Eat up yer broccoli!

Two years ago I was participating on a forum with other women who were facing fertility issues.  I stopped posting there just after my fourth pregnancy loss but for some reason I went back there today and read through some of my posts.  Just before I discovered I was pregnant I was seeing a naturopath who had prescribed me a bottle of herbs and some supplements.  One of these supplements is called Indole-3-Carbinol aka "I3C".

I3C is produced by the breakdown of an organic compound found to occur naturally in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale.  When digested, a compound called Diindolylmethane (or DIM) is derived.

DIM works by stimulating efficient oestrogen metabolism

DIM increases the specific aerobic metabolism for oestrogen, multiplying the chance for oestrogen to be broken down into its beneficial, or "good" oestrogen metabolites. These "good"oestrogen metabolites are known as the 2-hydroxy oestrogens. Many of the benefits that are attributed to oestrogen, which include its ability to protect the heart and brain with its antioxidant activity, are now known to come from these "good" metabolites.
When DIM increases the "good" oestrogen metabolites, there is a simultaneous reduction in the levels of undesirable or "bad" oestrogen metabolites. These include the 16-hydroxy oestrogens, which are not antioxidants and can actually cause cancer. Greater production of these "bad" oestrogen metabolites is promoted by obesity and exposure to a number of manmade environmental chemicals.

These "bad" oestrogen metabolites are responsible for many of oestrogen's undesirable actions in women and men, including further unwanted weight gain, breast cancer, and uterine cancer.

Now that I have a better understanding of why it is so important for me, as a PCOS and endometriosis sufferer, to be getting more cruciferous vegetables into my diet I will try to add more of them but I am also going to include them in juicing just so I can squeeze even more in.  Excess oestrogen is a major influence in my weight issues so if I can convince my body that it is safe by lowering the oestrogen levels I am sure to see positive changes.