When it comes to understanding your hormones, standard lab tests often don’t tell the full story. That’s where the DUTCH test comes in—a comprehensive hormone test that goes beyond basic blood work, offering deep insight into how your body is processing and clearing hormones. For those navigating hormone imbalances or fertility challenges, this level of information can be a game changer. Dr. Patti Yik explains:

What Is the DUTCH Test?

The DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is an advanced hormone panel that measures not only your hormone levels, but also how your body metabolizes them. It evaluates key sex hormones—like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—as well as stress hormones such as cortisol and DHEA.

Unlike traditional blood tests, the DUTCH test uses multiple dried urine samples collected over the course of a day. This approach provides a full picture of hormonal rhythms, fluctuations, and metabolite patterns that a single blood draw can miss. 

Why Hormone Metabolites Matter

Understanding hormone metabolites is like reading the second half of the story. It’s not just about how much hormone your body makes—it’s about what your body does with it.

For example:

-Estrogen Metabolism: The DUTCH test shows how your body breaks down estrogen into protective or potentially harmful metabolites. Poor estrogen detoxification can contribute to PMS, PCOS, endometriosis, or increased risk of estrogen-related cancers.

-Progesterone Levels: It identifies low progesterone output, which can interfere with ovulation and embryo implantation.

-Cortisol Rhythm and Metabolism: Chronic stress can alter the natural rise and fall of cortisol, impacting ovulation, menstrual regularity, and fertility. The DUTCH test shows how your adrenal glands are functioning across the day, not just at one moment.

How It Supports a Naturopathic Fertility Approach

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I focus on uncovering why hormone imbalances are occurring—so we can correct them from the root. The DUTCH test is one of my favourite tools to help guide this process.

Here’s how we use it:

-Individualized Treatment: By knowing your specific hormone patterns, I can tailor a protocol that may include nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, lifestyle changes, or hormone-balancing acupuncture.

-Precision Supplementation: Rather than guessing which supplements or treatments you might need, the DUTCH test helps us utilize therapies that match your unique metabolism.

-Stress & Sleep Optimization: Many women don’t realize how deeply cortisol and stress hormones are linked to their reproductive health. This test maps your daily cortisol rhythm and melatonin levels to help us implement strategies to rebalance your nervous system and improve sleep health. 

Is the DUTCH Test Right for You?

You may benefit from DUTCH testing if you experience:

-Irregular or absent periods

-PMS, PMDD, or painful periods

-Suspected PCOS or endometriosis

-Difficulty conceiving or early pregnancy loss

-Fatigue, sleep disturbances, or chronic stress

-Unexplained weight gain or mood changes

-Peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, insomnia, weight changes, brain fog 

Let’s Get to the Root

The DUTCH test is one of the most insightful tools we have to understand hormonal health from a whole-body perspective. If you’ve been struggling with hormone-related symptoms or fertility challenges, it might be time to dig deeper.

Schedule a consultation to see if DUTCH testing is right for you—or visit drpattiyik.com to learn more about how we support fertility naturally, from hormones to gut health to stress resilience.