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

Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, and plays a broader role in antioxidant defence and breast health. Yet many people are unknowingly deficient. This guide covers the recommended daily allowances for different life stages, the best dietary sources of iodine — from kelp to cod — and when testing your iodine and thyroid levels may be warranted.

Obesity is not simply a matter of calories in versus calories out. Chronic stress triggers a cascade of hormonal changes — elevated cortisol, depleted DHEA, disrupted leptin signalling and imbalanced sex hormones — that actively drive visceral fat storage and metabolic dysfunction. This article explains the biochemistry of stress-related weight gain and why understanding your hormone levels is key to breaking the cycle.

Selenium is an essential trace element required for thyroid hormone activation, antioxidant defence and selenoprotein synthesis — yet it is one of the most commonly overlooked nutrients. Too little increases cancer risk; too much is toxic. This article explains the different forms of selenium found in food and supplements, which forms are best absorbed, their anti-cancer properties, and how to determine whether your selenium status is optimal.

Bromine has long been considered a non-essential trace element — but groundbreaking research published in Cell suggests it may be the 28th essential element required for collagen IV formation and connective tissue development. This article explores the science behind bromine’s newly discovered role, its toxicity risks (bromism), its interactions with iodine and thyroid function, and why measuring bromine alongside other elements may be clinically relevant.

At-home hormone testing using saliva, dried blood spot and dried urine collection is not only more convenient than clinic-based blood draws — it is also safer, more accurate for certain hormones, and essential for capturing time-sensitive samples like waking cortisol or first-morning melatonin. This article explains how each collection method works, why dried samples carry minimal infection risk, and how ZRT Laboratory’s CLIA-certified processes ensure reliable results.