10 Ways to Lower Prolactin Naturally
Prolactin is a hormone released from the pituitary gland, and its function is to promote milk production in the breast so the mother can nurse the baby.
A way to remember prolactin is that ‘pro’ meaning to produce, and ‘lactin’ meaning lactation or milk.
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Prolactin production is restricted by dopamine, a hormone released from the hypothalamus, so dopamine release will decrease prolactin secretion.
Prolactin levels should be high during late pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Though, it is possible for prolactin levels to be high when you are not pregnant or breastfeeding, which can cause some complications.
Times you could see high prolactin levels outside of breastfeeding and pregnancy are with infertility, PCOS, and/or irregular periods.
Prolactin interferes with ovulation, and no ovulation means no period which explains the irregular cycles and infertility.
LEARN EXACTLY HOW TO SUPPORT HEALTHY ovulation NATURALLY IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR!
Some factors can raise prolactin levels slightly:
stress
exercise
eating
sex
mild thyroid disease
alcohol
luteal phase
Others can raise it more dramatically:
thyroid disease
kidney or liver disease
certain medications
a prolactinoma
hormonal birth control
alcohol
Very high prolactin levels can be due to a prolactinoma.
It’s important to discuss your high prolactin levels with your doctor to determine your root causes and if you have a prolactinoma, which may require medication.
You may be wondering: “are there any ways to lower prolactin levels naturally?”
The good news is YES - there are natural ways to support healthy prolactin levels.
This important question we need to be asking is: why is my prolactin high 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.
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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1. Balance Blood Sugar
Balancing blood sugar is a good way to lower prolactin naturally. Studies have found that glucose insensitivity causes high prolactin levels due to higher fatty acid levels, decreased insulin receptors, or complications with insulin binding. This can show that by balancing blood sugar, you can lower prolactin naturally.
Source: 12841542
2. Vitex
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 lower prolactin naturally is because of the dopaminergic effects. In addition, vitex has been shown to inhibit prolactin secretion, which helps to decrease PMS symptoms. Vitex does not work well to lower prolactin naturally if luteinizing hormone (LH) is high (which can be seen in some caes of PCOS). LH is another reproductive hormone that is also released from the pituitary.
3. Remove Beer & Barley
Another way to lower prolactin naturally is to remove beer and barley from your lifestyle. Both beer and barley are high in gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley products. Gluten may exacerbate the high prolactin levels if you’re slightly gluten-sensitive because gluten can cause inflammation in the intestines and further the internal stress response. Additionally, it has been evaluated that alcohol in general is a factor that increases prolactin levels. This is shown in a study where participants drank .5g/kg body weight of alcohol and the results expressed a rise in prolactin levels. This effect can be due to the acute changes in dopamine levels in the hypothalamus.
4. Mindful Movement
Mindful movement is any exercise where you are listening to your body and paying attention to the movement. Mindful movement encourages you to listen to what exercise your body wants to do, instead of forcing your body to do something just because you think it’s the norm for working out. The idea is to really engage with your mind and body while avoiding any thoughts that may come in your mind to distract you. This type of exercise is beneficial to lower prolactin naturally because it is a form of eliminating stress, which we know will help to lower prolactin naturally too.
Source: 28345362
5. Manage Stress
Managing stress can be another way to lower prolactin 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 attempt to combat the stress by initiating many other body functions. In this case, it has been shown the high levels of prolactin are released to try and gain homeostasis under high stress situations. The immune system slows down in response to stress, but prolactin has regulatory effects to help improve the immune system. Additionally, a study found that females who were exposed to childhood trauma, are more likely to have high prolactin in later life. Ways to manage stress include, getting more sleep at night, eating meals more frequently, meditation, mindful movement, and gentle exercise.
6. Avoid Undereating
Another way to lower prolactin naturally is to avoid undereating. This is beneficial because undreating can cause stress on the body due to unbalanced blood sugar and increased cortisol. A study showed that women who were eating a negative energy balance had increased prolactin levels. This shows that if you avoid undereating, you can lower prolactin naturally.
Source: 6856617
7. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin that can actually lower prolactin naturally. Vitamin B6 has a mechanism that will inhibit the prolactin production by increasing the dopaminergic effect in the hypothalamus because we know that dopamine and prolactin oppose eachother.
8. Rule Out Pituitary Tumor
It is important to make sure you do not have a pituitary tumor to lower prolactin naturally. Prolactinoma is when a noncancerous tumor forms on the pituitary gland in the brain and it causes high production of prolactin. Symptoms that come with prolactinoma are vaginal dryness, irregular periods, discharge from nipples, and low sex drive. You can avoid a lot of confusion by ruling out if you have a pituitary tumor. Diagnosis is done by an MRI through your doctor and will need medication to manage it. The tumor can be removed and this will help to lower prolactin naturally.
Source: NIDDK
9. Check Kidney or Liver Levels
Checking kidney levels can help to lower prolactin naturally. Prolactin levels are elevated in those with chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease is signaled by the poor functioning of the kidneys which help to detoxify the blood. Those who have kidney disease can be at risk for cardiovascular disease, and high prolactin levels can accelerate this process. Prolactin levels tend to rise in patients with kidney disease mainly through the medications taken to regulate the disease. A study showed that most of the patients with high prolactin were taking medications to make the levels higher, so regulating the medications can help to lower prolactin naturally.
The same goes for the liver. The liver is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, and it secretes bile. It has been found that patients with liver disease have increased prolactin levels. Alcohol abuse is one of the main causes of liver disease, and a correlation could be that the effect can be due to the acute changes in dopamine levels in the hypothalamus. By checking your liver, you can possibly lower prolactin naturally.
Source: 26958514
10. Check Your Thyroid
Lastly, checking your thyroid can help to lower prolactin naturally. Many studies have shown that females with high prolactin may have a form of thyroid disease. In this case, a thyroid disease limits the number of thyroid hormones produced. This low production of the thyroid hormones can be what causes high prolactin levels. The reason for this is because there can be structural changes in the follicles of the thyroid which result in high production of prolactin, therefore, can inhibit the action of other sex hormones causing infertility. Additionally, the study found that by supplementing the thyroid hormones, prolactin levels restored to normal. This is why checking your thyroid can help to lower prolactin naturally.
Source: 24024022
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are natural ways to lower prolactin levels.
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 lowering prolactin naturally is focusing on blood sugar balance, reducing stress, and possibly incorporating vitex or vitamin B6. It’s important to determine why your prolactin is high to see if medication is indicated for you.
Remember: simple shifts build to make a big impact over time!
It’s possible to incorporate shifts to lower prolactin levels naturally.
-Krista
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KRISTA KING, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP
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