D.U.T.C.H. Testing

The DUTCH acronym stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones and involves collection of a small amount of urine on filtered paper four times a day. The DUTCH TEST measures hormone metabolites from the dried urine samples. The hormones measured in the test include:

• Cortisol
• Cortisone
• Estradiol
• Estrone
• Estriol
• Progesterone
• Testosterone
• DHEA
• Melatonin

This test also measures cortisol and cortisone rhythms and levels, as well as estrogen metabolism pathways.

• Adrenal fatigue, sleep or stress issues. Testing the adrenal hormones provides specific information about how to support stress and sleep issues, by specifically looking at the the HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) adrenal-brain communication.
• Fertility problems, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This test is beneficial for people suffering from fibroids, PMS, irregular periods, painful periods, anxiety & moodiness, and endometriosis. It provides a comprehensive picture of how the adrenal and reproductive hormone imbalances may be contributing to these problems.
• Hormone replacement therapy. This test works well for oral progesterone, vaginal hormones, patches, pellets and injections. Note that this is only for hormone replacement therapy, not hormonal birth control pills.
• Sleep problems. By checking melatonin levels we can assess how your sleep patterns may be affected. Melatonin can be low and related to your sleep problems, or it can be normal.
• DHEA levels. This “feel-good” hormone produced by your adrenal glands, when low it can cause fatigue, decrease in muscle mass or bone density, depression, aching joints, loss of libido, and lowered immunity.
• Estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance occurs when we have too much oestrogen in the body and is relative to the other sex hormones, such as having too little progesterone to balance it out. Estrogen dominance can be a factor in endometriosis, PMS, painful periods, fibrous breasts, fibroids, tender breasts, moodiness, and more. It can also make perimenopausal symptoms significantly worse.
• Metabolization of estrogen through the liver. This is important for understanding how we are clearing estrogen’s from the body. If you don’t metabolize estrogen well, you risk estrogen dominance, as well as risks of estrogen-related cancers such as breast, cervical and uterine cancers. We can also see the methylation pathway of estrogen when doing the DUTCH test, which can tell if there are nutrient deficiencies or an MTHFR gene mutation, which would then need to be addressed in order to maximize health.