or not it is a good supplement to take to prevent breast cancer recurrence is a difficult one. Because each person is so different – and so is their chemistry and hormone levels – I try not to generalize. I know women who take DIM religiously and I used to do so as well. I’m sure it does have some therapeutic benefit but I think the very best route you could take would be to consult an oncologist naturopath (and you can find one on http://www.oncanp.org – just click on “Find A ND”) and have them check to see what your personal hormone levels are. Unfortunately, most naturopaths are still believing the old way about what DIM can do, so it might be useful to share Dr Schor’s research with them. I hope this helps you and please feel free to sign up for my newsletters – all completely free and I share lots of healing info on how to prevent recurrences and give yourself the best chance to stay free of this disease.
Hugs,
Marnie
There are several clinical studies available on PubMed regarding the use of DIM for breast cancer. As is the case with so many other supplements, quality and purity are a major consideration, as is how well it’s absorbed. After many days of reading about it all, I ended up using BioResponse DIM, a patented version of DIM. This is the DIM used in most of the clinical studies because it is much more bioavailable.