If you were to randomly scroll through any group text between me and my best girlfriends, you’d have no trouble finding multiple threads airing grievances about one hormonal symptom or another: “My period has been soooo heavy,” or “I wonder why my bloating has been so bad this luteal phase.” These complaints often prompt responses like “Try the raw carrot salad!” or “Maybe it’s time to up your magnesium game!” And while this advice is well-meaning (and hey, sometimes these suggestions faire work), it often takes more than one “quick fix” to heal our out-of-whack hormones.
That’s where hormone testing comes in. In a world where perturbateurs endocriniens seem to
lurk in every corner and hormonal complaints represent a female rite of passage, the sad reality is that most of the women I know have some symptoms of hormonal imbalance. This leads to countless inquiries to Dr. Google or consultation of Instagram Reels, trial and error with random hormone quick fixes, and eventually scheduling an appointment for hormone testing as a last resort. While most of these tests are done through a blood draw, some health professionals are starting to see the DUTCH Test–a user-friendly, at-home urine test–as a simpler and more thorough diagnostic tool. But what is the DUTCH test, and does it live up to the hype?
What is the DUTCH Test?
DUTCH is an acronym for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. The test (which, as its name indicates, tests dried urine as opposed to blood, saliva, or traditional liquid urine samples) was created to provide a broad assessment of sex and adrenal hormones in an easy-to-use, at-home test. Proponents of the DUTCH test believe that testing dried urine provides an easier way to look at hormones that have been absorbed and metabolized throughout the body.
Precision Analytical Inc., the company that created the DUTCH test, offers a variety of different dried-urine method tests. Their flagship test is the DUTCH Complete, which the company states is the most advanced hormone test on the market. DUTCH Complete offers an extensive profile of sex and adrenal hormones, along with melatonin, to provide users insight into hormonal imbalances that may be causing health concerns like heavy periods, infertility, sleep disorders, or PCOS.
After completing the test, patients are encouraged to work with a DUTCH test-trained healthcare provider who can analyze the results and determine a course of action to improve hormone health.
How is the DUTCH test performed?
Patients undergoing the DUTCH test are required to take four to five urine samples throughout the course of one day.
The first sample is taken before dinner, followed by one before bed, an optional sample in the middle of the night, a test upon waking, and a final test two hours after waking. Testers are encouraged to take their first sample in the evening in order to condense the testing period, as opposed to stretching it out over the entire day. The DUTCH test website provides detailed tutorials on how to collect dried urine samples, as well as special instructions for cycling women (i.e., premenopausal women who are not on hormonal birth control).
DUTCH test users should note that there sont fluid restrictions during the day of the test. Patients are encouraged to avoid caffeine and alcohol during the testing period, and to limit their fluid intake, since urine results are most accurate if you’re not overly hydrated.
How is the DUTCH test different from other testing methods?
The major selling point that sets the DUTCH test apart from other hormone-testing methods like saliva tests and blood draws is that it’s purported to provide a more complete snapshot of a patient’s levels than can be seen through blood serum or saliva testing alone. Some hormones are tested best through saliva and others are more accurate through blood, but—according to the test’s manufacturer—both those testable with saliva samples and those testable with blood draws can be accurately tested with urine samples.
DUTCH results are categorized into three sections: sex hormones, adrenals, and organic acids (which provides insight on key nutrient deficiencies, oxidative stress, gut health, and neurotransmitter clearance). Compared to normal blood serum or saliva test results that include a simple number or range, the DUTCH tests results are incredibly thorough. In addition to normal number readouts of lab findings, patients are provided with graphs, charts, and diagrams displaying their urine sample results, making their health information easier to comprehend when discussing with their healthcare professional. A sample DUTCH test report can be viewed ici.
What are the drawbacks or controversies surrounding DUTCH tests?
If you do a quick Google search for DUTCH test reviews, you’ll see plenty of anecdotal evidence from testers who rave about the test’s simplicity and usefulness. From a patient perspective, the test is a welcome departure from blood or saliva tests that are inconvenient et don’t give a full picture of how their hormones are interacting with each other. But not everyone in the medical community is on board.
Are urine hormone levels an accurate indicator of levels in the body?
Most notably, some doctors and health professionals question the usefulness of dried urine samples, since very few studies have been done to show the accuracy of such tests. Some point out that the studies that have been done were conducted by the test’s own manufacturing group, noting that third-party studies supporting dried urine sampling’s reliability are scarce.
What’s the point of having test results if your provider can’t interpret them?
Additionally, DUTCH test skeptics have doubts about some medical professionals’ abilities to precisely interpret results. That’s because the test provides a snapshot of many different hormone levels all at once, but doesn’t provide a streamlined diagnosis, so healthcare providers still need to be familiar with hormonal imbalances and their associated disorders in order to provide patients with useful feedback.
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Another drawback of the DUTCH test is its hefty price tag. Since the test is considered “out of network,” most insurance companies do not provide coverage for it. In some cases, a test can be reimbursed by insurance if a practitioner orders it and the patient later submits the bill to their insurance company, but these instances are few and far between. Out of pocket, the DUTCH Complete test (which is their most popular option and tests hormones, adrenals, and organic acids) costs $499. Other tests range in price from $299 to $700.
Yay or nay on the DUTCH test?
The DUTCH test may provide you with a broad picture of what’s going on with your endocrine system, but the absence of third party accuracy testing should perhaps give one pause before spending so much on a single test. If you decide to go for it, and have a provider onboard who can both interpret and apply your DUTCH results, it’s important to remember that taking the test is just a starting point.
The DUTCH test may be best used as a way to gain insight on hormone-related complaints, but it’s unlikely to be the sole source for diagnosing problems. In other words, the DUTCH test is no one-stop-shop miracle diagnostic tool. Every method of hormone testing—be it saliva, blood, or urine—requires analysis from a trained medical professional in the context of a person’s overall health.
