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

Birth control pills are marketed as hormonal contraception — but they contain no natural hormones whatsoever. In this candid post, OB/GYN Dr. Felice Gersh explains why she stopped prescribing the Pill, what synthetic hormones actually do to the female body, and why understanding your natural hormone rhythms matters more than ever.

Hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia and brain fog — menopause can feel overwhelming. But what is actually happening biochemically? In this case study, Dr. Kate Placzek and Dr. Allison Smith walk through the test results of Julia, a newly postmenopausal woman, showing exactly how hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances drive menopausal symptoms — and what can be done about it.

Most people have never heard of glycine — yet this small amino acid plays a remarkable role in sleep quality. Unlike conventional sleep aids, glycine promotes natural sleep architecture, lowers core body temperature, and actually improves daytime alertness rather than causing grogginess. Dr. Kate Placzek of ZRT Laboratory explains the neuroscience behind glycine’s sleep-promoting effects and its connections to the body’s circadian hormone rhythms.

Testosterone has long been associated with aggression — but new research is revealing a far more nuanced picture. A study published in Nature Communications, involving ZRT Laboratory, found that a single dose of testosterone significantly increased young men’s preference for luxury, status-enhancing goods. Dr. Kate Placzek explores the neuroendocrine science behind this finding — and what it reveals about testosterone’s role in dopamine, reward and social behaviour.

GABA is the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter — and its balance is critical for restful sleep. This article explores how both low and high GABA levels can disrupt sleep, and why addressing the adrenal stress response is often the key to resolving GABA-related sleep problems.