PlainPill

Indole-3-Carbinol

People mainly take Indole-3-Carbinol for hormones. Based on 4 first-hand reports and 6 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #2064 of 3,539 overall.

14
User score
Mostly positive
25% positive0% mixed0% negative75% unclear

Of reports that state an outcome, 100% are positive.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
6
meta-analyses
14
RCTs
1,199
papers

What Indole-3-Carbinol does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2016 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Medical and surgical interventions for the treatment of usual-type vulval intraepithelial neoplasia

Conclusion: Topical treatment (imiquimod or cidofovir) may effectively treat about half of uVIN cases after a 16-week course of treatment, but the evidence on whether this effect is sustained is limited. Factors predicting response to treatment are not clear, but small lesions may be more likely to respond. The relative risk of progression to vulval cancer is uncertain. However, imiquimod and cidofovir appear to be relatively well tolerated and may be favoured by some women over primary surgical treatment.There is currently no evidence on how medical treatment compares with surgical treatment. Women who u

PubMed 26728940 ↗
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2011 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Medical interventions for high grade vulval intraepithelial neoplasia

Conclusion: Imiquimod appears to be effective, but its safety needs further examination. Its use is associated with side effects which are tolerable, but more extensive data on adverse effects are required. Long term follow-up should be mandatory in view of the known progression of high grade VIN to invasive disease. Alternative medical interventions, such as cidofovir, should be explored.

PubMed 21491403 ↗
Cochrane Database Syst Rev · 2015 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Medical interventions for high-grade vulval intraepithelial neoplasia

Conclusion: Topical imiquimod appears to be a safe and effective treatment for high-grade VIN (uVIN), even though local side-effects may necessitate dose reductions. However, longer term follow-up data are needed to corroborate the limited evidence that response to treatment is sustained, and to assess any effect on progression to vulval cancer. Available evidence suggests that topical cidofovir may be a good alternative to imiquimod; however, more evidence is needed, particularly regarding the relative effectiveness on longer term response and progression. We await the longer-term response data and the r

PubMed 26284429 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

No doses stated in the reports so far.

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

No side effects reported so far.

What users say

First-hand experiences, quoted verbatim. We show one positive and one negative where both exist.

Other options for hormones

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 3, 2026. How we rate