Progesterone is a very important  hormone in the body. In most cases,women suffer from progesterone deficiencies without even knowing it. Progesterone is a steroid hormone secreted by the corpus luteum. Corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine gland that the female body produces after ovulation during the second half of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone literally means “promotes gestation”. It is sometimes  called the “happy hormone”.

How is progesterone made?

Progesterone is produced mainly by the ovaries. Small amounts of progesterone are also made in the adrenal glands. Steroid hormones are made of cholesterol. Cholesterol is used to make pregnenolone, also known as  the “mother of all hormones.” Pregnenolone is converted into progesterone, and it is also a precursor hormone for estrogen and testosterone.

What does progesterone do?

Progesterone prepares the endometrium for the pregnancy after ovulation. It helps the lining thicken enough to accept a fertilized egg and prevents the muscle contractions in the uterus that can cause the body to reject an egg. The progesterone levels are high at that time and women do not ovulate.

If there is no pregnancy, the corpus luteum breaks down which results in lower the progesterone levels in the body and consequently menstruation occurs. If the woman does conceive, progesterone is produced in the placenta and the levels remain elevated throughout the pregnancy.

Progesterone help decrease breast cell growth and decreases the rate of multiplication of cells. Progesterone is essential for breast cancer prevention because it promotes normal cell death in the breast.

Progesterone stimulates bone-building- osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are responsible for making new bones to replace the old ones.

Progesterone help decrease thyroid binding globulin. This  increases the activity of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone increases metabolism and utilizes the fat stored in the  estrogen  for energy production. Low progesterone levels can also lead to weight gain.

Progesterone stimulates libido because it can be turned into testosterone, which is involved in sex drive.

Progesterone blocks aldosterone, which promotes water retention and swelling by causing natural fluid loss and decreasing swelling.

Progesterone helps decrease uterine muscle contractions which cause menstrual cramps.Instead, it helps in uterine muscle relaxation.

In the brain, progesterone binds to GABA receptors. These receptors decrease anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Progesterone is also a natural anti-depressant and prevents anxiety and mood swings.

Progesterone functions:

• Maintains endometrium

• Natural diuretic

• Protects against fibrocystic breast

• Helps use fat for energy

• Promotes normal sleep patterns

• Natural anti-depressant & calms anxiety

• Prevents cyclical migraines

• Promotes normal sleep patterns

• Facilitates thyroid hormone function

• Helps normalize blood sugar levels

• Helps restore normal libido

• Stimulates new bone formation

If you want to enjoy hormonal balance, you need to have enough progesterone. Unfortunately, most women nowadays  suffer from low progesterone and this creates a huge task for women health.

How do I know that I might have low progesterone?

Check the symptoms below:
– Keep track of certain changes in your menstrual cycle: spotting, low temperature during the luteal phase and check the consistency of your mucus.
– Lab tests. The most accurate is a dried urine test. I use the DUTCH test.

Low Progesterone Symptoms

When you have low progesterone levels, you might experience different symptoms of hormonal imbalance.

Estrogen dominance

Progesterone role is to counterbalance estrogen. When estrogen levels are high progesterone is usually low.This  will cause signs of estrogen dominance and symptoms of progesterone deficiencies. To avoid estrogen dominance, you must  keep a proper  balance between your progesterone and estrogen.

Symptoms of progesterone deficiencies are:

Headaches( especially around your period), infertility, miscarriages, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, breast cysts, painful and heavy periods, bloating, water retention 
, painful and swollen breasts, anxiety, hot flashes, difficulty in sleeping and irritability.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance are:

Breast and ovarian fibroids, mood swings, cellulite, painful breast, heavy menstrual bleeding, fat around your hips and belly, weight gain, water retention, puffiness, breast tenderness, endometriosis, PMS, depression, anxiety. You can learn more about estrogen dominance here.

Estrogen dominance is also a link to breast cancer. it is therefore important to be cautious, protect yourself and balance your estrogen and progesterone levels. If you have estrogen dominance you need to work on improving your liver and gut function. This will assist your body metabolize estrogen more efficiently.

Here are some tips for helping your live metabolize estrogen:

Use milk thistle, burdock and dandelion: those herbs help improve liver functions and help cleanse the liver.

Take Calcium D-Glucarte and DIM to promote estrogen metabolism.

Calcium D- Glucarate is a β-glucuronidase inhibitor and enhances liver detoxification.This is important for estrogen excretion.

DIM contains diindolylmethane: A  phytonutrient found in cruciferous vegetables such as  radish, turnip, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, bok choy, and kale. DIM supports the activity of enzymes that improve estrogen metabolism.

Another problem you can encounter with low progesterone is menstrual problems, fertility problems and lack of ovulation.

To produce enough progesterone you need to ovulate regularly since the process  triggers the release of progesterone. If ovulation does not take place, your progesterone level will remain low.
Therefore, lack of ovulation is the primary reason behind your low progesterone level. The  estrogen helps grow the uterine lining progesterone to ensure that the lining remains there for 14 days after ovulation (the luteal phase). This is to ensure safety in case of pregnancy. If you conceive, progesterone rises. If not, progesterone levels drop again causing the shedding of the uterine lining in a process known as  menstruation.

You need to make sure that your body has all the necessary nutrients to produce progesterone:

Low levels of vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid are associated with anemia, which can cause an ovulation.

Vitamin B6 increase progesterone production and reduce blood estrogen levels, leading to improvements in PMS symptoms and  fertility.

Vitamin C assists the ovaries in the ovulation process. It can also help in raising the  progesterone levels in women. Moreover, it helps your adrenals function properly, which is important in the production of progesterone.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect sperm and egg DNA integrity. It can correct the progesterone-estrogen ratio, increase a woman’s libido and normalize her menstrual cycle.

Magnesium influences the pituitary gland, which releases FSH (follicular stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone) and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). These hormones play a role in regulating the production of estrogen and progesterone.

Zinc supports fertility. It stimulates the pituitary gland to release FSH, which triggers the production of estrogen and promote ovulation, which increase the progesterone.

L-arginine is an amino acid that helps relax and widen blood vessels and arteries thus increasing blood flow in the body. It improves the blood supply to the corpus luteum (the egg follicle that releases progesterone after ovulation), which results in improved progesterone levels.

Therefore, to keep our hormones balanced, it’s important to eat a rich diet that contains all the essential nutrients the body needs.

Chasteberry or Vitex

Studies have shown that chasteberry increases the release of LH (luteinizing hormone) from the pituitary, which raises progesterone and normalizes the second half of the menstrual cycle. It may also reduce prolactin, which suppresses the production of progesterone.
The exact cause is still unknown.However, chaste berry has been proven to help treat low progesterone in more than 60 years of clinical research, including 5 randomized trials.  In Germany, it’s an approved remedy for menstrual irregularity, PMS, and breast pain.

Stress and adrenal fatigue can also cause low levels of progesterone.

Although progesterone is mostly made in the ovaries, a small amount can be  produced in the adrenal glands. From here, it can be converted to other hormones such as cortisol – the main stress hormone.
If there’s a high demand for cortisol due to prolonged stress and the body is unable to keep up with the supply, it’ll take from cortisol’s prehormone, pregnenolone (the mother of all sex hormones). When more of pregnenolone is used to make cortisol, less of it will be available to make progesterone – causing progesterone deficiency.
When adrenal imbalance is the primary cause of your low progesterone level, you must  focus on rebuilding your adrenal foundation. Certain herbs are known for their abilities to support the kidney and adrenal functions.

Among them are:

Ashwagandha/Indian ginseng
Eleuthero/Siberian ginseng
Maca/Peruvian ginseng
American ginseng
Astragalus root
Schisandra/five flavor berry
Rhodiola Rosea
Licorice root
Extra B vitamins (B-complex)

Experiment with these wonderful herbs and supplements, and see which one works best for you.

Bio-identical Cream to Increase Progesterone.

Whether your progesterone level is low due to lack of ovulation, estrogen dominance, aging or adrenal fatigue, you can always  use natural progesterone to supplement the deficiency.
Natural progesterone is made from plant steroids. They are found in the wild yam, which is identical to that produced by a woman’s ovaries. Because it’s a bioidentical hormone, it supports the body’s progesterone level with minimum side effects.

Benefits of progesterone cream.

It can help balance the estrogen level thus  reducing the symptoms of estrogen dominance, irregular periods, PMS, infertility, PCOS, fibroids, cystic breasts, endometriosis and cancer.
It can be used as a raw material to make other hormones such as cortisol, which provides relief for adrenal fatigue.
It can even be converted into estrogen or testosterone if the body needs it.

How does one  use progesterone cream?

Progesterone cream can be applied vaginally and topically.
Vaginal creams are effective for concentrating progesterone in the vaginal area and delivering it to the uterus, which is helpful for treating fibroids, polyps, or an overgrowth of endometrial tissue. The best areas for absorption are the palms of hands, the neck, the face and the brow and the inner arms.

Because progesterone is a cyclical hormone, it’s best used during the 14-day period before menstruation. You’ll also need to monitor your reaction to it continuously so you can adjust the dose or stop taking it when necessary.
Note: Natural progesterone is NOT the synthetic version that’s commonly purchased as tablets with a prescription such as Provera. Make sure you don’t overdo because it can create sleepiness, nausea, heart palpitation and weight gain.

Lifestyle Changes to Increase Progesterone

To have balance hormones, you need to find and address the root cause of your imbalances as well as address your lifestyle. Supplements and nutrition will help. However,you also need to pay attention to your mental and emotional habits, toxicity, exercise, alcohol intake, etc.
This is within your control, and you can certainly do something about it.
I hope you find my tips helpful. If you come across any other natural supplements to increase progesterone, please share in the comments below. We’d love to learn from your experience!

In Health,

Angie

If you want to have balanced hormones start with the gut!

Check out my Restore Your Gut Program! Click on the image!