The DUTCH Test: The Most Complete Picture of Your Hormonal Health
By Adalys E. Díaz
If you have ever been told your hormones are "normal" but you still feel exhausted, anxious, unable to sleep, or just not like yourself, you are not alone. Standard hormone testing does not always uncover the root cause of your symptoms. That is where the DUTCH Testing panels change everything.
Standard blood work measures your hormone levels at a single point in time. It tells you how much estrogen, progesterone, or cortisol is in your blood at the moment of the draw. But hormones fluctuate throughout the day, they interact with each other, and the way your body processes and eliminates them is just as important as how much of them you have.
What Is the DUTCH Test?
DUTCH stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. These panels were developed by Precision Analytical, a laboratory specializing exclusively in hormone testing and research, with the goal of giving practitioners and patients the most complete hormonal picture possible.
Unlike a standard blood draw, the DUTCH Testing panels use a simple dried urine collection done at home, you collect urine samples on filter paper at specific times throughout the day and overnight. No needles, no lab visits, no rushing to get a blood draw at a specific time of day.
What Makes It Different From a Standard Blood Test?
This is the most important question, and the answer is what makes these tests so valuable.
Standard blood tests measure:
How much of a hormone is present at one single point in time
The DUTCH panels measures:
Your hormone levels at multiple points throughout the day, giving a complete picture of how your body produces, uses, processes, and eliminates hormones. This level of detail simply cannot be captured through a standard blood test.
Depending on the panel selected, markers may include:
Sex Hormones & Metabolites
Estrogens: estradiol, estrone, estriol, and their breakdown pathways
Progesterone metabolites
Testosterone and DHEA metabolites
Androgens
Adrenal Hormones
Free cortisol, throughout the day and overnight
Cortisone
Cortisol metabolites, total cortisol production
DHEA-S
Melatonin
Sleep hormone levels overnight, directly connected to sleep quality
Organic Acids
B12 and B6 markers
Glutathione: your body's master antioxidant
Neurotransmitter metabolites: dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin
Markers reflecting oxidative stress and B vitamin status
To see the specific panels available and which markers are included in each, visit our Dutch Testing page.
Who Should Consider DUTCH Testing panels?
Women experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms: hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, weight gain, brain fog
Women with PMS, irregular cycles, or hormonal imbalances
Anyone dealing with chronic fatigue that does not improve with rest
Patients with anxiety, depression, or mood instability that may be hormonally driven
Anyone with sleep disturbances: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking unrefreshed
Men and women experiencing adrenal fatigue or chronic stress
Patients on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) who want to monitor how their body is responding
Anyone who has been told their hormones are "normal" but still does not feel well
How Does the Collection Work?
The process is simple and done entirely at home. Collection kits are available at our clinic or mailed directly to your home:
Your collection kit arrives by mail or you can pick it up at our Palm Beach Gardens clinic
You collect urine samples following the instructions included with your kit
You place the samples in the provided packaging, and ship them back to the laboratory using the prepaid return label
Results are typically ready within 2-3 weeks
Understanding Your Results
DUTCH Test results are detailed and comprehensive, which is what makes them so powerful, and also what can make them feel overwhelming at first glance. The report includes hormone levels, metabolism pathways, patterns over time, and clinical interpretations.
If you would like help understanding your results, we offer a Lab Interpretation & Report add-on, a dedicated analysis where we review every finding and provide personalized recommendations based on your complete hormonal picture.
Contact us to schedule a free consult if you need help deciding which Dutch Test panel is right for you.
Ready to Order Your DUTCH Test?
The DUTCH Testing Panels are available at Díaz Acupuncture & Integrative Health in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Pick up your collection kit directly at our clinic or complete our Order Form and your kit will be mailed directly to your home.
View DUTCH Test Options & Pricing
About Adalys E. Díaz, L.Ac.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Every patient is different, if you have questions about your specific health needs or would like to learn more about our services, we invite you to contact us or schedule a consultation.