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

In today's fast-paced and demanding world, stress has become an integral part of our daily lives. While stress in moderation can be beneficial in certain situations, chronic and prolonged stress can take a toll on our health, particularly on our adrenal glands and hormone balance. The adrenal glands, also known as the "stress glands," play a vital role in helping us cope with stress and maintain overall well-being. However, excessive and unmanaged stress can lead to adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances, affecting various aspects of our health and quality of life. Recognising Adrenal Imbalance Many of us might be experiencing symptoms...

By Dr. Beth Baldwin, ZRT Laboratory If one were to create a word cloud of our clinical consulting calls in 2020, the word “phosphatidylserine” would likely float to the center in a large, bold, brightly colored font. After a year spent coping with a global pandemic, record high unemployment, social distancing, and remote learning for students, accompanied by not only an extreme wildfire season but also a contentious presidential election in the U.S., people are stressed – and it shows. We are seeing plenty of patients with abnormal salivary cortisol profiles, absent, blunted or exaggerated cortisol awakening responses, and symptoms...

DHEA and DHEA-S are the most abundant steroid hormones in the body and play a critical role in brain health, mood regulation, and cognitive function. This article explains the biochemical distinction between the two, how they act as neurosteroids, and why measuring DHEA-S is the gold standard for assessing adrenocortical activity.