How To Boost Your Progesterone (Naturally)

Estrogen often takes the spotlight when it comes to women’s hormones, perimenopause and menopause.

But there's another hormone that’s critical to our health (and sanity!) that really needs our attention and support:

Progesterone.

It’s the steep decline in progesterone levels that kicks off challenging perimenopausal symptoms as we come into our late 30s and early 40s (and will continue into menopause if unsupported).

If you've been grappling with headaches, migraines, intense PMS, menstrual discomfort, anxiety, depression, fatigue or irregular cycles, insufficient progesterone may be the culprit.

So let's delve into some natural methods you can use support your progesterone levels.

Progesterone Versus Progestin

First, it's essential to clarify the distinction between progesterone and progestin.

When referring to progesterone, I’m talking about the hormone naturally produced by the body - the “bioidentical” kind.

In contrast, progestin is a synthetic hormone found in hormonal IUDs and combination birth control pills.

Progestin and progesterone differ significantly on a biochemical level: you may have heard warnings about progestin because it has scary side effects and can be very damaging!

Unfortunately, a lot of doctors and even researchers mistakenly use the word “progesterone” to describe progestin…

So be warned - when your physician mentions "progesterone," they're likely referring to progestin! No bueno!

The Role of Progesterone in the Body

Progesterone is primarily generated in the body post-ovulation, during your luteal phase (if you’re still cycling).

When you ovulate, an egg is released from a follicle (like a little sac of cells that hold the egg). The remaining follicle cells form the corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone.

If you get pregnant, you need progesterone to help support the pregnancy. 

Asides supporting pregnancy, progesterone serves MANY additional, vital functions:

It acts as a calming counterpart to estrogen's stimulating (sometimes crazy-making) effects, supports heart and nervous system health, and plays a pivotal role in brain function.

Progesterone in Perimenopause and Menopause

Here’s where things get tricky:

As we age, we ovulate less frequently and our bodies stop preparing us to get pregnant every month. Consequently, progesterone production declines, producing symptoms.

These hormonal fluctuations typically manifest in one's mid-thirties, leading to a sudden decrease in progesterone levels and the emergence of uncomfortable symptoms.

(Note that other factors can also prevent ovulation and reduce progesterone levels, such as hormone imbalances (e.g., endometriosis, thyroid disorders, or PCOS), lifestyle choices (e.g., excessive exercise or stress), and medical conditions (e.g., eating disorders). So if you have low progesterone, it’s important to understand why you aren’t ovulating if you wouldn’t expect to be perimenopausal.)  

Natural Ways to Increase Progesterone

1. Stress Reduction

CRUCIAL. You hate hearing this one.

I know, but please hear me out.

We women tend to be very busy in our 30s, 40s and 50s, AND this is the time when we (and our hormones) are the MOST sensitive to stress.

Here’s why:

Stress triggers the production of cortisol, which is partly taken from your precious pool progesterone.

So, when you’re stressed, your body “steals” from your progesterone supply to produce cortisol!

(Known as “the progesterone steal” by hormone experts.)

This is a BIG problem for any stressed-out woman who’s already low on progesterone…AKA perimenopausal women!

So, I’m sorry to tell you that your best progesterone support will be stress management:

Incorporating stress-reduction techniques like exercise, yoga, proper breathing (nasal and diaphragmatic) and setting boundaries(!) can be invaluable.

More “me time”, more quiet, less crazy workouts, diets, sleep disruption…all the things.

Reducing your toxic load is also important for alleviating cellular stress, which is just as important as perceived stress: plastic water bottles, soda, fast food, smoking, toxic cleaning products…and yes, alcohol.

It’s also super beneficial to cultivate meaningful relationships and hobbies - these help release of oxytocin, which helps regulate cortisol levels and indirectly supports progesterone production.

There are lots of other cool tricks to reduce cortisol and cellular stress, which I’ll cover in another post (and which I dive deep on in my new course, Better Beyond 40).

2. Adequate Fat Intake

Consuming sufficient healthy fats (fatty fish, olive oil, avocados, etc) is crucial for hormone production, especially during perimenopause.

This is because your adrenal glands are your backup hormone factories. When they aren’t busy producing cortisol (while you’re under stress), your adrenals can focus on turning cholesterol into hormones like progesterone. This can serve as a nice backup source of progesterone when you’re no longer ovulating. Adequate fat intake is required for this.

3. Essential Nutrients

Getting adequate intake of essential nutrients is vital for optimal hormone production is super important.

Key nutrients like zinc, selenium, vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin D and magnesium support various aspects of hormone balance and can be obtained through a balanced diet and careful supplementation.

Since every body has different needs, I can’t tell you how much of each YOU need. The best way to know is first test your levels through lab testing (VERY important for vitamin D). Your genetic make-up also provides hugely important insights. If you want to do an excellent DNA test - best on the market by far - you can get a DNA testing kit from my favourite company, SelfDecode.)

…And yes, I hear you: nutrition and supplements can feel overwhelming. It’s one of the biggest pieces of work I do for my clients.

And, it’s absolutely worth doing a deep dive to find out what your body really needs - personalizing your nutrition will pay you huge dividends for the rest of your life.

Please reach out if you’d like guidance.

4. Quality Sleep

Sleep is truly the BFF of your hormones. (So it’s kind of ironic that low progesterone levels disrupt sleep patterns.)

Make sure you prioritize great sleep hygeine, have a solid bedtime routine and take magnesium (at least 200mg) before bed.

Talk to me if you need help with this - it’s one of my favourite topics!

5. Bioidentical Progesterone - Pills or Cream (or both)

Bioidentical progesterone offers a natural solution for increasing progesterone levels.

Unlike synthetic progestin, bioidentical progesterone is well-tolerated and can alleviate peri/menopausal symptoms effectively.

Oral and topical versions produce different effects in the body: some women do better on pills, others prefer the cream and some do best with a little bit of both. It’s trial and error to know what you’ll like best.

(The difference is that oral pills are metabolized by the liver, which produces important, bioactive metabolites, which are breakdown products with their own important functions. The topical cream on the other hand, bypasses liver metabolism and is absorbed very efficiently.)

Bioidentical progesterone is the secret weapon that many women find helps them sleep better, feel less anxious, more calm, more patient, and keeps moods more even.

It also helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and reduce PMS when you’re still cycling.

Please consult with a healthcare professional before initiating any hormone therapy regimen.

How long will it take to increase my progesterone levels naturally?

It takes time to boost hormones, especially if you exclusively take a lifestyle-based approach (rather than taking supplemental hormones).

Unless other systems in your body, your sex hormones (and thyroid hormones, which influence sex hormones) can be very slow to come back up following a period of say, intense stress or illness, and it may take anywhere from 3 months to several years in the most extreme cases. (Mine took 1.5 years to fully bounce back after I suffered burnout in 2015.)

So please don’t worry if you don’t see results right away - it’s absolutely worth sticking with your healthy routines, and they’ll benefit you in many other ways along the way.

Keep refining and optimizing and you’ll probably find your groove.

And if you don’t, it may just be that your hormone production ‘facilities’ (ie. your ovaries) are slowing down and replacement is the best option. Testing your hormones a few months after making changes to support them can help you understand where you’re at and your next best move.

If you’d like my support and guidance along the way, please get in touch.

We’ve got this. You’ve got this!

❤️

PS - I have a new program for 35-50+ women to balance their hormones, ignite their metabolism and achieve weight loss for life called The Better Beyond 40 Formula.