From podcasts to social media, everyone’s talking about hormone health. Which is brilliant, because what works for one person might not work for another. But here’s the thing, most of us don’t actually know which hormones are behind our low energy, brain fog, sleepless nights, or stubborn weight gain.

Is it high cortisol from an increasingly stress filled life? An underactive thyroid? A melatonin deficiency? Or maybe, it’s a combination of all three. And this is where things can get a bit confusing.

The beauty of nutrition and supplements is that you can try different things. For some, a little snack before bed works wonders for their sleep. Others find that starting the day with a protein rich breakfast or a warm glass of lemon water with Celtic salt helps keep their cortisol balanced. And for many, that’s all it takes. Which is fantastic.

But for others, it’s like shooting in the dark. And when you’ve tried everything but nothing seems to work, that’s when functional testing becomes less of a luxury and more of a turning point.

Just a little note, not everyone needs testing. But if your symptoms are complex, or you’re just deeply curious (like we are!), it can provide real clarity and save you time, energy, and guesswork in the long run.

What Does the Thyroid Do?

The thyroid, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated glands in the body. Sitting prettily at the front of the neck, shaped like a little butterfly, it influences almost every single cell in your body. From metabolism and energy, to mood, brain function, gut health, muscle strength, and more—this little gland is working constantly to keep you balanced.

One of its key jobs is helping to release glucose from the liver overnight, which helps to stabilise blood sugar, something which is crucial for sleep and easing anxiety. It also plays a big role in digestion, helping to keep everything moving (and regular), while managing inflammation, even in the brain.

Low thyroid function can show up in all kinds of ways: chronic constipation, fatigue, poor stress tolerance, feeling cold all the time, struggling to bounce back from illness. It can even impact the gut lining, as T3 (the active thyroid hormone) plays a role in keeping your intestinal barrier strong.

If you're dealing with a mix of symptoms that just don’t seem to add up, the thyroid is always worth a closer look.

Why Test the Thyroid?

Most GPs will test TSH and T4, which is fine and gives a basic overview. However, it's T3 that your body actually uses and where all the activity is happening. If your body isn't converting T4 into T3 efficiently, you could still have symptoms even if your results look "normal" on paper.

The complete thyroid panel goes much deeper, measuring 11 biomarkers, including free T3, free T4, total T4, TSH, and thyroid antibodies (TPO and TG). This gives us a full picture of how well your thyroid is functioning, whether there’s an immune response at play, or whether you're simply missing the nutrients needed to support conversion—like selenium, iodine, and zinc.

Testing antibodies is particularly helpful, as they can show up years before any formal diagnosis. Raised antibodies might be quietly contributing to inflammation, anxiety, or autoimmunity long before your TSH levels even changes. This test helps us see what’s going on beneath the surface, so we can intervene earlier, more gently, and more effectively.

Who Would Benefit from Thyroid Testing?

This test is ideal for anyone with symptoms like low energy, anxiety, weight fluctuations, poor sleep, brain fog, cold hands and feet, or sluggish digestion, especially if you’ve been told your thyroid is “fine.”

It’s also particularly helpful during hormonal transitions like postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause, when the thyroid is under more pressure. If there’s a family history of thyroid issues, PCOS, or autoimmune conditions, and you want to rule out a thyroid connection, this test can give you the answers that standard ones often miss.

What are the Adrenal Glands?

Your adrenal glands are two little grape sized glands that sit just above your kidneys. They are small, but incredibly important. They’re responsible for producing hormones like cortisol and DHEA, which help regulate your stress response, energy levels, blood pressure, inflammation, and sleep wake cycle.

Ideally, cortisol rises in the morning to help you feel awake, then gently tapers off throughout the day so you can unwind and sleep deeply at night. But modern life doesn’t always make that rhythm easy to maintain.

Whether it’s an actual emergency or just a stressful email, your adrenals don’t know the difference, and they react the same way. And over time, that can leave you feeling wired, tired, anxious, depleted, or all of the above.

Why the Adrenal Stress Index Test?

The Adrenal Stress Index uses four saliva samples over 24 hours to track your cortisol rhythm and DHEA levels. This gives a clear look at how your stress response is functioning, and whether it’s well regulated or veering into overdrive (or burnout).

It’s particularly helpful for identifying when cortisol is peaking too high or crashing too low at certain times of day, both of which can impact your energy, mood, sleep, cravings, and hormones.

It can also assess your DHEA to cortisol ratio, which gives insight into your resilience and how well your body is coping with ongoing demands. Optional add ons like the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) can provide an even more detailed picture of your stress response first thing in the morning.

Who Would Benefit From The Adrenal Stress Index Test?

This test is especially helpful for anyone dealing with stress, whether that’s emotional, physical, or both. If you’re dealing with poor sleep, burnout, energy crashes, anxiety, stubborn weight gain, sugar cravings, or irregular cycles, your adrenals could be playing a big role.

We see amazing insights from this test in people who feel “wired but tired,” rely on caffeine to get through the day, or feel like they crash hard in the afternoons. It’s also really helpful for those with ongoing hormone imbalances, digestive issues, or autoimmune conditions, as cortisol can impact all of these systems.

What is the DUTCH Test?

The DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is one of the most detailed hormone tests available. It doesn’t just measure hormone levels like oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and DHEA, it also shows how your body is using and breaking them down.

This is really important, as two people can have the same hormone levels on paper, but feel completely different based on how those hormones are being metabolised and cleared.

The DUTCH test also includes markers for oxidative stress, melatonin, neurotransmitters, and even nutrient status (like B6, B12, and glutathione), so you get a truly complete picture of what’s going on behind the scenes.

Why is The DUTCH Test Useful?

It’s not just what hormones you have, it’s what your body does with them that really matters. The DUTCH test gives us that missing layer. It maps out your cortisol pattern across the day, helping to understand whether your energy is spiking too early, crashing too fast, or staying flat when it should be rising. This is especially helpful if you struggle with sleep, anxiety, energy dips, or feeling wired but tired.

On top of that, DUTCH shows whether oestrogen is being detoxified safely, and lets us assess for oestrogen dominance, low progesterone, androgen excess (like with PCOS or acne), or poor methylation. Plus, the test picks up on nutrient deficiencies that may be impacting hormonal balance, and even gives insight into gut function and neuro-inflammation.

It's especially useful when symptoms are complicated, layered, or haven’t responded to the usual approaches, or when someone really wants to understand the full story behind their hormones, stress, and cycles.

Who Would Benefit Most From The Dutch Test?

Whilst this test offers incredible insight, it’s not something everyone needs. Some people respond brilliantly to nutrition and lifestyle changes alone, and for them, testing might feel like too much information at once. But if you’re experiencing persistent hormone related symptoms and want to get to the root of them, the DUTCH test can be a useful tool.

It’s particularly helpful for those dealing with PMS, PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, peri-menopause, low libido, fatigue, poor sleep, infertility, mood swings, or trouble with cycle regulation. We also use it with women coming off or considering HRT, and in cases where hormone replacement hasn’t brought the expected relief. That said, it's not always the most accurate or essential route while on HRT, which is why we always guide each case individually.

If you’re unsure whether DUTCH is right for you, our team of Nutritional Therapists can talk it through and help you decide. It’s all about choosing the right test for your body and sometimes, less information is just as empowering when you're just beginning your journey.

About Genetic Testing:

Genetic testing gives insights into how your body processes nutrients, hormones, and detoxification pathways. Variations in genes like MTHFR, COMT, and others can impact everything from hormone metabolism to methylation and inflammation.

For example, certain MTHFR variants can affect how you metabolise folate and B12, which influences energy, detox, fertility, and even thyroid function. COMT variations affect how quickly you break down oestrogen and stress hormones—which can have a big impact on mood, hormonal balance, and how “wired” or overstimulated you might feel.

Why Combine Genetic Testing With Other Tests?

Genetic testing to understand interventions to improve nutrient status is a fairly new and rapidly developing area, one that our team of practitioners are at the forefront of. We offer a full genetic testing service together with interpretation which really complements some of our other functional tests.

When running a DUTCH test for example, it can be really beneficial to look at this alongside a genetic Hormone and Thyroid panel. By working with different labs in this way, it gives us a much deeper understanding and insight to put in place the most tailored, bespoke and personalised plans to optimise your health.

As well as these specialised hormone reports, we also offer more general foundational panels to understand how your genetics affect your own nutritional needs.

Who Would Benefit From Genetic Testing?

Genetic testing is fascinating. There are multiple options, all depending on the symptoms that are presented to the therapist. For hormones, this is a great option for those who are experiencing health issues that may be linked to methylation inefficiencies or thyroid dysfunction. This includes those with:

• Chronic fatigue
• Mood disorders
• Hormonal imbalances
• Cardiovascular concerns
• Family history of thyroid disorders

Also, those who are planning for pregnancy might consider testing, as certain genetic variations can influence nutrient metabolism essential for foetal development. In summary, genetic testing offers a window into understanding individual predispositions. When you have this knowledge, you can create a great plan which is targeted to your very own genetic and bodily needs - plus it’s super fascinating to know exactly what you’re made of!

These are some of the key hormone tests we use in clinic, and they often go hand in hand with other tests for gut health, nutrient status, or inflammation.

If any of this resonates with you, or you’re feeling like you need to get to the root cause, then come chat to us. We have a full team of Nutritional Therapists who work with world leading labs on a weekly basis, and can help choose the right one for you.

We do require a nutritional consultation in order to complete a test, as there are many deciding factors that will determine which test is best for you, and this kind of information is only possible through a detailed consultation.

Functional testing, for us, is one of the most powerful tools available to stop the guesswork and finally move forward with clarity. And, we’ve seen time and time again just how much of a difference it can make.