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

Inositol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in foods such as beans, grains, nuts, and fresh produce. Beyond its well-established role in insulin signalling and PCOS management, inositol has been studied extensively for its effects on mood and mental health. Clinical trials have demonstrated benefits in panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and binge eating. This guide reviews the evidence, explains how inositol influences neurotransmitter pathways, covers dosing and safety considerations, and explains why laboratory testing is the most reliable way to determine whether inositol supplementation is appropriate for you.

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.

Neurotransmitter testing is one of the most powerful functional assessment tools available — but it requires a nuanced approach to interpretation. In this clinical overview, Dr. Kate Placzek of ZRT Laboratory outlines the key fundamentals every practitioner needs before reading a neurotransmitter report: from understanding patterns over numbers and treatment sequencing, to the clinical significance of low serotonin on SSRIs, GABA’s peripheral mechanisms, and when to run a diurnal catecholamine assessment.

A growing body of research suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction may lie at the root of many treatment-resistant mental health conditions — including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD and even dementia. In this clinical overview, Dr. Peter Bongiorno explains why neurons are particularly vulnerable to mitochondrial damage, how stress, heavy metals and hormonal imbalances compound the problem, and what a comprehensive 5-step repair plan looks like in practice.

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.