Frequently Asked Questions

This is one of the most common things we hear. The issue is usually in how ‘normal’ is defined. Standard NHS blood tests use broad reference ranges designed to identify disease, not to assess optimal function. You can fall within the “normal” range and still be far from where your body needs to be to feel well.

Functional medicine uses tighter, evidence-based reference ranges that reflect optimal health rather than just the absence of pathology. We also test markers that aren’t routinely included - such as hormone metabolites, cortisol patterns across the day, and nutrient cofactors - which can reveal imbalances that a standard blood panel would miss entirely. You can explore the full range of what we test here.

Many women assume perimenopause is just about hot flushes and missed periods, but the early signs are often much more subtle. You might notice increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, brain fog, joint aches, histamine sensitivity, heavier periods, or weight gain around the middle - sometimes years before your periods change.

Often getting tested isn’t just about the sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) which are in flux across perimenopause but about considering how these hormones interact with other hormone systems in the body - insulin, cortisol and thyroid hormones.

Connecting the dots and ensuring all of these areas are supported is helpful in managing symptoms. Standard GP blood tests can be limited and testing sex hormones in the blood isn’t recommended for women over 45, because of the daily fluctuations that are likely to be occurring.

We use the DUTCH test to look at your hormone metabolites in the urine across a full day, giving a much clearer picture of what’s actually happening. Many women in their late 30s or 40s approach us because they feel ‘off’ and wonder if their hormones have started to change. Hormone testing can help us understand if that’s the case or not, and tailor a personalised plan accordingly. Read more about our approach in our perimenopause guide.

NHS menopause support is typically focused on whether or not to prescribe HRT, based on a short consultation and sometimes limited blood tests. That can be appropriate for many women, but it doesn’t always address why certain symptoms are particularly severe or persistent.

At Peach, we look at the wider picture. Menopause symptoms can be influenced by how efficiently your body clears oestrogen, the state of your gut microbiome (which plays a direct role in hormone metabolism), adrenal function, thyroid health, and nutrient status. Through comprehensive functional testing, we identify these underlying factors and create a plan that works alongside whatever treatment you may already be on - whether that’s HRT or not.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition affecting around 1 in 10 women in the UK. Symptoms often include irregular periods, weight gain, acne, and excess hair growth. Conventional treatment typically focuses on symptom management - the contraceptive pill, metformin, or topical treatments - without investigating the underlying drivers.

At Peach, we take a different approach. We use comprehensive functional testing - including the DUTCH test for hormone metabolites - to understand what’s driving your PCOS. This might be insulin resistance, adrenal dysfunction, chronic inflammation, or gut imbalances affecting oestrogen clearance. We then create a personalised plan covering nutrition, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle changes to address those root causes. Read more about the different types of PCOS and how nutrition can help in our Complete Guide to PCOS.

Yes. PMDD is a severe form of PMS that can cause debilitating mood changes, anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms in the two weeks before your period. It’s often under-recognised and poorly managed in conventional settings, with treatment usually limited to antidepressants or hormonal contraceptives.

We investigate the factors that can worsen PMDD, including how your body metabolises and clears oestrogen and progesterone (using the DUTCH test), your gut health and its role in hormone recirculation, nutrient deficiencies such as magnesium and B6, and the link between ADHD and PMDD, which is increasingly recognised in research. 

Yes, and this is something we see regularly. Skin issues that appear or worsen in your 30s and 40s are often driven by hormonal shifts - particularly oestrogen dominance, high androgens, or cortisol dysregulation. But hormones are rarely the whole story.

Your gut health plays a significant role too. An imbalanced gut microbiome can increase systemic inflammation, impair your liver’s ability to clear excess hormones, and compromise your skin barrier. That’s why we often investigate both hormone health and gut health together. By addressing the root drivers, rather than just treating the skin topically, we often see lasting improvements.

IBS is one of the most common reasons people come to us. What’s important to understand is that IBS is a label for a pattern of symptoms - bloating, pain, diarrhoea, constipation - rather than a root-cause diagnosis. It describes what’s happening, but not why.

At Peach, we investigate the potential drivers behind your symptoms. This might include bacterial imbalances or dysbiosis, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), impaired digestive function, food sensitivities, or even stress-related changes in gut motility. Using advanced stool testing like the GI 360, we can identify what’s actually going on and create a personalised protocol to address it - rather than trying to manage symptoms blindly, without a full understanding of what’s really going on.

Gut dysbiosis means an imbalance in the bacteria and other organisms living in your digestive tract. When the balance shifts - too many of certain bacteria, not enough of others, or the presence of opportunistic pathogens - it can trigger a wide range of symptoms beyond just digestive issues.

Common signs include bloating, irregular bowel habits, food sensitivities, skin breakouts, fatigue, brain fog, and mood changes. Dysbiosis can also impair how your body metabolises hormones, contributing to conditions like oestrogen dominance and PMS. We use comprehensive stool testing including the GI 360 test to map the health of your microbiome and create a targeted plan to restore balance. Learn more in our gut dysbiosis guide.

Absolutely - and this connection is one of the most important things we investigate at Peach. Your gut microbiome contains a collection of bacteria known as the oestrobolome, which plays a direct role in how your body metabolises and clears oestrogen. When gut bacteria are out of balance, oestrogen that should be eliminated can be reabsorbed back into the body, contributing to oestrogen dominance.

This can worsen symptoms of PCOS, PMS, PMDD, perimenopause, and hormonal skin issues. It’s why we often recommend both gut and hormone testing together - the two systems are deeply interconnected, and addressing one without understanding the other can mean missing a crucial piece of the picture.

The gut and brain are in constant communication through what’s known as the gut-brain axis - the vagus nerve. This pathway is bidirectional, meaning that not only can your mood affect your gut (think butterflies when you’re nervous), but the health of your gut can influence your mood and cognition. Imbalances in the gut microbiome have been found in the research to directly affect mood, anxiety, focus, and sleep - particular microbial strains are linked to mental health status and the gut is also involved in the production of our serotonin (our happy hormone). 

We often see clients who have been treated for anxiety or low mood without anyone investigating their gut health. At Peach, we look at the full picture, because gut inflammation, dysbiosis, and poor nutrient absorption can all impact mental health symptoms. The gut testing we use includes markers for inflammation and yeast, candidas and other microbes that can help identify whether your gut may be playing a role.

Yes, absolutely. If you’ve had NHS blood tests, private blood panels, or other testing done recently, please bring those results to your initial assessment. We can often extract useful insights from existing test data, though it’s worth knowing that we typically apply different reference ranges to standard blood markers, using tighter, evidence-based thresholds that reflect optimal function rather than just the absence of disease.

In many cases, we’ll also recommend supplementary functional testing to fill in gaps that standard panels don’t cover. For example, NHS blood tests don’t measure hormone metabolites, cortisol patterns across the day, or the composition of your gut microbiome - all of which can be critical for understanding chronic symptoms. Your practitioner will always be mindful of what testing is genuinely needed and will prioritise based on your symptoms, history, and budget. You can see a full overview of the markers we assess on our What we test page.

Urine tests (like the DUTCH test) and stool tests (like the GI 360) come as home collection kits with clear instructions - you simply collect your samples and return them to the lab in the packaging provided.

If blood testing is required, you’ll visit a local phlebotomist (we’ll provide details of one near you) for a blood draw. All results come back to us, and we’ll schedule a detailed review appointment to walk you through everything.

The DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) is one of the most advanced hormone assessments available. Unlike a standard blood test that measures hormone levels at a single moment, the DUTCH test uses dried urine samples collected across a full day to give a much more complete picture.

With hormones, there are three things we need to understand: the level, how your body is able to use it, and whether it's been effectively detoxified and cleared. Issues at any of these three stages can drive hormone-related symptoms - and a blood test only tells you about the first. The DUTCH test investigates all three, including whether your hormones are being broken down through protective or potentially damaging pathways.

This makes it an invaluable tool for conditions like PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis, fibroids, fertility struggles, and perimenopause - particularly if you've been told your blood hormone levels are "normal" but you still don't feel right. It's also the most effective way to monitor women on HRT, showing not just total hormone levels (which can fluctuate and be unreliable) but how your body is actually processing and using those hormones.

Beyond sex hormones, the DUTCH test also measures your 24-hour cortisol pattern (which can reveal drivers behind poor sleep, anxiety, burnout, and low energy), melatonin, and nutritional metabolites including B12, B6, and glutathione status - markers that help us build a total picture of your health. We use the DUTCH test as a core part of our approach to hormone health.

You can read more about the DUTCH test here.

The GI 360, made by Doctor’s Data, is one of the most comprehensive stool tests available for assessing gut health. What sets it apart is that it combines three different testing methods: PCR/DNA analysis to identify pathogens, bacteria, viruses, and yeasts with high precision; traditional culture to grow and identify organisms that DNA testing alone might miss; and microscopy for visual identification of parasites and other markers.

A key advantage of the GI 360 is that the culture results include antimicrobial sensitivity testing. This means we can see exactly which treatments are most likely to be effective against any pathogens found in your gut. This takes the guesswork out and is particularly valuable for complex or persistent digestive issues.

We don’t currently offer the GI-MAP test. The GI-MAP uses a single testing method (PCR/DNA analysis) to screen for pathogens and assess aspects of gut health. 

The GI 360, which we use at Peach, goes further by combining DNA analysis with culture-based testing and microscopy. This multi-method approach means fewer things are missed, and - importantly - the culture results include sensitivity testing, which shows us exactly which antimicrobials are effective against any pathogens identified.

Your practitioner will typically recommend between one and four tests depending on your symptoms and their complexity. As a guideline, the DUTCH hormone test costs £245 and the GI 360 gut test costs £340 - these are two of our most commonly used tests and both include the trade discounts we negotiate with the labs and pass on to you.

Overall testing costs usually fall between £150 and £500, though occasionally more extensive testing is recommended for complex, or chronic conditions. Your practitioner will always be mindful of budget and will prioritise the tests most likely to give you actionable insights. They'll be able to give you specific pricing for any other tests they recommend during your assessment.

This depends on what tests you have had done - turnaround time for the laboratories that we work with varies.

As a rough guide, urine tests and many of the blood tests take two weeks, other tests (such as stool tests and methylation analysis) can take up to four weeks. Once the results have been received we will be in touch to schedule the next stage.

No, we use several different independent Laboratories in the UK, USA and in Europe for our functional testing, and will analyse the results and provide you with a detailed results report of the findings and their significance.

Your journey starts with a digital questionnaire covering your health history, symptoms, diet, and lifestyle. This feeds into your initial appointment - a 75-minute session with your dedicated practitioner, where you’ll discuss your health history in detail, explore potential triggers, and set goals for working together. Your practitioner will also recommend any diagnostic testing needed to get to the root of your symptoms. It’s a thorough, unhurried process designed to make sure you feel heard and that nothing is missed.

While nutrition is a core part of what we do, Peach goes well beyond dietary advice. Our practitioners use advanced functional testing to investigate the root causes of your symptoms across multiple body systems - gut, hormones, adrenals, thyroid, methylation, and more. A standard nutritionist appointment might focus on what you eat, whereas our approach looks at why your body is responding the way it is, and uses that data to build a precise, evidence-informed plan. You can explore the full scope of our testing on our What we test page.

Absolutely. We encourage it. Functional medicine is complementary to conventional care, not a replacement for it. Many of our clients continue seeing their GP or specialist while working with us, and we will always share relevant findings and liaise with your medical team where helpful and appropriate. Our approach focuses on nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation - areas that sit alongside, and often enhance, any medical treatment you may be receiving.

Supplements are an additional cost, but we’ve negotiated trade discounts of 20–25% with our suppliers, which we pass directly on to you. As a guideline, the initial supplement protocol typically costs £100–150, then around £50 per month as you move into a maintenance phase. Your practitioner will always discuss supplement recommendations with you and can prioritise based on your budget - not everything needs to be started at once.

Great question - and it’s worth saying that Zoe are doing incredible work in raising awareness of gut health and personalised nutrition. The key differences are in depth and personalisation. Rather than running a set panel of tests, we select from over 60 functional tests to target the areas most relevant to your specific symptoms. And rather than receiving algorithmic recommendations, you work directly with a dedicated practitioner each month, who tailors your plan, monitors your progress, and adjusts as needed. If you’re looking for a deeper, more hands-on clinical approach, that’s where Peach comes in.

We can’t guarantee that your treatment at Peach will be covered - it depends on your insurer and your specific policy. Functional medicine and nutritional therapy are covered by some private health insurance providers and health cash plans, but not all. We’d recommend checking directly with your insurer before starting. We’re happy to provide any documentation they may need to process a claim.

We work with clients across the UK. All consultations are available online via video, and the majority of our functional tests are completed at home - kits are posted directly to you. If blood testing is required, we’ll connect you with a phlebotomist near your location. Our app also means you can stay in touch with your practitioner between appointments, wherever you are.

It depends on the complexity of your symptoms and how long you’ve been experiencing them. Many clients notice improvements within the first four to eight weeks - better energy, clearer digestion, improved sleep. For more complex or long-standing conditions like PCOS, chronic gut issues, or hormonal imbalances that have been building for years, meaningful root-cause work typically takes two to six months. Your practitioner will set realistic expectations from the start and will adjust your plan based on how you’re responding.

Our packages are clear, structured programmes designed to help you make meaningful progress towards your health goals. Each package is built around a specific area of health - such as the gut or hormones, and includes the relevant functional testing alongside dedicated practitioner sessions to interpret your results and build your personalised plan.

Bundling your testing and sessions into a package means you save compared to booking everything separately, and it gives you and your practitioner a clear roadmap from the start. 

We know this is an investment in your health, so we also offer the option to split the cost into three monthly payments to make it more manageable.

The Peach app is your digital companion throughout your journey with Peach and beyond. Once you've completed your initial assessment, you'll get access to the app at no additional cost (there's no subscription).

Inside the app, you'll find your test results, your personalised plan, and your practitioner's recommendations - all easy to reference whenever you need them. You can also track your progress over time, which is helpful for both you and your practitioner. Beyond your plan, the app includes helpful resources like recipes to support your nutrition goals and access to discounted supplements where relevant. And if something comes up between sessions, you can message your practitioner directly through the app rather than waiting for your next appointment.

Your clinician will design a bespoke plan to follow to help you tackle your symptoms and meet your goals.

Each plan will likely be split into phases, with each phase consisting of:

• Nutritional advice, including product recommendations

• Supplementation, including links to shop at trade rates

• Lifestyle recommendations

You will work with your clinician each month to shape and tailor this program to ensure maximum impact.