What the DUTCH Plus measures
A standard hormone blood test reports how much of a hormone is circulating at the moment of the draw. The DUTCH test reports the hormones and also their metabolites, the compounds your body turns them into. That shows which pathways your body favors, which a single blood value does not.
The panel covers 35 hormones and metabolites, plus a set of related markers.
| Group | Markers | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Estrogens | Estrone, estradiol, estriol and their metabolites | Estrogen levels and how your body breaks estrogen down |
| Progesterone | Progesterone metabolites | Progesterone production |
| Androgens | Testosterone, DHEA-S and their metabolites | Androgen levels and which metabolic pathway you favor |
| Cortisol | Free cortisol in saliva at five points in the day, including the cortisol awakening response, plus cortisol metabolites in urine | Your daily cortisol rhythm, the rise after waking, and your total cortisol output |
| Melatonin | 6-OHMS, the main melatonin metabolite | Overnight melatonin production |
| Oxidative stress | 8-OHdG | A marker of oxidative damage to DNA |
| Organic acids | Six markers related to vitamin B12, vitamin B6, glutathione, dopamine, and norepinephrine and epinephrine | Indirect indicators of nutrient status and neurotransmitter turnover |
DUTCH test or a hormone blood test?
They answer different questions. A blood test is the standard way to diagnose a hormone condition and to monitor most hormone therapy, and it is one sample at one moment. The DUTCH Plus adds two things a single draw cannot: the pattern of free cortisol from waking to bedtime, and the metabolites that show how estrogens and androgens are being processed.
Many people do both. If you already have hormone bloodwork, bring it to your results review and we will read the two together.
Collecting your samples
Everything is collected in one day. Urine goes on filter-paper strips at four times: on waking, two hours later, at dinnertime and at bedtime. Saliva goes on a small swab at five times: on waking, 30 and 60 minutes later, at dinnertime and at bedtime. There is one optional extra saliva sample if you wake during the night.
The first hour matters most. Collect the waking samples within five minutes of getting up, and do not eat or drink until the 60-minute sample is done. On collection day, keep caffeine to one small cup and fluids moderate, and skip alcohol from the day before. The urine strips air-dry for 24 hours; the saliva tubes go in the freezer until you ship.
Timing in the month matters too. Women who are cycling collect in the second half of the cycle, between days 19 and 22 of a 28-day cycle. Men, and women who are not cycling, can collect on any day.
Tell us about any hormones, medications and supplements you take, because some change the results and the kit has specific timing for them. Do not stop a prescribed medication or skip birth control for the test unless your prescriber tells you to.