Progesterone deficiency is a common hormonal imbalance affecting women of all ages. It’s often implicated in infertility or recurrent miscarriages, but there are a number of other functions progesterone has besides its role in fertility.
Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum—the empty follicle that is left after a mature egg has been released from an ovary—following ovulation. Progesterone is essential for maintaining pregnancy (“progest” comes from “pro-gestational”). This hormone is responsible for increasing basal body temperature during the second half of your cycle, literally “warming up the oven” for a possible baby!
Progesterone is low for the first half of your cycle and starts to rise during the second two weeks, or the luteal phase, which occurs following ovulation. This is why symptoms of low progesterone typically occur or worsen during the second half of the menstrual cycle.
Besides its reproductive effects, progesterone is a neurosteroid, meaning it crosses the blood-brain barrier and affects brain function. Its metabolite, allopregnanolone, acts on GABA receptors in the brain, promoting a state of calm, reducing stress and anxiety, and enabling good sleep. Having low progesterone means you’re much more likely to feel anxious, especially right before your menses!
Symptoms of Low Progesterone
Progesterone deficiency is relatively common in our modern society, so you may be familiar with many of these symptoms! If that’s the case, it’s a good idea to consult with a naturopathic doctor or other holistic health practitioner in order to get a complete picture of what’s going on with your hormones and how to address them.
Symptoms of low progesterone:
- Anxiety
- Painful, heavy periods
- Breasts are painful or swollen before period
- Headaches or migraines associated with menses
- Worsening anxiety or mood swings a week prior to period (some presentations of PMS and PMDD)
- Trouble sleeping
*Symptoms of low progesterone overlap with estrogen dominance somewhat because low progesterone leads to a relative estrogen dominant state.*
Causes of Low Progesterone
There are a number of reasons why your progesterone levels could be low, but these are some of the most common:
Estrogen Dominance
When estrogen levels are increased, you have a relative progesterone deficiency because there isn’t enough progesterone circulating around to balance out your higher estrogen levels.
Lack of Ovulation
When you don’t ovulate, there is no corpus luteum left over to produce progesterone, so naturally your progesterone levels are not going to rise like they should during the second half of your menstrual cycle. This is commonly seen in conditions like PCOS and hypothalamic amenorrhea, and can also be due to stress, excessive exercise, eating disorders, certain nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and perimenopause.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction
Did you know that your adrenal glands are responsible for producing sex hormones too? Although they don’t produce as much estrogen and progesterone as your ovaries, they are still an important part of maintaining hormonal balance.
If you’re experiencing functional adrenal insufficiency (low adrenal function with low cortisol levels), your adrenals are burnt out and can’t produce much progesterone. Likewise, if you have functional adrenal excess (high cortisol levels), your stress hormones are disrupting your sex hormone production and metabolism, throwing off your progesterone levels.
When it comes to hormones, it’s all about balance!
Poor Ovarian Function
When your ovaries aren’t functioning like they should, we can often point to insulin resistance as the major cause.
Your ovaries are very sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations and insulin levels, and even mild insulin resistance can lead to disruptions in ovarian follicle development and ovulation. If you don’t ovulate, you’re not making nearly enough progesterone! And if you DO ovulate but your corpus luteum doesn’t secrete enough progesterone, then that’s also a sign of poor ovarian function.
In addition to insulin dysregulation, poor ovarian function can be caused by what I would refer to as “stagnation” or poor blood and lymph flow in the pelvis. Pelvic stagnation can be due to poor posture, prolonged sitting, chronic constipation, chronic inflammation, venous congestion, poor circulation, or a history of pelvic infections or pelvic surgery.
8 Ways to Increase Progesterone Levels Naturally
1. Focus on key nutrients needed for progesterone metabolism
These are the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for progesterone production:
Zinc: Zinc-rich foods include beans, nuts, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, dark chocolate, oysters, and red meat.
Magnesium: Eat foods high in magnesium, like leafy greens, almonds, avocados, bananas, and brown rice.
Vitamin C: Foods such as bell peppers, citrus, broccoli, kale, pineapple, cabbage, and tomatoes are high in vitamin C.
Vitamins B6 and B12: B6 is found in whole grains, nuts, avocados, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, salmon, and chicken. B12 is in beef, liver, fish, dairy, and eggs, but you can also find it in vegan sources like mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and tempeh.
2. Improve fiber intake to promote estrogen clearance
Since estrogen and progesterone are both involved in an intricate hormonal dance throughout your menstrual cycle, it’s important to keep estrogen levels balanced if you’re trying to support your progesterone levels.
To improve estrogen clearance from the body, focus on adequate fiber intake. This will promote regular bowel movements and ensure that metabolized estrogen is readily cleared out via the colon.
3. Regulate your blood sugar
As I discussed above, blood sugar dysregulation creates hormonal chaos by disrupting ovarian follicle development and progesterone production. Keeping your blood sugar levels stable and your cells sensitive to insulin is an important part of maintaining hormonal balance. Here are some tips to support glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity.
4. Work on stress management
Chronic stress disrupts your HPA axis, leading to a number of hormonal aberrations that throw off your progesterone levels. Maintain a daily practice that helps you manage your stress, such as meditation, yoga, hiking, laughing, or engaging in your favorite hobbies or activities.
5. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol alters hormonal metabolism, promoting estrogen excess and reduced progesterone production. Alcohol also affects the production of hormones from the brain and adrenals, even with just one drink.
6. Switch from coffee to a more adrenal-friendly alternative
Stimulants like caffeine disrupt your HPA axis, stressing out your adrenals and promoting hormonal imbalance. Consider switching to an herbal “coffee” that also assists liver function and hormone detoxification, or green tea which helps balance estrogen levels.
7. Eat a whole-foods, organic, non-GMO diet as much as possible
Processed foods are typically loaded with unhealthy ingredients and wreak havoc on your blood sugar, so focus on whole foods: vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. By eating organic, you’ll be avoiding the toxic chemicals in conventional produce that promote immune system dysregulation and hormonal imbalance. Same with avoiding GMO foods, which are loaded with hormone-disrupting chemicals like Roundup (glyphosate).
8. Improve blood flow to your pelvis by avoiding prolonged sitting and getting Maya abdominal therapy
This last recommendation helps alleviate pelvic stagnation, promoting healthy circulation and lymphatic flow to the pelvis and reproductive organs, including the ovaries which produce progesterone.
Pelvic stagnation can be addressed with a combination of movement, postural changes, herbs, and physical therapies such as Maya abdominal therapy.
Ensure that you are getting enough movement to promote healthy circulation. Hip circles and hula hooping are two great ways to open up the pelvic area.
Avoid prolonged sitting since this leads to pelvic congestion. If you sit a lot at work or at home, make sure to stand at least every 30 minutes to move and stretch. Consider getting a stand-up desk. Tip: If you’re watching TV, stretch on the floor rather than sitting on the couch!
Certain herbs, like ginger, are great at stimulating circulation to the pelvic bowl and can even help alleviate menstrual cramps.
Lastly, consider finding a practitioner who utilizes Maya abdominal therapy: a gentle external massage that helps reposition the reproductive organs, bladder, and digestive organs to optimize their function, reduce pelvic congestion, and improve hormonal balance. (FYI: I offer Maya abdominal therapy at my clinic in Boulder, CO!)
Are you working to improve your progesterone levels? Comment below with any questions!
Struggling with hormonal imbalances? I’d love to support you! I offer one-on-one virtual holistic health consultations. I also see patients in-person at Whole Systems Healthcare Boulder Clinic in Boulder, Colorado.
Disclaimer: Some of the links to herbal products in this article are affiliate links. I make a small commission off of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping to support my small business!
Photo in featured image courtesy of Brooke Cagle.
