Personalized Hormone Protocols w/ Dr. Tara Scott
Health 3.0 Podcast ~ March 2026
Podcast Recap
by Tracy
Dr. Doug Lucas interviews Dr. Tara Scott, the Hormone Guru. I love listening to Dr. Tara, she tells it like it is with regard to HRT in females. I’ve learned so much from her. Sadly, I feel like the health care system has failed our parents generation by not putting them on hormones. My parents live in an Independant Living Facility and many women there are frail and use walkers. I have to wonder would they be like that if they had been taking HRT their whole life? 🩶 Short on time? Scroll to the end for “Tracy’s Takeaways”.
Your body runs off hormones- estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Estrogen isn’t the enemy, it’s essential.
Estrogen helps prevent bone breakdown, while androgens like testosterone and DHEA help build bone. You need both for long-term health.
Where Testosterone Comes From
In women, testosterone doesn’t come from just one place:
~25% from the ovaries
~25% from the adrenal glands
~50% from peripheral conversion—mainly from DHEA
The Challenge for Women
There are no FDA-approved testosterone therapies for women, so treatment often relies on compounded options (creams, injections, sublinguals). This makes personalized care more important, but also complex.
Should Women Test Hormones?
Dr. Tara says that for years, women have been told they don’t need hormone testing, just treat symptoms. But that misses critical context.
Testing isn’t about diagnosis, it’s about understanding balance. You need to know your baseline also.
👉 Dr. Tara says she always has her patients get these labs:
Total testosterone
Free testosterone (most important)
DHEA / DHEA-S
SHBG
DHT
Why free testosterone matters: during perimenopause, estrogen fluctuations raise SHBG, which binds testosterone. So your total level may look “normal,” while your active (free) testosterone is actually low.
“Normal” Lab Ranges Are Shifting
Here’s something most people don’t realize and it’s shocking when I did some research into it!
Lab ranges for women’s testosterone are dropping over time.
They used to be around 16–55, and now many labs list 2–45 as normal. Crazy!
That doesn’t mean women are healthier, it reflects a population-wide decline.
So being “in range” doesn’t necessarily mean optimal. Read that again…. In ‘Normal Range’ does not necessirly mean OPTIMAL.
The Estrogen–Cancer Myth
The idea that estrogen alone causes cancer is overly simplistic.
Dr. Tara makes a great point: If that were true, pregnancy—when estrogen is highest—would carry extreme risk. It doesn’t.
Instead, risk likely involves:
Genetics and tumor suppressor function
Estrogen metabolism and detoxification
Environmental toxins and endocrine disruptors
Not All Estrogen Is Equal
Route matters:
Oral estrogen → processed through the liver, increases clotting risk
Transdermal estrogen → bypasses the liver, lower risk
Smarter Testing Options
Different tests give different insights:
Blood → baseline levels
Saliva → free (active) hormones
Urine (DUTCH) → metabolism and detox pathways
Blood spot → convenient alternative
This complexity is why many providers avoid deep hormone work, it’s nuanced and complicated. Many providers don’t have the time to learn how to prescribe, monitor, and adjust HRT for each patient.
Where DHEA Fits In
DHEA is a prohormone that converts into estrogen or testosterone as needed.
Helpful for low levels, especially with autoimmune conditions
Often a starting point before testosterone therapy
Long half-life (~36 hours), so daily dosing isn’t always necessary
One More Missing Piece: Nutrition
Hormones don’t work in isolation.
Many women simply don’t eat enough protein, which is critical for:
Hormone production
Muscle and bone health
Overall metabolic function
Bottom line: Women’s hormone health isn’t about chasing “normal” labs—it’s about understanding balance, supporting the whole system, and individualizing care.
🩶 Tracy’s Takeaways
Estrogen helps prevent bone loss; testosterone and DHEA help build bone.
Free testosterone is more important than total testosterone, especially in perimenopause
Get your labs tested! Ask for: Total and Free Testosterone, SHBG, DHEA, DHEA-S, DHT
Lab “normal” ranges have shifted downward and may not reflect optimal health
Eat more protein!