Does your Progesterone need a bit of a boost?
You may be familiar with the potential symptoms of low progesterone - mood swings, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, low libido, short menstrual cycles, breakthrough bleeding, headaches, spotting, cramping pain and PMS.
All of these symptoms could be a sign of low progesterone, which can dramatically affect fertility. If you’re working on boosting fertility or want to resolve symptoms associated with PMS, you’ll first want to address low progesterone.
What is progesterone?
Progesterone is the female sex hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy. Progesterone is the main hormone of the luteal phase which begins following ovulation (around day 14 of your cycle). The drop in progesterone (and estrogen) at the end of your luteal phase triggers the beginning of your menstrual cycle
But what does progesterone do?
Progesterone's job is to maintain the lining of the uterus which makes it possible for a fertilised egg to implant if you're trying to get pregnant. It also helps maintain healthy cervical mucus which provides nourishment and safe travels for sperm as it moves towards the egg.
Progesterone stays high throughout a pregnancy as well, which helps to ensure survival and overall health of the baby.
What can cause progesterone deficiency?
Progesterone deficiency can be caused by: failure to ovulate and ovulation disorders, abnormal follicle development, luteal phase defects, thyroid issues or even high-stress levels. Conditions commonly associated with a lack of progesterone include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), hypothalamic amenorrhea, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and hyperprolactinaemia.
If ovulation does not occur, less progesterone is produced which means the underlying conditions must be addressed before ovulation and progesterone production can resume. An inadequate luteal phase or ‘luteal phase defect’ is when the lining of the uterus does not thicken properly each month. This can occur when the ovaries do not release enough progesterone or the lining of the uterus doesn’t respond properly to progesterone, resulting in a shortened luteal phase of around 10 days, and may result in spotting, miscarriage or difficulty conceiving. The optimal luteal phase is 14 days.
Why is progesterone so important for fertility?
Well, first off … libido! Arguably the best and most important part of fertility. Progesterone is what increases your libido (sex drive) around ovulation.
If babies aren’t in the picture, I hope you’ll consider correcting low progesterone anyway. Because the symptoms can be horrible to put up with daily and affect overall hormone regulation. Low progesterone also may be a sign estrogen excess, which has its own set of health issues.
Reasons you may have low progesterone:
Stress
Hypothyroidism
Luteal phase defects
PCOS
Age (Progesterone decreases after age 35)
Elevated prolactin
Estrogen dominance
Symptoms of low progesterone:
Anxiety, mood changes or irritability
Insomnia or sleep disturbances
Spotting or short menstrual cycles
Mid-cycle spotting
Headaches
Weight gain
Breast tenderness or enlarged breasts
How to increase progesterone
There are plenty of natural ways and foods to increase natural progesterone! For some women, using natural therapies alone will help them eliminate unwanted symptoms and increase progesterone. For other women, they may need additional support.
Stress management
As I mentioned above, chronic stress impacts progesterone levels as stress increases the secretion of cortisol and adrenaline at the expense of sex hormones like progesterone. Find a stress management practice that works for you, whether it’s deep breathing, mindfulness, or just walking the dog. Your health and your fertility depends on it!
Progesterone foods – Eat healthy fats!
Cholesterol is necessary for the synthesis of pregnenolone (the “mama” hormone), which in turn makes progesterone. Cholesterol is also necessary for the production of thyroid hormone!
Fat will also help to balance blood sugar. Insulin sensitivity or blood sugar imbalance has deleterious effects on your hormones. Studies suggest that improving insulin sensitivity can dramatically increase progesterone levels in those with luteal phase defects.
Fatty fish, plant-derived fats like coconut oil, olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, and avocado are all good progesterone food choices. Women wanting to improve their hormones should eat at least 2 tablespoons of healthy fats at every meal to support natural hormone balance.
Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste tree berry)
The wonderful herb Vitex raises progesterone by stimulating the secretion of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) from the brain, which then stimulates ovaries to produce progesterone. Vitex has also been shown to reduce prolactin secretion while raising progesterone levels.
Green tea
Green tea helps with estrogen metabolism, which is critical when dealing with estrogen dominance and lowered estrogen levels are associated with fewer incidences of cancer, especially breast cancer. In one study, Japanese women who drank green tea daily had up to 40% urinary estrogen levels as compared to women who drank green tea only once per week.
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that helps to balance cortisol output, which indirectly supports healthy progesterone production.
Zinc
Zinc increases follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which supports healthy ovulation, which triggers the ovaries to produce progesterone.
Get plenty of zinc-rich foods like oysters, herring, beef, lamb, pork, liver, egg yolks, oats, pecans, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, ginger root, mustard, chilli powder, peas, carrots, beets, and cabbage.
If you are supplementing with zinc, always be sure to balance with copper!
Vitamin B6
B6 is involved in estrogen metabolism and can easily become depleted if estrogen dominance is a problem. Vitamin B6 possesses “progesterone-like effects” and has been shown to reduce estrogen while increasing progesterone levels.
B6-rich foods include: liver and other organ meats, fish, poultry, egg yolk, dried beans, peanuts, walnuts, banana, prunes, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, and avocado.
Vitamin C
Antioxidants like vitamin C may increase and intensify the effects of progesterone. Vitamin C has also been shown to raise progesterone levels and resolve luteal phase defects, resulting in improved fertility.
I often recommend 1,000 mg daily of vitamin C to my patients because it raises progesterone. Or, you can try these high-vitamin C foods: Citrus fruits, strawberries, mango, papaya, watermelon, tomatoes, broccoli. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and spinach.
As I explained above, there are often underlying root causes that are behind progesterone issues. Getting to the bottom of what is causing low progesterone and fixing them is the best way for you to get amazing hormones.
Am I ovulating?
Testing progesterone - day 21
Testing progesterone levels with a blood test is one of the most definitive ways to assess whether you are ovulating or not. Progesterone levels should be peaking one week past ovulation (which is usually one week before your period is due). This is easy to pinpoint if you have a regular 28-day cycle, but less easy if it is irregular. This test is often called the Day 21 progesterone test but is actually only done on day 21 if you have a 28-day cycle. To calculate when to have your ‘Day 21’ test, count back seven days from when your period is due and ask a GP or Naturopath to test then. For example, if you have a regular 33-day cycle, you would ask your doctor to test progesterone on day-26. While a test result over 5 nmol/L indicates that you ovulated, your progesterone would ideally be over 30 nmol/L at this time.
Basal body temperature charting
Charting your basal body temperature can help to pinpoint ovulation and also gives information about what your hormones may be doing at different times during your cycle. Taking your basal body temperature requires you to take your temperature daily as soon as you wake up. This method relies on taking your temperature when you are rested and have had at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep. Your temperature must be taken at the same time each morning before you get up, roll over or start chatting. This can make it hard for mama’s with small children.
You should notice that the temperatures are around 36.3 degrees and rises to around 37 degrees in the second half of your cycle. The day that your temperature dips before they rise is usually when you have ovulated. To know you have ovulated, you must have recorded three consecutive temperatures that are at least 0.1 degrees higher than the previous six readings. This method is great for letting you know that you have already ovulated but doesn’t predict in advance when ovulation will occur, making it less useful for timing conception or contraception.
THINK YOU MIGHT NEED MORE SUPPORT?
If you think you could benefit from some guidance in working to balance your hormones, improving your fertility, dealing with infertility, PCOS or whatever symptoms you're experiencing that you think may be hormone-related, I'd love to work with you.
