Also known as diindolylmethane, this compound is commonly derived from a number of dark green, cruciferous vegetables – or, simply put, from cousins of the broccoli plant. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, you can get di-indole methane by consuming broccoli, Brussles sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower or (of course) herbal supplements made from any of these veggies.

A study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews stated that di-indole methane has become a hot scientific topic, thanks to its apparent effect on hormone metabolism and cellular health.

The substance is also thought to help the body detoxify itself, which is great for anyone who wants to leach toxins from their body without enduring a potentially unsafe juice cleanse.

Try looking for di-indole methane in nutritional supplements. According to numerous alternative health professionals, the compound may help your body regulate its hormone levels, potentially preventing estrogen dominance.

To make matters worse, researchers from the University of Missouri recently discovered that the body absorbs BPA even quicker than previously assumed.

A study appearing in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that mice given BPA long-term, as part of their daily diet, absorbed much more of the substance than those given one large dose, as had been done in prior investigations.

BPA is still used in many plastics, usually to make them more transparent or shatter-proof. The study’s authors said that more than 90 percent of people have the hormone-disrupting compound in their bloodstreams. To ensure good health, the team suggested that individuals avoid BPA-laden plastics whenever possible.

On the proactive side of things, taking daily vitamin supplements may help adults keep their bodies healthy and their immune systems primed to effectively defend themselves.

However, a nutrient called di-indole methane (DIM) has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of estrogen dominance without the side effects associated with other commonly recommended products. Di-indole methane (DIM) is a natural plant nutrient found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. 

As DIM balances the good estrogen metabolites, it simultaneously regulates the levels of bad estrogen metabolites, which include the 16-hydroxy estrogen. The bad estrogen metabolites are influenced by obesity and exposure to many commercial and household chemicals. 

DIM promotes balanced estrogen metabolism in a direction favoring production of healthy estrogen metabolites, resulting in increased production of testosterone and progesterone. And in doing so, DIM helps eliminate the concern of estrogen dominance that plagues both women and men.

A study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism found that four months of acupuncture treatment combined with electrical stimulation reduced the levels of testosterone in women with PCOS by 25 percent.

The syndrome is the most common cause of infertility in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The authors of the study estimated that PCOS affects 10 percent of women in the United States. The syndrome results in high levels of male hormones, particularly testosterone, making it difficult for a woman to conceive and causing side effects like obesity, acne and irregular menstruation.

The Swedish team found that a low-level electrical current run through acupuncture needles appeared to stimulate muscles in a way similar to exercise. Indeed, groups separately treated with exercise or acupuncture both experienced improvements in weight, testosterone levels, acne and menstrual regularity.

According to Italian physician Plinio Prioresci's History of Medicine, acupuncture dates to at least the 2nd century BC. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stated that acupuncture may be effective for treating certain medical conditions, and that further research into the technique is merited.

But there’s more. Susan Rako, M.D., believes testosterone is as much a woman’s sex hormone as it is a man’s. In her book, The Hormone of Desire: The Truth about Sexuality, Menopause and Testosterone, she argues that the “amount of testosterone, tiny as it is, that a woman’s body is continually producing is an essential amount.” In calling it the hormone of desire, Rako asserts, “testosterone is the hormone most critically implicated in the maintenance of libido, or sexual desire, in women just as it is men.” It’s also important to note that estrogen—the female dominant hormone—is made from testosterone.

Testosterone can also have an impact on your heart. More than 60 years of research links testosterone levels and heart health. Research proves:

• Testosterone is a primary factor in the health of the heart and blood vessels.
• Testosterone levels decline with age beginning around age 25.
• Restoring testosterone, estrogen and other hormones to youthful levels can yield significant health benefits, including protection against the various cardio problems.

To help achieve balanced estrogen and testosterone levels, look for a powerful nutrient called di-indole methane (DIM). With DIM, you can support healthy sexual function and desire… promote improved cardiovascular function… support healthy prostate function… improve your memory skills… boost your mood… and protect against free radical damage that causes aging.

Their results appear in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats that are essential for brain development in fetuses and young children. The research group theorized that if fed a diet almost totally lacking in omega-3s, pregnant women would give birth to children more likely to suffer from depression and other mental health issues.

Using rodents, the team found that females who are omega-3 deficient during pregnancy gave birth to offspring that exhibited neural deficiencies.

One type of neuron, called a cannabinoid receptor, was found to be completely deactivated in these mice. The offspring often displayed the symptoms of depression.

Researchers concluded that omega-3s are vital at nearly any age, and that their absence during gestation may predispose a child to mood disorders.

Omega-3s may be found in meat, fish, eggs, flaxseed oil and milk obtained from grass-fed cows, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Over the course of approximately seven years, researchers monitored the health of 930 men who had been diagnosed with coronary artery heart disease. The team then took tissue samples from the participants, which allowed them to measure bioavailable testosterone (bio-T) or total testosterone (TT). As a result, one in four of the individuals were found to have low testosterone levels.

Throughout the trial, approximately 42 percent or one out of every five participants who had low levels of testosterone died. However, among those with normal hormone levels, an estimated 12 percent or one out of every eight men had passed away.

While patients with irregular testosterone levels may benefit from hormone replacement therapies, the investigators determined that further research will be needed to prove if cardiovascular problems could affect the effectiveness of these treatments.

In addition to heart problems, low testosterone levels can lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in men, according to a study conducted at Saint Louis University.

They wrote in the journal PLoS ONE that they began by raising mice with a genetic variation that made them overproduce the stress hormone corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF). Over time, these mice lose the hair on their backs due to high stress levels.

The team said that they treated these rodents with astressin-B, a molecule designed to interfere with CRF. After five injections and three months of lag time, researchers found that the mice had regrown all their hair.

They concluded that astressin-B has the potential to be used to help humans regrow hair.

Baldness can be more than an annoyance. A recent study in the Annals of Oncology determined that men who bald in their 20s are twice as likely as those who bald later to develop prostate cancer.

A study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology determined that ingested birth control hormones account for less than 1 percent of all the natural and synthetic estrogen found in public water.

Previously, figures were much higher. An article published in the magazine Herizons estimated that between 50 and 90 percent of all birth control hormones pass into public water. However, the article failed to account to the pill's total contribution to water-borne hormones.

The new study's authors clarified that water treatment plants eliminate nearly all of the main hormone, called 17 alpha-ethinylestradiol, that is found in oral contraceptives. They suggested that the estrogens found in water come from soy products, animal waste and human urine, which always contains some level of estrogen.

Excess hormones in water may lead to fertility problems, among other potential health issues.

A paper published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has established that individuals with low levels of ghrelin and high levels of leptin may experience weight gain after dieting.

The study contradicts previous research that determined low leptin levels contribute to weight gain in individuals who are overweight or obese.

Ghrelin is a hormone secreted by the stomach lining that contributes to hunger, while leptin crates a sense of fullness or satiety.

The study's authors concluded that people with imbalanced levels of leptin and ghrelin are at risk for gaining back at least 10 percent of any weight previously lost. They added that this phenomenon may be a part of "yo-yo dieting," in which individuals' weight can fluctuate repeatedly.

Similar studies have found that obese men may release lower amounts of leptin when eating even the heaviest of meals.