Comprehensive Hormone Testing
Hormones are our body's messengers, aka. communication. Which is why hormone balance is affected by all areas of our health, including: gut health, inflammation, stress response, metabolism, immune health, and more.
While knowing and tracking symptoms is important, the key to optimizing hormone balance is understanding the "why" and proper hormone testing can help us to do just that!
What Type of Hormone Panel is Best?
For measuring sex hormones, blood/plasma testing or urine testing is best. I utilize DUTCH testing in my practice which is a dried-urine collection that can be done easily at home. I prefer this option because I am able to see hormone production as well as hormone breakdown (metabolism). We can also look at organic acids, inflammation markers, and melatonin through urine samples.
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Precision Analytical is the laboratory that offers the DUTCH Hormone Testing that I use in my practice. They have extensively validated testing and taken additional steps to get their data published in reputable, peer-reviewed journals and abstracts with groups like NAMS (North American Menopause Society) and ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine). You can find all of their research and clinical studies at dutchtest.com/research.
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What's All Included & How to Order A Panel
The DUTCH Complete is the most popular option and will measure over 35 different hormones, metabolites, and organic acids. They have also added on inflammatory markers including one for gut health and one for neuroinflammation, as these are becoming increasingly important to monitor.
The DUTCH panel is a dried urine test, very similar to a pregnancy test, that you can collect in the comfort of your own home. You will collect 4-5 samples over the course of 24-hours so that we can see a full picture of hormones over the course of the day. This 4 point collection is important especially for cortisol levels, which we want to see fluctuate throughout the course of the day.
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You can read more about my personal experience and results with the DUTCH Complete Panel in my article here.
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Ordering A Panel
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Option A: If you have regular cycles or no longer cycling, you can order the DUTCH Complete Test here.
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Option B: If you have irregular cycles it will be helpful to do a Cycle Mapping Report, in which you will collect over the course of a month. You can order the DUTCH Cycle Mapping here.
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Option C: For the most information if you are having irregular cycles and/or symptoms throughout the month, you can bundle together the DUTCH Bundle: Complete Panel + Cycle Mapping.​
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What If I'm Using HRT? Then the DUTCH Complete Panel can be especially useful for you as a way to monitor effectiveness and safety since we can look at hormone metabolism to make sure that the body is properly eliminating excess hormones. You will note on your sample form that you are using HRT and what you are using so that proper processing using unique methods can be done in order to improve monitoring of oral and transdermal hormones.
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