Can you naturally increase progesterone? For a healthy pregnancy, high amounts of progesterone are essential. The hormone offers immense support to the female body in preparing uterine conditions that will nourish the fetus well.
In this article, we’ll discuss ways to naturally increase progesterone levels without medication. Let’s begin with a basic understanding of the processes that progesterone is involved in during pregnancy.
What is Progesterone?
Progesterone is a female sex hormone produced after ovulation. It has an essential role in regulating menstruation and supporting pregnancy. The other important female sex hormone is estrogen.
During the first half of your menstrual cycle, estrogen thickens the lining of the uterus/womb. This is the lining that sheds and comes out as blood during menstruation. It is then the role of progesterone to stabilize a thickened lining for the next cycle, in preparation to receive and protect a fertilized egg.
The level of progesterone varies during your menstrual cycle. It is initially low and increases after the egg is released from your ovary. Progesterone levels will continue to grow if you get pregnant as your body prepares to support a developing baby. If you do not become pregnant, your progesterone levels will fall and your period will begin.
Progesterone plays an integral role in the early stages of pregnancy. It also helps to maintain a healthy uterine environment in which an implanted embryo can grow. Clearly, progesterone is central to the female reproductive system.
So what happens when progesterone drops low? Does it impact your health? What steps can you take to bring progesterone levels to the baseline again? We answer your questions on hormonal health and also tell you ways to naturally increase progesterone. Read on!
How to Track Progesterone?
A blood test at a lab is the most common way to check your progesterone levels. But, technology like Inito can tell you when you ovulate by monitoring the rise in progesterone (PdG) levels in your body. Remember that an increase in progesterone levels indicates that you have ovulated.
Inito is the only ovulation test that measures estrogen, progesterone (PdG), and LH levels. It forecasts fertile days and helps confirm ovulation. Traditional ovulation tests can help predict ovulation but do not really confirm it.
Also, unlike lab testing, Inito allows you to assess your hormones at home, saving you a visit to the doctor’s office.
Here is a chart of the normal range of progesterone levels for an adult female before and during pregnancy.
Before ovulation < 0.89 ng/mL
During ovulation ≤ 12 ng/mL
After ovulation 1.8 – 24 ng/mL
1st trimester 11 – 44 ng/mL
2nd trimester 25 – 83 ng/mL
3rd trimester 58 – 214 ng/mL
Why Do You Need a Progesterone Test?
- Having trouble conceiving
- To check the health of your pregnancy
- To assess and prevent pregnancy complications like a miscarriage
What Are The Symptoms of Low Progesterone?
Low progesterone levels can affect your body in different ways. Your body might be unable to support the complex processes that occur during your period and pregnancy. During pregnancy, progesterone stimulates the growth of maternal breast tissue and strengthens the pelvic wall muscles in preparation for labor.
The signs and symptoms of low progesterone vary based on whether you are pregnant or not.
If you are not pregnant, the symptoms are:
- Low sexual desire
- Hot flashes
- Headaches
- Depression, anxiety, or other mood changes
- Missed or late periods
If you are pregnant, the symptoms are:
- Cramping or spotting
- Frequent low blood sugar
- Breast tenderness
- Constant fatigue
- Vaginal dryness
If you’re pregnant, you’ll need progesterone to keep your uterus functioning until you give birth. It might become difficult to carry the baby to term if your progesterone levels are too low.
A simple blood test or PdG test can help you determine if your progesterone levels are low. This will also confirm if you’re ovulating regularly and determine why you’re having difficulty conceiving.
What Are The Causes of Low Progesterone?
There are several reasons why you can be experiencing low progesterone symptoms. Some of the most prevalent causes are as follows:
- Age: The most common cause of low progesterone is ageing. Your ovaries stop releasing estrogen and progesterone as you become older. This causes a hormonal imbalance, and your progesterone levels start to decline.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): This is a hormonal disorder. It causes irregular menstrual cycles, missed periods, and unpredictable or no ovulation.Your hormonal levels are erratic resulting in irregular cycles and low progesterone levels.
- Anovulatory Cycles: No ovulation is also known as anovulation. Since no egg is released, there isn’t an empty follicle (the corpus luteum) left behind to produce progesterone.
- Luteal Phase Defect: The second half of your menstrual cycle is the luteal phase. It is the phase after ovulation but before a period. During this phase, your progesterone levels are usually high. A luteal phase defect is when there are low progesterone levels. This leads to improper development of the uterine lining and interferes in implantation. There is no known reason for what causes a luteal phase defect. Doctors believe it could be caused by poor progesterone secretion by the ovary, or an issue with the development of the uterine lining.
- Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland is underactive. It does not produce enough T3 and T4 hormones that regulate your endocrine system. Low levels of these hormones may lead to inadequate levels of progesterone in your body.
- Abnormal body weight: A low or high body fat percentage might have an effect on progesterone levels. Women need a particular amount of body fat to have a regular menstrual cycle and ovulation. If your body fat percentage is too low, you may not ovulate, which means you will have insufficient progesterone. High-fat levels can result in estrogen overproduction because fat cells make estrogen. Excess estrogen can lead to insufficient progesterone.
- Chronic Stress: Stress can cause increased cortisol levels in your body. This can lead to skipped or missed periods and low progesterone levels in your body. In further paragraphs, we explain how these processes are related.
How to naturally increase progesterone levels in your body
Hormonal imbalances can cause several unpleasant outcomes, as we saw above. Hence, it’s favorable to have healthy and high progesterone levels.
There are various artificial methods, supplements and pills to increase progesterone levels. Your doctor may prescribe progesterone pills that are used as suppositories, vaginal gel or vaginal tablets. Synthetic progesterone (progestins) and intramuscular injections are also available. However, studies have shown that progestins are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer. Hence, natural ways of increasing progesterone levels are preferred.
Here are some simple ways to naturally increase progesterone levels. They fall under two major categories: diet and lifestyle.
Foods to naturally increase progesterone
Though no foods contain progesterone, consuming a diet rich in certain minerals and nutrients can give your body the environment it needs to naturally increase progesterone.
1. Zinc-rich foods
Zinc is one of the most important minerals for your immune system and skin. It helps your pituitary gland to produce follicle-stimulating hormones and encourage ovulation. It also stimulates your ovaries to naturally increase progesterone levels. You must consume zinc-containing foods regularly since your body does not store them for later use.
Sources of Zinc: Red meat, beef, lamb, liver, shellfish, legumes, cashew nuts, eggs, and whole grains.
2. Magnesium-rich foods
Like zinc, magnesium is an essential element that aids in the regulation of your pituitary gland. It helps in ovulation and the maintenance of your progesterone levels.A high magnesium level in the body lowers levels of estrogen. Estrogen and progesterone work in opposition. So, when estrogen levels are low, it naturally increases progesterone in your body.
Sources of Magnesium: Leafy greens, nuts, fish, whole grain cereals, black beans, lentils, and other legumes.
3. Omega 3 And Omega 6 rich foods
Consumption of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will naturally increase your progesterone levels. They also keep your hormone level high enough for fertilization. These vital acids are required during the ovulation phase. They increase blood flow to your uterus and help the follicle to release the egg.
Sources of Omega and Omega 6: Fish like sardine, salmon, and mackerel, vegetable oils, pumpkin seeds nuts, flax seeds, walnuts, and leafy vegetables.
4. Vitamin C
Studies have shown that vitamin C can naturally increase progesterone levels. It can also correct luteal phase issues that can cause a miscarriage. Consuming 750 mg of vitamin C each day for three menstrual cycles might increase progesterone levels by 8-12 ng/mL. Right before ovulation, Vitamin C is absorbed in large amounts and it stimulates the production of progesterone.
Sources of Vitamin C: Kiwi, strawberries, lemon, oranges, papaya, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers.
5. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, may be a valuable supplement if you are looking to naturally increase progesterone levels. It keeps your body’s hormones regulated. According to research, consuming 200-800 mg of Vitamin B6 per day can increase progesterone and lower estrogen levels to reduce PMS symptoms.
Other research suggests that vitamin B6 has the potential to improve fertility by up to 120% while reducing miscarriage rates by 50%.
Sources of Vitamin B6: Whole grains, lean meat, salmon, tuna, seafood, beef, beans, sweet potatoes, fortified cereals, and bananas.
Lifestyle changes to naturally increase progesterone
Apart from your diet, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to naturally increase your progesterone levels. Here are some other ways to bring your hormones back into balance.
1. Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight or obese can lead to the production of excess estrogen in your body. This can create an imbalance in your progesterone levels. Maintaining a healthy weight has no direct effect on progesterone levels. But, it does help to maintain normal estrogen levels, which helps to maintain a balance of progesterone levels.
2. Reduce stress
Excessive stress can cause an increase in the production of stress hormones. This can cause your kidneys to convert hormones like progesterone to cortisol. When cortisol rises, it blocks progesterone receptors, lowering progesterone function.
Due to this physiological response, even if you have adequate progesterone in your body, you may experience low progesterone symptoms. Thus, find a way to manage your stress. Indulge in relaxing activities like meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, etc.
3. Avoid over-exercising
Exercise is good for your health. But overdoing it may lead to unbalanced cortisol levels that will decrease progesterone levels. Normal to moderate physical exercise can help in stress reduction and weight management. Over-exercising might cause your body to release stress hormones instead of progesterone. By exercising too much, the fat cells in your body may also reduce causing an imbalance in estrogen and progesterone levels. So, make sure to not push yourself beyond limits and take plenty of rest days in between.
Summary
- Progesterone is an important hormone required for a healthy pregnancy. It provides nourishment to your fetus as it grows.
- Progesterone or PdG tests help check the progesterone levels in your body and can detect other pregnancy complications like a miscarriage.
- Some of these tests include a home fertility monitor, such as Inito. It is designed to monitor your hormone levels at your convenience.
- No foods contain progesterone. But consumption of some nutrients and vitamins can help your body to naturally increase progesterone levels.
- Stress can trigger your endocrine gland, resulting in an imbalance of progesterone and other hormones.
- Maintaining a healthy weight and doing the right amount of exercise keeps your progesterone levels balanced.
