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

  By Dr. Allison Smith, ZRT Laboratory I would like to thank everyone who joined in our webinar on the Role of Hormones in Sleep Disturbances!  There were a number of questions I wasn’t able to address due to time constraints but they were all excellent questions. I thought at least someone would be interested in a follow-up as I speak to the rest of the questions just as a little wrap-up. Q: Wouldn't it be nice to include Dried Urine Melatonin in your ZRT Comprehensive Profile, to be able to evaluate Morning Cortisol when low? Maybe it is low while...

Perimenopause is far more than a reproductive transition — it is fundamentally neurological. As oestradiol declines, the brain’s bioenergetic system becomes compromised, neurotransmitter balance shifts, and the thermoneutral zone narrows, giving rise to hot flashes, mood instability, memory changes and sleep disruption. This article explores the neuroscience behind the menopausal transition and why hormone replacement therapy — timed correctly — may be the most effective intervention.

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have for preventing and treating depression — yet its neurochemical effects are still underappreciated. From boosting serotonin and dopamine to increasing GABA through yoga, physical activity reshapes the brain in ways that rival pharmaceutical interventions. This article explores the science behind exercise and mood, and what it means for your neurotransmitter health.

Discover how certain foods rich in serotonin and dopamine — including bananas, walnuts, pineapples, avocados, and nut butters — can interfere with urinary neurotransmitter testing and lead to false-positive results. Learn why proper test preparation matters, how neurotransmitter urine analysis is interpreted, and how combined neurotransmitter and cortisol testing can provide deeper insight into mood, stress, brain chemistry, and hormonal balance.