How To Increase Low Progesterone
Let’s talk about ways to increase low progesterone and why it is typically low in the first place.
Hello, I am so thrilled to be here.
For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Michelle Cooke, Period & Hormone Naturopath, Menstrual Cycle Charting Educator (Natural Fertility Educator) & Emotion Release Technique (ERT) Practitioner. I help women struggling with their menstrual cycles, have easy, pain-free periods, balanced hormones & emotional wellbeing. I’m the Founder and Director of Reproductive Wellness. I see patients online and face-to-face.
To gain an understanding about how to increase your low progesterone, you must understand how it is made and why it is low in the first place
How is Progesterone Made?
Healthy progesterone levels can only happen if you are ovulating and it is happening well. Ovulation is the main event in the menstrual cycle. Once we ovulate an oocyte (egg) is released from the follicle. From the remnants of the ruptured follicle a corpus luteum is created. Corpus luteum (‘yellow body’ in Latin) is a temporary hormone secreting structure. This is what produces progesterone in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The phase after ovulation.
Why is my Progesterone Low?
Progesterone is made from ovulation taking place, without ovulation, progesterone levels will be low. So, then it is reasonable to assume that anything that impacts ovulation will cause decreased progesterone. Lack of ovulation is known as anovulation. It is important to remember that you can still get your period even if you haven’t ovulated. It is just the body resetting for the next menstrual cycle.
Reasons why your progesterone levels are low:
Conditions / Physical Reasons:
PCOS – polycystic ovarian syndrome
Hypothyroidism – underactive thyroid
Perimenopause – the prequel to Menopause
Menopause
Hyperprolactinaemia – high levels of prolactin
Luteal Phase Defect
Nutrient Deficiencies: Lack of essential nutrients required to make or balance hormones e.g. zinc, iron, iodine, magnesium, b vitamins.
Low Cholesterol – this is a building block required to make hormones
Undereating
Fasting
Excessive Exercise
Eating disorders
Stress
Your body doesn’t know the difference between a life endangering type of threat vs. one that is not. When you are faced with a stressful situation your body goes into ‘fight or flight mode’ to either fight or flee the situation. This is when your adrenal glands, small glands that sit above your kidneys produce cortisol to help you deal with the stressor (the thing that is causing you to feel stressed).
To produce cortisol the body needs the hormone ‘pregnenolone’, this precursor hormone is also required to make progesterone. If your body is producing cortisol on overdrive with constant exposure to long term stress, progesterone levels will plummet. Your nervous system will prioritise keeping you safe from harm or danger as a main priority and fertility is given a back seat. Which means that girly hormone production is not important at this point in time.
Fertility is more than just the ability to get pregnant. Fertility is the absolute state of menstrual wellbeing physically and emotionally for a woman.
Stress can be felt and unfelt – what I mean by that is beyond feeling emotionally, mentally stressed it is also possible to feel stress due to physical reasons in the body or environmentally from your surroundings.
These are stressors (things that cause stress):
Sleep Hygiene Issues: poor sleep quality (having trouble getting to sleep, having trouble staying asleep), going to bed too late, scrolling on your phone right before bed (produces cortisol not melatonin required for sleep).
Physical Issues: diseases or conditions, pain, inflammation, injuries
Work related: High pressure job roles, job insecurity, toxic work environments, deadlines, poor work-life balance.
School / Uni related: Deadlines with assignments, Exams, Pressure from self or others to perform to a certain standard
Environmental: Noise, pollution, bright lights, traffic congestion, fluctuating weather conditions.
Financial: Bills, Taxes, Expenses that are unexpected, Pressure of staying on top
Diet & Lifestyle Choices: high intake of caffeine, excessive alcohol, taking drugs, poor diet.
Social Issues: conflict with someone, loneliness, isolation, lack of support socially, aggressive behaviour towards you, lack of social time with loved ones
Life Events: Getting married & / or planning your wedding, moving house, birth of a baby, first entry into motherhood, starting a new job / university or school, losing your job, death of a family or friend, divorce.
Personal Behaviours: poor boundaries, perfectionist tendencies, people pleasing.
How to increase low progesterone
Stress Management Techniques:
Reduce stress by doing things like Pilates, yoga, qi gong, meditation, gentle stroll in nature, run a warm bath, breathwork (e.g. in for the count of 4 and out for the count of 4), mindfulness, anything that involves ‘being’ in the moment and not doing.
Ensure Good Sleep Hygiene:
No scrolling on devices 1-2 hours before bedtime
Get to bed between 9-11pm or earlier (1 hour is worth 2 hours during this time)
Use dim lights to wind down your body & to help melatonin production
Blue Light Blocking:
Wear blue blocking glasses if you need to be on your laptop late at night (this blocks blue light that encourages cortisol production and impacts melatonin production for sleep).
Set blue light filter on laptop & mobile phone
Eat Healthy Fats:
Ensure you are eating healthy sources of cholesterol in your diet. Cholesterol is a building block for our hormones like progesterone & oestrogen.
Foods like:
Oily fish – mackerel, sardines, salmon, herring, barramundi, ling, cod etc.
Nuts
Seeds (chia seeds, linseeds / flaxseed meal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, sesame seeds)
Avocado
Plant Oils: Hemp Seed, Chia Seed, Flaxseed Oil
Organic Butter
Organic Ghee
Give Caff the Flick:
Every time you drink a caffeinated beverage like coffee, black tea or energy drinks, cortisol is produced. Eventually overtime this reduces the cortisol that you have in the tank. Sending your energy plummeting and making it difficult for you to adapt & cope with stress.
Switch over to a non-caffeinated herbal tea of your choice or if you miss the milky comfort switch over to a non-caffeinated chai, turmeric latte, dandelion latte instead.
Don’t overdo it:
Exercise is highly beneficial for hormone balance but if you go overboard without at least a couple of rest days this can work against you and be a stress to the body > production of cortisol and then as a result progesterone production is compromised.
Eat Foods with B6:
Foods that contain vitamin B6 can be helpful for progesterone management:
Salmon
Chicken
Tofu
Pork
Beef
Sweet Potatoes
Bananas
Potatoes
Avocados
Pistachios
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