NOW Foods DIM 200 Diindolylmethane 90 Veg Capsules

What it is

NOW Foods DIM 200 is a dietary supplement sold as 90 veg capsules in a single bottle, and the printed serving size is one capsule. Each capsule carries three declared ingredients: 200 mg of DIM (3,3'-diindolylmethane), 100 mg of calcium D-glucarate in tetrahydrate form, and 20 mg of sodium copper chlorophyllin, which the panel glosses as chlorophyll. The number in the product name is the DIM figure — 200 mg per capsule — and NOW prints its own shelf category for the bottle on the panel shoulder as "General Health". You will find it in our Supplements range.

What's inside

This is a three-ingredient formula, and one of the four rows on the Supplement Facts panel is not a separate ingredient at all.

DIM (3,3'-diindolylmethane), 200 mg. DIM is a phytochemical — specifically, a metabolite formed from certain compounds that occur in cruciferous vegetables. NOW names three of them on the bottle: broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. The brassica family those belong to also takes in kale, bok choy, collards and watercress, and the bottle is photographed resting on broccoli florets and curly kale. In this product the compound is supplied in concentrated form at 200 mg per capsule, not as a vegetable extract.

Calcium D-glucarate (tetrahydrate form), 100 mg. This is the calcium salt of D-glucaric acid, a compound that occurs naturally in a range of fruits and vegetables. "Tetrahydrate form" is a statement about the crystal itself — four water molecules are bound into its structure — and it is the form NOW has specified on the panel.

Sodium copper chlorophyllin (chlorophyll), 20 mg. Chlorophyllin is a water-soluble derivative of chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to capture light. Native chlorophyll is fat-soluble and awkward to formulate; the chlorophyllin version substitutes copper for the magnesium at the center of the molecule and adds sodium, which is what makes it water-soluble. The panel glosses it in brackets simply as "Chlorophyll".

And the fourth row: calcium, 12 mg. The panel declares 12 mg of calcium "from Calcium D-Glucarate" — this is not added calcium, it is the mineral content of the glucarate ingredient already listed above it, declared separately because a Supplement Facts panel has to account for nutrients that carry an established Daily Value. It is the one row on the panel with a percentage beside it, at 1%. For scale, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements calcium fact sheet gives general background on the nutrient; it is not written about this product and does not refer to it.

The three remaining rows carry a dagger and the footnote "Daily Value not established". The panel assigns no role to any of these ingredients, so neither do we — what is printed is the identity and the amount, and that is what is reproduced below.

Other ingredients are hypromellose (the cellulose capsule shell itself), microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid from a vegetable source, and silicon dioxide. The shell being hypromellose rather than gelatin is what makes "Veg Capsules" accurate on the front of the bottle.

Supplement Facts

No servings line is printed on this panel, so the supply figure has to be built by hand: 90 capsules at the label's one-capsule daily usage works out to a 90-day supply.

How to use it

The label's suggested usage is: take 1 capsule daily with a meal. That is the whole of the printed direction — one capsule, once a day, alongside food rather than on an empty stomach. Storage is equally brief: store in a cool, dry place after opening.

The bottle also carries the line "Natural color variation may occur in this product."

Who it's for

This is a general-health dietary supplement for adults 18 and over, and the label is explicit that it is for adults only. It will interest people who already read Supplement Facts panels closely: every ingredient here appears at a stated amount, so the formula can be compared directly against another on milligrams rather than on wording. Because the capsule is hypromellose rather than gelatin, it also suits people who avoid gelatin capsules. It sits in our Health & Wellness category alongside the rest of the NOW Foods range we stock.

The printed caution rules out one group plainly: do not take this product if you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are nursing.

Good to know

Caution, as printed on the bottle: For adults only. Do not take this product if you are pregnant, may become pregnant or nursing. Consult physician if taking medication or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.

Allergen statement, as printed: Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, milk, egg, fish, shellfish or tree nut ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.

Who makes it: the panel reads "Manufactured & Quality Tested by NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA".

If you are new to reading supplement labels generally, the NIH guide to dietary supplements: what you need to know and the NCCIH page on supplement safety are useful general background. Neither is about this product. Panels for thousands of US products, this format included, are archived in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many capsules are in the bottle, and how far does that go?

The bottle holds 90 veg capsules. At the label's suggested usage of one capsule daily, that is a 90-day supply — a figure derived from the count and the directions, because this panel prints no servings line of its own.

What is DIM, and where does it come from?

DIM is 3,3'-diindolylmethane, a phytochemical formed as a metabolite of certain compounds found in cruciferous vegetables. The bottle names broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage as examples of those vegetables. Here it is supplied in concentrated form at 200 mg per capsule.

Why does the panel list calcium if this isn't a calcium supplement?

The 12 mg of calcium is the mineral content of the calcium D-glucarate already in the formula, not a separate added ingredient. The panel declares it as "Calcium (from Calcium D-Glucarate)" and puts 1% beside it, the single Daily Value percentage on the panel; the other three rows are marked with a dagger because no Daily Value has been established for them.

Is the capsule suitable for vegetarians?

The capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose-derived material, rather than gelatin — which is why the front of the bottle reads "90 Veg Capsules". The remaining other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid specified on the panel as vegetable source, and silicon dioxide.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain, unbranded outer packaging. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.