12 Ways to Increase Progesterone Naturally
Progesterone is the hormone released in the second half of your menstrual cycle after ovulation. The corpus luteum produces progesterone, which is the sac that remains once you ovulate and turns into a hormone-producing gland during the luteal phase.
Progesterone is a sex hormone released from the ovaries that is vital for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. While progesterone is crucial for healthy fertility and pregnancy, it’s still important whether you are trying to conceive or trying NOT to get pregnant.
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The word progesterone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy.
Progesterone will peak after ovulation and then either remains high if you get pregnant or will drop if you do not get pregnant. This drop in hormones will then trigger the release of your uterine lining (meaning you will get your period).
Progesterone:
makes the uterine lining sticky for egg implantation
protects the uterine lining
has anti-anxiety benefits due to it’s relationship with releaseing GABA – our natural relaxation mood chemical
has muscle relaxation effects (which may also be why if you ARE ovulating you could experience some constipation around ovulation because it’s slowing things down)
balances out estrogen levels
Certain things can impact progesterone production:
stress
nutrient deficiencies
lack of ovulation
estrogen dominance
under eating
not eating enough fat
over-exercising
high prolactin
low thyroid function
short luteal phase
menopause
Signs and symptoms of low progesterone include:
PMS
cramps
painful periods
heavy periods
cyclical headaches / migraines
irritability
anxiety
poor sleep
breast tenderness
bloating
ovarian cysts
irregular periods
infertility
1st trimester miscarriage
LEARN EXACTLY HOW TO SUPPORT HEALTHY PROGESTERONE LEVELS NATURALLY IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR!
You may be wondering: “are there ways to increase progesterone levels naturally?”
The good news is YES - there are ways to naturally support healthy progesterone levels in the body.
This important question we need to be asking is: why is my progesterone low in the first place?
This is taking a root cause approach when it comes to understanding our health and hormones. When we answer this question, we are understanding what is driving the imbalance (which is showing up as symptoms in the body).
By addressing the root cause, not simply just the symptom (or the hormone imbalance for that matter), we can find long-term, sustained healing.
As always, I’m giving away my best hormone tips here, answering your burning questions, and letting you in on the what the science says.
I’m here to help you have better periods, symptomless cycles, and optimize fertility (whether that’s now or in the future) all through simple nutrition and lifestyle shifts that feel simple, doable, and empowering (not overwhelming).
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As always, I’m giving away my best hormone tips here, answering your burning questions, and letting you in on the what the science says.
This is the kind of insider info I share with all of my 1:1 coaching clients and students in my signature course, Heal Your Period.
I’m so passionate about sharing this info with anyone on a hormone healing journey, so I’m letting you in with all the info here!
So, let’s dive in into it!
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How can I increase progesterone naturally?
12 ways to increase progesterone naturally:
1. Zinc to Increase Progesterone
Zinc is an important mineral used to help promote the reproductive system. A study found that zinc is able to increase the number of binding sites on a progesterone receptor in order to increase progesterone naturally. Good sources of zinc include meat, poultry, nuts, and seeds.
2. Vitamin B6 to Increase Progesterone
Vitamin B6 is another important water-soluble vitamin to help promote the reproductive system. B6 is a powerful vitamin for cognitive development, gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, and protein metabolism. A study found that supplementation of B6 increased progesterone levels and decreased estrogen levels.
3. Magnesium to Increase Progesterone
Magnesium is another one of the ways to increase progesterone naturally. Magnesium is a mineral that helps with muscle protein synthesis, nerve functioning, and it is a cofactor for many enzymatic reactions. A study found an inverse relationship with magnesium and estrogen, showing that as magnesium levels increased and estrogen decreased. We know that estrogen and progesterone work in opposition so when estrogen levels are low this means that there will be an increase in progesterone naturally. Good sources of magnesium include nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, and leafy greens.
4. Vitamin C to Increase Progesterone
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that can help to increase progesterone naturally. Vitamin C has many beneficial functions like improving immune function, creating scars for wound healing, and helps maintain tissue and skin integrity. A study found that vitamin C was associated with higher progesterone levels in perimenopausal women. Food sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries, broccoli, sweet potato, and red pepper.
5. Healthy Fats to Increase Progesterone
Another way to increase progesterone naturally is to consume healthy fats. Healthy fats are unsaturated which means they have at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain. They have less hydrogen bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids that contain at least 2 double bonds in the structure. Healthy fats are liquid at room temperature. It has been shown that healthy fat consumption, specifically polyunsaturated fats were associated with increased progesterone and decreased anovulation. Sources of healthy fats come from avocados, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive oil.
6. Seed Cycling to Increase Progesterone
Another method to increase progesterone naturally is seed cycling. Seed cycling is a natural method used to help women balance their hormones. The idea is that seeds contain phytoestrogens, minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats which have been shown to balance hormone levels. By consuming certain seeds in specific times during your cycle, you can help regulate and improve the balance of hormones. If you are low in progesterone, you can use seed cycling to help increase progesterone naturally back to a normal level. Seeds to consume in seed cycling are 1 Tbsp each of ground flax and pumpkin seeds in the first half of your cycle (day 1 until ovulation) and 1 Tbsp each of sunflower and sesame seeds in the second half of your cycle (ovulation until your next period).
7. Vitex to Increase Progesterone
Vitex, chaste tree, chaste berry, and monk’s pepper are all common names for vitex. It is a plant that has been originated in the Mediterranean and Western Asia as a medicinal treatment to relieve numerous symptoms as well as PMS. The medicinal component of the plant comes from the essential oils and flavonoids in it. A mechanism for why vitex is a way to increase progesterone naturally is because it can decrease prolactin which allows full development of the corpus luteum, the organ that releases progesterone, which causes progesterone levels to increase. It can also stimulate luteinizing hormone (LH), which is the brain hormone that signals to the ovaries to produce progesterone.
8. Evening Primrose Oil to Increase Progesterone
Evening primrose is a plant native to North America but it does grow in parts of Europe too. This is one of the only foods that contain optimal amounts of both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Due to this, the healthy fat composition in primrose oil is the main mechanism for how it can increase progesterone naturally. It has been found to be beneficial in managing PMS symptoms which are tied to lower progesterone. This can show that evening primrose oil can be beneficial to increase progesterone naturally.
9. Reduce Caffeine to Increase Progesterone
Caffeine is a stimulant drug that can further promote the stress response in the body. Stress is linked to progesterone imbalances, so lowering caffeine intake when we have low progesterone will cause the body to increase progesterone naturally. Caffeine also affects the way women metabolize estrogen. This is why decreasing caffeine intake is beneficial to increase progesterone naturally when the prior levels are low.
10. Manage Stress to Increase Progesterone
Managing stress is another way to increase progesterone naturally. When we are stressed we release high levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. In response to this, our body is trying to survive given threatening circumstances, so the body will pump the brakes to avoid pregnancy. This is because our body wouldn’t predict us to be healthy enough to survive a pregnancy under stressful conditions. Stress can be caused by a high paced job environment, family problems, too much exercise, and a common one is stress from the act of conceiving itself. Managing stress will decrease the amount of cortisol that we release, and therefore we will increase progesterone naturally because our bodies will understand that we are not threatened and pregnancy is safe.
11. Balance Blood Sugar to Increase Progesterone
Balancing blood sugar is very beneficial to increase progesterone naturally. This is because when blood sugar isn’t balanced then your body can become hyperglycemic or hypoglycemic during any given day. This puts stress on the body, and as mentioned, the stress on the body can decrease or increase progesterone levels. By balancing blood sugar you are allowing the body to maintain stable levels throughout the day, which will decrease stress and increase progesterone naturally back to normal.
12. Gentle Exercise to Increase Progesterone
Exercise is very important for many functions of the body but it can also increase progesterone naturally. It is important to not go overboard with intense exercise because this can actually keep your progesterone levels low. Over-exercising puts high stress on the body when you are not taking advantage of rest. Gentle exercise like going on a walk, a bike ride, or a swim at a moderate intensity would be a perfect way to move your body to increase progesterone naturally. If you can hold a conversation while completing the activity or exercise without needing to catch your breath, then this is moderate intensity. Gentle exercise will help you to maintain a comfortable body fat percentage which can affect progesterone production. As a rule of thumb, most females need at least 17% body fat to maintain a normal hormone function for a healthy and regular menstrual cycle.
*NEW*
Low Progesterone Toolkit
Key Nutrition & Lifestyle Foundations for Supporting Healthy Ovulation & Increasing Progesterone Naturally
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are many ways to increase progesterone naturally.
While we chatted through lots of different options, remember that every body is unique and it’s about determine what works best for your body.
The main foundations when it comes to increasing progesterone naturally is focusing on blood sugar balance, eating enough for your body, and including important hormone supportive nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium, and B vitamins (to name a few).
Remember: simple shifts build to make a big impact over time!
Healthy progesterone levels are possible for you.
-Krista
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Krista King, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP
If you’re looking for individualized support for period problems, PCOS, endometriosis, stopping birth control, and/or fertility I’m your person! I have select spaces each month for:
Krista is an integrative dietitian helping you have regular, pain-free periods, symptomless cycles, and optimal fertility! Together we cover: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, cycle tracking, supplements, navigating doctor appointments, and lab testing.
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