Increasing Progesterone: Natural Strategies for Hormonal Balance
Low progesterone can contribute to various health challenges and symptoms for both pre and post-menopausal women. The good news is that there are many different strategies that you can explore for increasing progesterone production naturally. Let's dive in!
What is Progesterone?
Progesterone is an essential reproductive hormone in women, produced predominantly after ovulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle. While some progesterone is produced by the adrenal glands, most of it comes from the corpus luteum, a temporary gland formed post-ovulation. Progesterone plays a crucial role in the female reproductive system and overall health.
Why is Progesterone Important?
Progesterone plays a pivotal role in the body. It enhances thyroid function, supports metabolism, and helps to balance the effects of estrogen. Additionally, it aids in sleep quality, mood regulation, anxiety reduction, and maintains healthy skin and hair. Progesterone is also vital for regular menstrual cycles, reducing inflammation, and supporting fertility and a healthy pregnancy.
Signs of Low Progesterone
When progesterone production is too low, it can throw things off balance, leading to symptoms that can affect your daily life. You might notice irregular or heavy periods, short cycles, or mid-cycle spotting.
If progesterone levels are suboptimal you might experience an uptick in anxiety in the luteal phase, or find that your hair and skin aren't as healthy as usual (acne and hair thinning are common symptoms we see in practice). Other signs include chronic fatigue, headaches that follow a cyclical pattern with your cycle, insomnia, and brain fog. We also commonly see low progesterone levels with our clients struggling to conceive and with recurrent miscarriages. Healthy progesterone levels are essential for fertility and supporting a healthy pregnancy.
What Causes Low Progesterone?
Low progesterone levels can occur for a variety of reasons and there are various root causes that can contribute to inadequate progesterone production. Some of the most common ones we see include:
Lack of ovulation (if your cycle is absent, irregular, or you're experiencing anovulatory bleeds)
Stress
Under-eating
Hypothyroidism
Over-exercising
Nutrient deficiencies
PCOS
High prolactin
Estrogen dominance
Increasing Progesterone Naturally
The good news is that there are many things you can do to support progesterone production! Understanding and addressing the root causes driving low progesterone production for you personally and supporting your body's unique needs is the most effective way to restore healthy hormone production. We always want to ask the important question why. Why are we not producing enough producing in the first place?
Below are some strategies to consider that can positively impact progesterone production that you can get started with today:
Balancing blood sugar levels: Balanced blood sugar is key for hormonal balance. Imbalanced blood sugar puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body and can lead to disruptions with ovulation. Aim to eat consistently every 3-4 hours throughout the day and focus on incorporating a balance of protein, fiber rich starchy carbs, non-starchy veggies, and healthy fats at meals consistently.
Creating outlets for stress reduction: When your body experiences stress, it secretes stress hormones like cortisol. When cortisol rises in response to stress, it blocks progesterone receptors and limits the activity of progesterone. If you're chronically under stress and your body's stress response system is in overdrive, ovarian hormone production declines which can drive decrease progesterone production.
Consider small ways that you can support safety in your body and lower stress. Helpful strategies include mindfulness, journaling, meditation, breath-work, boundaries, and leaning into more rest.
If you take just one thing away from this article today let it be this: Your body must feel safe in order to ovulate and to produce progesterone.
Ensuring adequate energy intake from food: Under-eating puts a tremendous amount of stress on the female body. When the body senses that resources are scarce, it will adapt to conserve resources. Under-eating creates a lack of safety in the body and can low progesterone or prevent ovulation from occur all together. Under-eating can be intentional, but we also see unintentional under-eating often with women in practice. Prioritize eating enough daily and taking in energy from a variety of whole foods.
Practicing good sleep hygiene: A restful night's sleep and an optimal sleep schedule is an important pillar of hormonal health. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, keep your bedroom dark and cool, and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep to support progesterone production.
Morning sunlight exposure: Greet the morning sun to support your circadian rhythm, which can enhance overall hormone function, including the cycle of progesterone.
Asses your movement routine: Exercise has a laundry list of health benefits, but it's important to remember that exercise is a stressor. We recommend aiming for a well-rounded movement routine that emphasizes low impact strength training, walking, restorative movement like yoga and stretching, and rest days. We also want to consider the context to make sure that we're sleeping well and fueling + recovering from workouts properly.
Nourishment for Increasing Progesterone
Below are foods that contain specific nutrients needed to support healthy progesterone production:
High-quality animal proteins: These provide the essential building blocks and important B vitamins for hormone production. Include more eggs, grass-fed beef, organic poultry and high quality dairy products like greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
Fatty fish and shellfish: Rich in omega-3s, these essential fatty acids support hormone synthesis and help to reduce inflammation. Shellfish contain high amounts of important minerals for supporting progesterone.
Vitamin C rich foods (bell pepper, citrus, berries, brussels): Vitamin C is needed to produce adequate progesterone.
Pumpkin seeds: Rich in zinc and magnesium, crucial for creating hormones.
Cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, brussels sprouts, arugula, cabbage): Supports healthy hormone clearance and lowers inflammation.
Oats, quinoa, and starchy root vegetables: High quality carbohydrates sources that provide energy and deep nutrition for your body. Reminder: carbs calm cortisol!
Summary
Progesterone is a vital hormone for women, influencing everything from reproductive health to emotional well-being. Identifying signs of imbalanced progesterone is crucial for taking charge of your hormonal health. The tips above are a great starting point for supporting low progesterone naturally.
If you're looking for personalized support to address hormonal imbalance, we're here to support you! We invite you to apply to work with our team of Functional Dietitians. Together, we can identify your personal root causes and tailor a plan that supports your body's natural hormone balance. Apply today and take the first step towards your hormonal health journey.