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Diindolylmethane

Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis

The endogenous estrogen 17beta-estradiol can be metabolized to 16alpha-hydroxyestrone (16alpha OHE1) or 2-hydroxyestrone (2OHE1). In contrast to 2OHE1, 16alpha OHE1 is highly estrogenic and has been found to enhance the proliferation of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells in culture. It has been hypothesized that shifting the metabolism of 17beta-estradiol toward 2OHE1 and away from 16alphaOHE1 could decrease the risk of estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer. In a small clinical trial, increasing cruciferous vegetable intake of healthy postmenopausal women for four weeks increased urinary 2OHE1:16alpha OHE1ratios, suggesting that high intakes of cruciferous vegetables can shift estrogen metabolism.