Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — MT6s testing

A melanoma diagnosis changes everything — but it can also be the catalyst for a smarter, more proactive approach to skin health. In this personal account, Lissa Gienty of ZRT Laboratory shares her melanoma story and the evidence-based steps she now takes to protect herself, including optimising vitamin D and melatonin levels and monitoring her diurnal hormone rhythms.

Most people think of melatonin as a sleep supplement — but this remarkable hormone is produced throughout the body and plays a central role in immune defence, inflammation, pain management, gut health and even cancer protection. Dr. Allison Smith dives deep into the biochemistry of melatonin and explains why getting your levels right matters far beyond a good night’s sleep.

Dried urine testing is rapidly becoming the preferred method for neurotransmitter and hormone assessment — but collection timing is everything. In this clinical overview, Dr. Kate Placzek of ZRT Laboratory explains why a single morning urine sample cannot substitute for a 4-time-point collection, how neurotransmitters like epinephrine and norepinephrine follow distinct diurnal rhythms, and why interchanging the first and second morning voids can produce grossly inaccurate results.

Nearly a third of the UK population suffers from insomnia — yet many are still unaware of the powerful connection between hormones and sleep. When cortisol and melatonin fall out of rhythm, or when neurotransmitters are disrupted by menopause or chronic stress, restorative sleep becomes elusive. Find out whether hormones are contributing to your sleep loss — and what you can do about it.

As the days shorten and sunlight fades, four key hormonal systems come under pressure: vitamin D, serotonin, cortisol and melatonin. For those susceptible to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the disruption of these interconnected rhythms can trigger depression, fatigue, poor sleep and low mood. This article explains the science behind the SAD hormone pattern — and what you can do to support your body through the darker months.