As an industry leader in pellet therapy and brain health, SottoPelle® CEO and President CarolAnn Tutera is trailblazing a new path for neuroscientific breakthroughs. But it’s really nothing new for this visionary who co-founded SottoPelle® with her late husband, Dr. Gino Tutera, 30 years ago.
“Despite my entrepreneurial roots, I never imagined entering the medical field,” she said. “Instead, it would find me.”
As pioneers bringing pellet therapy, first used in 1939, back into the mainstream with the individual dosing method and a multi-patented dosing site, they paved the way for pellet practices across America, educating over 2,000 physicians and helping thousands of patients regain their health and vitality.
An international company dedicated to training medical providers on how to use pellet therapy, SottoPelle® offers natural, effective pellet therapy for men and women.
“We set the industry gold standard of how to do pellets the correct way,” CarolAnn notes. “People trust SottoPelle®. We are truly are the industry pioneer and the reason it is practiced across America today.”
Maverick on a mission
As an award-winning business maverick who launched SottoPelle® with her husband, CarolAnn is the first woman in this industry to bring pellets to the forefront. Continuing the company’s legacy after Dr. Tutera’s untimely passing, she is recognized as a solo female medical entrepreneur succeeding in a male-dominated field.
“Dr. Tutera and I worked together for so many years to expand pellet therapy to a new level, combining our vision, passion and talent to enhance patients’ quality of life,” she said. “I knew he would want me to continue that dedication to our patients.”
Under CarolAnn’s vision and leadership, SottoPelle® has grown internationally and been named the #1 Hormone Practice in Arizona for eight consecutive years. CarolAnn’s passion is to eradicate the myths and confusion about hormones so people can enjoy better physical, mental and cognitive well-being as they age.
Round-the-clock support
The SottoPelle® Method supports body-and-brain health by maintaining proper hormonal balance through the use of bioidentical estrogen and testosterone pellets. Pellets are plant-based hormones whose molecular structure is identical to those the body produces, without adverse reactions.
About the size of a grain of rice, a pellet is slipped painlessly under the hip in an individualized dose for each patient. Pellets release a consistent 24-7 flow of bioidentical hormones to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, so the correct amount is delivered exactly when it is needed.
According to Dr. Tutera’s research, this method “is the only safe, effective approach to eliminating the root of all disease and physical dysfunction by restoring hormonal balance, stable neurotransmitter processes and normal physiology of the body. It’s the best preventative antidote in modern medicine to alleviate the devastating illnesses and often fatal diseases caused by stress.”
CarolAnn explains that Dr. Tutera wanted as many providers as possible to have this knowledge so their patients could receive the best type of natural therapy to help them age gracefully and prevent serious illnesses. With a mission to broaden the medical community’s understanding about the difference between pharmaceutical hormones and natural bio-identical hormone pellets, she wants patients to access the right kind of hormone in the right dose with the right delivery method to restore glowing health.
The hormone-brain connection
CarolAnn’s primary focus is on the vital role of hormones in brain and mental health. While most pellet providers focus solely on treating menopause and andropause, SottoPelle® had already put into practice over a decade ago what medical researchers are only now just starting to discover: the intricate role of the sex hormones in regulating brain and mental health and preventing neurodegenerative disorders.
CarolAnn has continued the work her husband started in the field of brain and mental health. Dr. Tutera began treating Parkinson’s and TBI patients including NFL football players in 2013 using pellet therapy with remarkable results. His groundbreaking innovations have helped patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Traumatic Brain Injury.
SottoPelle® remains years ahead of neuroscientists still trying to unravel the connection between hormones and women’s brain and mental health disorders. While medical researchers are scrambling to resolve the spike in dementia, Alzheimer’s, depression and cognitive disorders in women over 45, Dr. Tutera was already treating patients for these conditions many years ago.
His research showed that “hormonal imbalance contributes to 90 percent of depression and mental illnesses.” According to Dr. Tutera, at age 40, most women have lost normal levels of estrogen and nearly all their progesterone and more than half of their testosterone. By age 50, most men have lost over half of their testosterone.
“We have to end the unnecessary madness of cognitive decline, depression and neurodegenerative conditions that postmenopausal women are facing when studies have already shown how hormonal balance can make a difference,” CarolAnn said.
Noting that every March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month, she explains the importance of enhancing public awareness about the role of bioidentical hormones in the treatment and prevention of brain disorders.
“Brain and mental health are two of the most important emerging health trends,” CarolAnn said. “We have the studies on our site showing decades of research about the effectiveness of pellets and the connection between hormones, the brain and mental health. Getting these facts across to researchers who still question the role of hormones in brain health remains one of our company’s goals.”
The missing link: the 7th pillar
During Brain Awareness Week (March 11-17), CarolAnn pointed to a 2023 brain study, “The Impact of the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine on Brain Health,” noting the most critical pillar missing: hormonal balance.
While numerous studies emphasize the importance of the six pillars of brain health – nutrition, physical activity, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, restorative sleep and social connections – in preventing neurocognitive decline, CarolAnn explains that every one of these functions hinge on the hormones that control them.
“It’s like putting the cart before the horse,” she said. “My husband’s work showed how hormones regulate sleep, nutrient absorption, moods, stress, emotions and even the brain regions that manage addictive behaviors.”
Numerous studies highlight how hormones regulate the brain, which has thousands of hormone receptors controlling all the neurotransmitters for every mental, emotional and cognitive function.
“My focus for the future is on the positive impact of bioidentical hormones on brain and mental health,” she said. “We’re continuing to break new ground.”
CarolAnn hopes that the medical profession will recognize the important role hormones play in overall health and mental function as well as disease prevention and support their patients who choose bioidentical hormone pellets as part of their wellness regimen.
“The medical community is now realizing the validity of the pellet method as research demonstrates the role of hormone optimization in the prevention of illnesses and diseases,” she said. “Numerous studies now echo what Dr. Tutera discovered many years ago.”
With a company founded on this proven medical science and dedicated to wellness, CarolAnn believes pellet therapy could offer a simple solution for the epidemic of health disorders plaguing people, especially as they age.
New developments
CarolAnn has expanded the company’s wellness products created by Dr. Tutera, to include supplements and hair products. With a focus on joy and simplicity and joy, CAITERA remains committed to supporting your journey to wellness with natural approaches embracing the body, mind and spirit.
The CAITERA™ by SottoPelle® line has received celebrity endorsement from former “Real Housewives of Dallas” star Tiffany Hendra. As a wellness advocate and brand ambassador, Tiffany shares CarolAnn’s philosophy that health and beauty begin on the inside, starting with the SottoPelle® Method of hormonal balance and CAITERA™ nutraceuticals.
“Good health is happiness,” CarolAnn said. “My goal is to prevent serious illness and help people age gracefully. “This has been the heart of our work at SottoPelle®. My satisfaction comes from reading over a thousand five-star reviews, knowing how we have saved people’s lives and marriages.”
Visit www.sottopelletherapy.com for more information and a free online hormone assessment.
Always consult your physician before beginning any treatment program.
