The DUTCH hormone test is one of my favorite tests for getting a comprehensive overview of my patients’ adrenal and sex hormone imbalances. The majority of my patients are women, but this test can also be utilized in men.¿
DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. It is a proprietary test created by Precision Analytical that measures your hormone metabolites from dried urine samples. The hormones include:
- Cortisol
- Cortisone
- Estradiol
- Estrone
- Estriol
- DHEA
- Melatonin
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
This test also measures cortisol and cortisone rhythms and levels, and estrogen metabolism pathways.
What Does the Test Tell You?
The DUTCH hormone test results tell lots of things!
- It gives a wonderfully comprehensive overview of your adrenal health. It specifically looks at your adrenal-brain communication, known as your HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) and its response to physical or psychological stress throughout the day.
- If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormonal imbalance such as heavy bleeding, breast tenderness, fibroids, cysts, fertility issues, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, fatigue, mood changes, or low libido, the DUTCH hormone test helps you and your practitioner gain more knowledge about your hormone levels.
- If you have low DHEA levels, you may experience fatigue, achy joints, depression, loss of libido, and lowered immunity. This “feel-good” hormone is produced by your adrenal glands.
- If you’re taking exogenous bio-identical hormones, this test shows how you’re metabolizing those hormones. For example, if you’re taking estrogen, you want to make sure your liver is metabolizing it down the healthy 2-OH pathway. If it’s not, the test helps determine what lifestyle, dietary, and supplement support would be helpful. It also provides a more accurate marker than serum levels when women are taking oral progesterone.
- If you have symptoms of estrogen excess—PMS, breast tenderness, heavy bleeding, fibroids, and cysts—or a personal or family history of an estrogen-positive cancer such as breast cancer—this test helps me to provide the best protocols for my patients. Instead of just showing the estradiol level, the DUTCH test provides a level of all three forms of estrogen: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Plus, it provides levels and percentages of the metabolites your body uses to break the three estrogens into (2-OH [-OH aka -hydroxy], 4-OH, and 16-OH) through phase 1 and 2 liver metabolism.
- It provides valuable information on factors contributing to insomnia since you take cortisol readings before bed, during the night if you wake, and first thing in the morning, along with testing melatonin.
- It also identifies functional markers showing if there are deficiencies of vitamin B12 and B6, glutathione (your body's main antioxidant), dopamine, 8-OHdG (a biomarker of stress and carcinogenesis), and “first responder” stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.
How Do You Take the Test?
Taking the test is super easy! It comes in an envelope with little strips to dip in your pee or urinate directly on at specific times throughout the day, in the comfort of your home. You dip the strips, let them dry, and mail them off for analysis.
The DUTCH Test Results Are In! What Happens Next?
In my practice, I use the DUTCH test results to detect any hormone imbalances and develop a protocol that is tailored to the patient. Based on the results and protocol, I discuss the benefits of retesting with my patients three to six months later, and perhaps yearly after that.
For more information on the DUTCH hormone test, including pricing, visit dutchtest.com.
