No More Blood Draws Spitting Into Tubes Or Filling Up Jugs Of Urine
This advanced hormone testing was developed to surpass industry standards for available testing options. DUTCH testing offers the most extensive profile of sex and adrenal steroid hormones, along with their all-important metabolites.
The daily pattern of free cortisol, along with melatonin is included. This unique combination of clinical information is not available by any other testing method.
Advantages Of The Dutch Test
The DUTCH Test is well-recognized for its ease-of-collection, coupled with comprehensive reporting that is not available from other laboratories. The DUTCH Adrenal provides free cortisol patterns that parallel saliva with the addition of metabolite measurements for an improved marker for total cortisol production.
The cortisol metabolites in the adrenal section are among the commonly-highlighted markers appreciated by practitioners. They offer a much more complete view of the HPA axis than the traditional saliva tests, which only measure free cortisol.
Dutch Hormone Test For Sex Hormones
With your sex hormones, the DUTCH hormone test not only measures your total hormone levels but also shows how your body is metabolizing the hormones, this is important for assessing the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other hormone dominant conditions.
Assessing the metabolism of your estrogen and testosterone cannot be done with a blood test which only measures total estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
In the table below there is a list of all the different sex hormone markers assessed in the DUTCH hormone test, while this comprehensive list may look confusing when you first see it, this gives us valuable information about your sex hormones.
PROGESTERONE METABOLITES: b-Pregnanediol, a-Pregnanediol.
ANDROGEN METABOLITES: DHEA-S, Androsterone, Etiocholanolone, Testosterone,
5a-DHT, 5a-Androstanediol, 5b-Androstanediol.
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Dutch Hormone Test: Overview What It Shows And Price
Many of us are frequently tired, trying to juggle everything in our busy lives. We may assume our extreme exhaustion comes from the need to juggle work, personal life, and family obligations. But what if theres something more going on? We may not realize we suffer from stress and sex hormonal imbalances or nutrient deficiencies that can interfere with our lives, health, and well-being. This is why it can be so important to check your levels to see if there is a gap in your internal makeup causing a suboptimal lifestyle. This article will take a look at EVOLVEs in-home, convenient, mail-in assessment, theDUTCH hormone test to help you optimize your lifestyle!
Importance Of Free And Total Cortisol
It is important to measure the amount of free cortisol as well as total cortisol produced in order to get a full view of cortisol production and use in the body. The amount of total cortisol produced and the amount of free cortisol available can be very different in some scenarios.
Measuring both allows for insight into the rate of cortisol clearance/metabolism. For example, higher levels of metabolized cortisol are often seen in obesity where adipose tissue is likely pulling cortisol from its binding protein and allowing for metabolism and clearance.
The adrenal gland has to keep up with this cortisol sequestering and excretion, so cortisol production is often quite high even though free cortisol does not correlate positively with adipose tissue or BMI. This insight is quite helpful for those looking to lose belly fat and suspect cortisol/stress is a major factor.
These patients are often misdiagnosed as having low cortisol production when only free cortisol is measured. Increased cortisol clearance may also be seen in hyperthyroidism and is suspected to be part of the chronic fatigue story as well.
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Honestly I Feel Like Its A Red Flag When A Practitioner Sells Unvalidated Unsupported Tests Like Igg Or Leap Food Sensitivity Mthfr Stool Microbiome And Dutch Its Even More Of A Red Flag When They Use Your Results From Those Tests To Sell Their Own Brand Of Supplements Or Special Diet To Correct Your Condition
If DUTCH testing was so insightful, it would be used by all practitioners. But its not, and contrary to what you may have been told, the North American Menopause Society does NOT recommend DUTCH testing for hormones.
What if you still want to get a DUTCH test after reading this DUTCH test review? DUTCH tests arent harmful , so if you want to try it, go right ahead. But its not necessary to diagnose or treat hormone issues.
The Sex Hormones Measured By The Dutch Complete Test
The DUTCH Complete test shows:
- The three different types of estrogen
- How your body is detoxifying estrogen through phase one liver detoxification
- How you’re processing estrogen through the methylation process which is to do with your COMT gene
- If you have enough glutathione, which is also important in the process of detoxing estrogen
- Your progesterone levels
- Testosterone levels plus 5a-DHT, which is the more androgenic version of testosterone that is a biomarker for PCOS, acne, and hair loss
- How your body is processing testosterone
- DHEA and DHEA-S levels
So this covers a lot more than a blood test or saliva test, and this is just the sex hormone part of the test.
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How To Order The Dutch Hormone Test
The DUTCH Hormone Test can be shipped anywhere in the world, because it uses special strips to collect the urine samples the samples are easily shipped back to the lab no matter where you are.
If your not sure if this is the right test for you, or if you have multiple health problems like digestion issues, autoimmune problems or other chronic health issues then it may be a good idea to schedule a consultation first.
All consultations are done via our video conferencing platform or phone so they can be done from anywhere in the world, a consultation will help us to identify the best test options for you to help identify your cause of hormone imbalance.
How Much Does A Dutch Hormone Test Cost
The DUTCH Complete + OATs costs $675.
View sample DUTCH reports for women and for men.
Consult with our Naturopathic Doctor, Dr.Makoto Trotter, ND to determine if the DUTCH hormone test is right for you. Then, he can review the results and discuss potential treatment options to address your hormonal imbalances and improve your quality of life.
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The Dutch Test And Adrenal Function
The DUTCH test measures free cortisol levels at 4-5 times throughout the day, plus it measures cortisone levels so we can see how quickly cortisol is getting metabolized.
The DUTCH test also assesses total cortisol production, this is how much total cortisol your body is producing in a 24-hour period. Free cortisol is usually less than 5% of your total cortisol levels so understanding all of these markers is important before implementing a treatment program.
When assessing adrenal function we need to assess the cortisol rhythm, free cortisol levels, total cortisol production, cortisone, and DHEA levels – the DUTCH hormone test is the only test that does this.
Dutch Test Estrogen Metabolism Summary
- If you dont test estrogen metabolism you wont know where the problem lies and the only way to do this is the DUTCH test.
- Focus on the liver and microbiome to help clear estrogens.
- You are what you eat – diet will have a big impact on your gut bacteria, liver function, and estrogen levels.
- Do stool testing for further evaluation of your microbiome and b-glucuronidase levels.
- Assess genes like COMT, MTHFR, and GST to see if they are a factor, they can be found in the SelfDecode reports.
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Dried Urine Sample Stability
A stability study was conducted on urine from four individuals. Aliquots were applied to filter paper and dried. These were stored at room temperature and then frozen at 80 °C at 15 different time points ranging from day 0 to day 84 . Finally, all samples were tested in a single batch to assess for reproducibility of the measurements, and thus, stability of the four analytes at room temperature for up to 84 days.
Our Range Of Dutch Testing
DUTCH Complete Test
This advanced hormone testing was developed to improve on available hormone testing options. DUTCH offers the most extensive profile of sex and adrenal hormones along with their metabolites. Additionally, the daily pattern of free cortisol is included, along with melatonin , 8-OHdG, and six organic acids. This unique combination of clinical information is not available by any other method.
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Why Blood Testing Is Not Accurate
When you test cortisol levels in the blood, this only assesses cortisol at one particular time of the day, usually the morning, as it is not practical to get a blood draw throughout the day and night. A blood test for cortisol also will show the total cortisol levels at the time of testing.
This means that a blood test is not the best way to assess cortisol as it does not give different cortisol readings throughout the day, or show the free cortisol levels.
What Does It Tell Me About My Sleep
The DUTCH test provides you with data about your melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by a small gland in your brain, called the pineal gland. The role of melatonin is to support your natural sleep state.
During a normal sleep cycle, melatonin levels increase at night time and are much lower during the day. Thus, the DUTCH test will help you to determine if abnormal melatonin levels are related to your disrupted sleep pattern.
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How To Take The Test
Taking the test is easy and convenient. There will be detailed instructions included with the test, however, this is a brief overview of the test instructions.
When you take it will depend on if you have a menstrual cycle. For men and non-cycling or postmenopausal women you can take it any day of the month. For women with a menstrual cycle you should take the test between the days 19 and 22 of a 28 day cycle, unless it is for the adrenal panel only in which you can collect any day.
To collect the sample you can either urinate directly onto the filter paper or urinate into a clean cup and dip the filter paper into it. Once you have collected the sample onto the filter paper you can leave it open to dry.
There are a couple considerations about when to collect the samples. The first collection should be done around 5 pm and you should not drink any fluids 2 hours before collecting. The second collection is at bedtime the same day at around 10 pm, again do not drink fluids 2 hours before collecting. The 3rd sample should be taken the next morning within 10 minutes of waking up. The 4th sample should be taken about 2 hours after waking, but do not drink any alcohol caffeine, or more than one cup of fluids before collecting it.
How Does The Dutch Test Compare To Other Tests
DUTCHTM vs Saliva Testing While the free cortisol pattern in saliva has clinical value, there is a significant missing piece to ? A patients HPA-axis function with saliva testing measuring cortisol metabolites. To properly characterize a patients cortisol status, free and metabolized cortisol should be measured to avoid misleading results when cortisol clearance is abnormally high or low. Likewise with sex hormones, measuring estrogen and androgen metabolites gives a fuller picture for more precise clinical diagnosis of hormonal imbalances and HRT monitoring.
DUTCHTM vs Serum Testing While serum is the most universally accepted testing method , it is lacking in some areas. Adrenal hormones cannot be effectively tested in serum because free cortisol cannot be tested throughout the day. There is also a lack of extensive metabolite testing .
DUTCHTM vs 24-hour Urine Testing There are two primary drawbacks to urine testing of hormones. First, the collection is cumbersome, and as many as 40% of those who collect, do so in error . Secondly, dysfunction in the diurnal pattern of cortisol cannot be ascertained from a 24-hour collection. Some providers add saliva for daily free cortisol. DUTCHTM eliminates the need for two tests.
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Why All Women Should Take The Dutch Complete Hormone Test
Back in 2016 when the DUTCH Complete Hormone test was newly out, I began to use it frequently. Hundreds of tests later. I still rely on the Dutch test for my female patients with adrenal and sex hormone imbalances. Do you wonder if you have hormone imbalances? Take this assessment and get my free Smart Womans Guide to Hormone Balance.
What Does The Dutch Hormone Test Mean For You
Why is it important to measure steroid hormones and their metabolites? Measuring these two things can provide us with some valuable information about your body and about your hormone production, to help you optimize your hormone health, and health in general.
Hormones are chemical compounds that are in the blood that coordinate different actions, cortisol can influence other hormones like the thyroid, sex hormones and insulin. A steroid hormone that is out of balance has the potential to affect every other part of your body.
For example, the urine profile can show your physician whether you have a low cortisol level, which is characterized by a person having low-energy levels, adrenal fatigue, or brain fog. These are things that if your physician were aware, he or she could determine the cause and be able to find a solution to fix those things for you.
The same is true if your cortisol levels are high which could cause other types of health-related issues such as the suppression of the immune system, increased muscle breakdown, decreased amino acid uptake, as well as bone degree degradation. You could feel awful when your cortisol levels are too high or too low, the symptoms of high and low cortisol can be similar which is why testing is important. Knowing your hormone levels can help us provide solutions to optimize your health.
A comprehensive view of the DUTCH test sex hormones and how they are metabolized
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Study Populations And Sample Collection
For the primary study, comparing results of serum to urine analyses, samples from four premenopausal and eight postmenopausal women were used. Multiple samples of blood and urine from the premenopausal women had been collected on various days throughout their menstrual cycle . Single samples of blood and urine from the postmenopausal women were analyzed, as there was no cyclical pattern to monitor. Inclusion of postmenopausal women provided data for the lower end of the measured range of the hormones. Women were excluded from the study if they had used hormonal contraception or hormone replacement therapy within 1 year of testing or were pregnant. Blood was collected by capillary finger stick serum was separated then frozen at 80 °C, and shipped overnight on ice. Urine from the first urine of the day was collected onto filter paper, dried, frozen, and later transported at room temperature to the lab where the samples were stored at 80 °C until analysis.
The Dutch Hormone Test And Adrenal Function
The DUTCH test measures total cortisol production as the rhythm of free cortisol throughout the day, as well as how quickly your body is metabolizing cortisol into cortisone.
A blood test cannot measure the rhythm of cortisol and a saliva hormone test cannot measure total cortisol production or cortisone levels.
Free cortisol only makes up around 3% of total cortisol levels so it is important to assess total cortisol production, and for this reason saliva cortisol tests can be misleading if they dont also assess this
CREATINE: Creatine A , Creatine B , Creatine C , Creatine, D
DAILY FREE CORTISOL AND CORTISONE: Cortisol A , Cortisol B , Cortisol C , Cortisol D , Cortisone A , Cortisone B , Cortisone C , Cortisone D , 24hr Free Cortisol, 24hr Free Cortisone.
CORTISOL METABOLITIES AND DHEA-S: b-Tetrahydrocortisol, a-Tetrahydrocortisol,
b-Tetrahydrocortisone, Metabolized Cortisol, DHEA-S.
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Adrenal Fatigue With Infertility
Judy was extremely fatigued all day long and relied on strong coffee to get through the days. She felt that she never recovered after burning the candle at both ends during graduate school. She was ready to start a family but had not fallen pregnant yet. And she was worried about her ability to conceive as doctors had told her she had poor egg quality.
Test Results:
- Low cortisol, and low sex hormones, especially for her age!
Treatment: Herbs, supplements, and foods to nurture hormone production and get her adrenals back on track.
Within six months Judy no longer felt tired all day long. She had enough energy to work out again. And, 8 months later, she got pregnant!
How To Do The Dutch Hormone Test
The DUTCH Complete hormone test is simple to do and just requires you to take 4-5 urine samples .
For men and menopausal women they can do the DUTCH test at any time, but for women with a regular menstrual cycle then it is optimal to do the test around day 19 to 21 of your menstrual cycle.
If you dont have a regular menstrual cycle , then the instructions give you clear guidelines on how to proceed and when the best time for you is to collect the samples.
The urine samples are collected on special strips of litmus paper and then left to dry.
The next day they are shipped back to Precision Analytical in the U.S for analysis. Once the lab gets the samples it takes 10 working days for the results to be ready.
Once your results are ready you will be sent a copy via email, and we can schedule a consultation to go through your test results and help you with a treatment plan.
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