Frequently Asked Questions

DUTCH™ stands for Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. It's an advanced hormone testing method developed by Precision Analytical that measures sex hormones, cortisol patterns, melatonin, and importantly—hormone metabolites—using dried urine samples collected at home.

Unlike blood tests that show only total hormone levels, DUTCH™ testing reveals how your body produces, processes, and eliminates hormones. This provides practitioners with a much more complete picture of your hormonal health.

Each testing method has strengths, but DUTCH™ offers unique advantages:

• Blood tests show circulating hormone levels at a single moment. They miss metabolites and daily cortisol patterns.
• Saliva tests show free hormone levels and cortisol patterns but cannot measure metabolites.
• 24-hour urine measures metabolites but requires collecting all urine for 24 hours—inconvenient and prone to collection errors.
• DUTCH™ combines the best of all methods: metabolites like 24-hour urine, cortisol patterns like saliva, plus melatonin—all from simple dried urine samples.

DUTCH™ testing is particularly valuable because metabolites reveal how your body processes hormones, which can be just as important as the hormone levels themselves.

DUTCH™ testing measures 35+ hormones and metabolites including:

• Estrogens: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), Estriol (E3), plus metabolites (2-OH, 4-OH, 16-OH pathways)
• Progesterone: Progesterone metabolites including alpha and beta pregnanediol
• Androgens: Testosterone, DHEA, and metabolites including androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5α-DHT
• Cortisol: Free cortisol pattern (4 points), total cortisol metabolites, cortisone
• Melatonin: 6-OH melatonin sulfate (sleep hormone marker)
• Organic acids: 8-OHdG (oxidative stress), methylation markers

DUTCH™ testing can be valuable for anyone wanting comprehensive hormone insights, but may be particularly useful for those experiencing:

• Chronic fatigue or low energy
• Sleep difficulties or insomnia
• Mood changes, anxiety, or depression
• Weight challenges or metabolism issues
• Menstrual irregularities or PMS
• Perimenopause or menopause symptoms
• Low libido or sexual dysfunction
• Suspected adrenal fatigue or HPA axis dysfunction
• PCOS or other hormonal conditions
• Monitoring hormone replacement therapy

Both men and women can benefit from DUTCH™ testing.

DUTCH™ uses a simple dried urine collection method. You'll urinate on filter paper strips at specific times throughout the day and evening. The samples are then left to dry completely before being mailed back to the lab.

For the DUTCH™ Complete and Plus panels, you'll collect 4-5 samples over a 24-hour period. The DUTCH™ Cycle Mapping panel requires 9 samples collected throughout your menstrual cycle.

Your kit includes detailed instructions with exact collection times. Most people find it much easier than 24-hour urine collection.

For women with menstrual cycles: Collect samples during days 19-22 of your cycle (approximately 5-7 days before your expected period). This is when progesterone is typically at its peak.

For postmenopausal women, women on birth control, and men: Samples can be collected any day.

For DUTCH™ Cycle Mapping: You'll collect samples on specific days throughout your entire menstrual cycle, starting on day 1 (first day of period).

For DUTCH™ Complete, you'll collect at these approximate times:

• Evening (before bed): ~10-11pm
• Night (if you wake): Optional middle-of-night sample
• Waking: First morning urine upon waking
• Morning +2 hours: ~2 hours after waking

DUTCH™ Plus adds the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) with additional samples in the first hour after waking.

Samples need to dry for a minimum of 24 hours before sealing in the provided bag. Ensure they dry in a clean, well-ventilated area away from pets and direct sunlight.

Completely dried samples are stable at room temperature, so you don't need to refrigerate them.

Your kit includes extra filter paper strips in case of mistakes. If you miss a collection time or have issues:

• Note any collection errors on your intake form
• Continue with remaining samples as scheduled
• The lab can often still provide meaningful results

If something significant goes wrong, contact us and we'll help determine if a replacement kit is needed.

From the time your samples arrive at Precision Analytical's laboratory, results typically take 2-3 weeks. The complete timeline is:

• Days 1-3: Sample receipt and preparation
• Days 3-14: Laboratory analysis
• Days 14-21: Report generation and quality review

You'll receive email notifications when your samples arrive at the lab and when your results are ready.

Your DUTCH™ report includes:

• All hormone and metabolite levels with visual graphs
• Cortisol pattern throughout the day
• Estrogen metabolism pathways (2-OH, 4-OH, 16-OH)
• Androgen metabolites and 5α-reductase activity
• Reference ranges for your age and sex
• Methylation and oxidative stress markers

The report is comprehensive but can be complex. We highly recommend adding practitioner analysis to help interpret what your results mean for your health.

View a sample report to see exactly what you'll receive.

DUTCH™ reports are detailed and can be overwhelming without guidance. We strongly recommend practitioner interpretation, which is available as an add-on (+$149) to any panel.

Our certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioners (FDN-Ps) are specifically trained in DUTCH™ interpretation and will:

• Explain what each marker means
• Identify patterns and connections between hormones
• Provide actionable recommendations
• Answer your specific questions

If you have your own practitioner who uses DUTCH™ testing, you can share your results with them instead.

Absolutely! We encourage you to share your results with your healthcare providers. Your report is delivered as a professional PDF that's easy to share. Many naturopathic doctors, functional medicine practitioners, and integrative physicians use DUTCH™ testing in their practices and will be familiar with interpreting the results.

We offer three DUTCH™ panels:

• DUTCH™ Complete ($399): Full sex hormone and metabolite panel, cortisol pattern, and melatonin. Best for most people wanting comprehensive hormone insights.
• DUTCH™ Plus ($549): Everything in Complete PLUS the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), which measures cortisol in the first hour after waking. Best for those with suspected adrenal issues or HPA axis dysfunction.
• DUTCH™ Cycle Mapping ($699): Tracks estrogen and progesterone across your entire menstrual cycle with 9 sample collections. Best for women with irregular cycles, fertility challenges, or PCOS.

All panels can add optional practitioner analysis (+$149) for personalized interpretation.

Yes, with some conditions:

• Unopened kit: Full refund within 30 days
• Opened kit, samples not sent: Full refund minus $25 restocking fee
• Samples already submitted: No refund (lab processing has begun)

See our complete Refund Policy for details.

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. All payments are processed securely through our payment provider with industry-standard encryption.

Yes! We ship to all Canadian provinces and territories, including remote areas. Shipping is FREE on all orders with standard delivery.

Standard shipping takes 5-7 business days. Expedited shipping (2-3 business days) is available for $14.99. You'll receive tracking information when your kit ships.

See our Shipping Info page for complete details.

Your kit includes a return envelope. Once your samples are completely dry (minimum 24 hours), seal them in the provided bag and place in the return envelope. Drop it in any Canada Post mailbox—no post office visit required! Please note that return shipping is not included.

Dried samples are stable at room temperature, so no special handling is needed.

DUTCH™ testing provides valuable health information but is not a diagnostic medical test. Results should be used for educational purposes and to guide conversations with your healthcare provider. Lab orders are placed by independently contracted licensed practitioners coordinated through Dutch Test Canada.

Dutch Test Canada works with licensed practitioners who are authorized to order DUTCH™ tests and serves as an administrative intermediary—we are not medical providers, a laboratory, or a licensed clinical practice, and cannot diagnose or treat any condition. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals for medical advice.

Never stop prescribed medications without consulting your doctor.

For supplements:

• To see baseline levels: Consider stopping hormone-affecting supplements 2-4 weeks before testing (biotin, B vitamins, hormone precursors like DHEA or pregnenolone)
• To assess current status: Continue supplements as normal—your results will reflect your current regimen

Note all supplements and medications on your intake form so results can be interpreted appropriately. Hormone replacement therapy users can still test—it will show how your body is metabolizing the hormones.

Yes, but results will reflect the synthetic hormones in your birth control rather than your natural hormone production. DUTCH™ testing can still be valuable to assess cortisol patterns, melatonin, and how your body metabolizes the synthetic hormones.

If you want to see your natural hormone levels, you would need to be off hormonal birth control for at least 3 months before testing.

Most practitioners recommend retesting 3-6 months after implementing hormone-supportive protocols. This allows time for changes to take effect. For ongoing monitoring of hormone therapy, annual testing is common.

Your practitioner can help determine the optimal retesting schedule based on your specific situation.

Absolutely! DUTCH™ Complete and DUTCH™ Plus are designed for both men and women. Men can gain valuable insights into testosterone metabolism, DHEA levels, estrogen (yes, men have estrogen too!), cortisol patterns, and melatonin.

DUTCH™ Cycle Mapping is specifically designed for women with menstrual cycles and is not applicable for men.