Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the dietary phytochemical, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), influences the level of estradiol 2-hydroxylation in obese women.
DESIGN: A clinical intervention study involving the ingestion of purified I3C, 400 mg, for two months.
SUBJECTS: Five healthy, overweight, premenopausal women (age: 35–47 y, body mass index (BMI): 27–53 kg/m2).
MEASUREMENTS: Two estrogen metabolites, 2-hydroxyestrone (2OHE1) and estriol (E3), were measured by radioimmunoassay in untimed overnight urine samples, before and after ingestion of I3C.
RESULTS: The ratio of urinary estrogens, 2OHE1/E3, was significantly increased in obese women following I3C, reflecting induction of 2-hydroxylation in these women.
CONCLUSIONS: Obese premenopausal women experience increased estrogen 2-hydroxylation in response to the dietary agent, I3C, similar to non-obese women. This response to I3C may result in a hormonal milieu that helps reduce estrogen-dependent cancer risk.
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Michnovicz, J. Increased estrogen 2-hydroxylation in obese women using oral indole-3-carbinol. Int J Obes 22, 227–229 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800573
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0800573
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