Blog — menopause

Menopause is a natural and inevitable stage in a woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years. While it is a significant milestone, menopause can also bring about a variety of symptoms that can disrupt daily life. These symptoms are primarily caused by hormonal imbalances as the body adjusts to the decline in estrogen and progesterone production. Hormone testing and subsequent treatment play a vital role in managing and alleviating menopause symptoms, enabling women to lead happier and healthier lives during this transitional phase. Hormonal Imbalance and Menopause Symptoms: During menopause, the ovaries gradually reduce their production of...

Perimenopause, also known as the menopausal transition, is a natural and normal part of a woman's life. It refers to the years leading up to menopause, which is defined as the point at which a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. Perimenopause typically begins in a woman's 40s but can start as early as the mid-30s. During perimenopause, the body's production of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones essential to a woman's reproductive system, begins to decline. This decline can cause a range of symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness,...

By Dr Beth Baldwin, ZRT Lab We are living in an age of insulin resistance. Excessive intake of calories and refined carbohydrates decreased physical activity, and chronic stress increases insulin secretion and decreases insulin sensitivity. This creates a vicious circle of requiring more and more insulin to shuttle glucose into cells. Years or possibly even decades before the elevations in blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C associated with type 2 diabetes, fasting insulin increases, and this high insulin is at the core of metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Recently published research suggests that insulin resistance also doubles the risk...

Written By Dr Allison McAllister It’s an everyday occurrence when someone calls the doc line at the lab and wants to know how they can change the labs to improve their patients’ symptoms. However, it’s important to take a step back and look at what labs can tell us. While it’s true that abnormal lab findings can contribute to symptoms – high thyroid-stimulating hormone reflects hypothyroidism, high testosterone reflects polycystic ovary syndrome, and hyperandrogenism or low cortisol may contribute to fatigue. Yet, in many other conditions, labs reflect the medical condition happening in that patient’s body and not a cause...

By Dr. Sherry LaBeck, ZRT Laboratory One of the most commonly used herbs in the botanical toolbox is Vitex agnus-castus, also known as chaste tree berry. During the Middle Ages the dried berries were used in monasteries as a peppery condiment that was said to help suppress libido. Additionally, in the mid-1900s, Vitex was often given to women for “sexual irritability,” nervousness and melancholia. Perhaps for these reasons the herb was regarded as a symbol of chastity and has been known by names such as monk’s pepper, Abraham’s balm and chasteberry. Through the years it was often used to support...