Some of progesterone’s main functions include:
-Progesterone allows the thyroid glands to secrete its hormones and the thyroid hormone is needed to produce progesterone.
-Progesterone has a soothing effect on cells and is known to protect nerves.
-The brain has high concentrations of progesterone, but production tends to decline through the aging process.
-Progesterone’s anti-estrogen effect has been successfully used to treat uterine and breast cancers.
Eight science-backed ways to boost progesterone:
Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry)
Chasteberry, also known as Vitex has been shown to increase progesterone. For centuries, Chasteberry has been used to treat many hormone-related gynecologic conditions. Records of its use go back to the 1st century when it was used to stimulate menstrual cycles in women.
Vitex may work by lowering the concentration of prolactin. High prolactin is linked to irregular periods and disrupted progesterone production. Prolonged use of Vitex has been shown to improve progesterone levels and promote regular menstrual cycles. Vitex starts to produce effects after just one to two months of continuous use.
Many women benefit from taking the herb in the morning because that’s when it can affect hormones the most, but if you are pregnant or if you are already on hormone replacement treatment, it is not advised.
Red light therapy
Red light therapy (RLT) is a treatment that uses low wavelength red light to reportedly lower stress, improve your skin’s appearance, and reduce aging.
A recent study by Joov looked at how red light therapy affected women.
“Women: Progesterone levels increased in post-menopausal and pre-menopausal women in both groups…The preliminary results suggest the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex increased endogenous production of DHEA & progesterone resultant of PBM offering energetic, regulatory support to the adrenal mitochondria.”
Natural pregnenolone
Pregnenolone is a naturally occurring hormone that starts to diminish during the aging process. Replenishing pregnenolone with bioidentical pregnenolone may help with achieving healthy progesterone levels. Pregnenolone is the material the body uses to form progesterone. Progesterone and pregnenolone are the body’s natural protective substances, they both have anti-aging and anti-stress properties.
Progesterone is a hormone involved with brain health, stress, metabolism, and aging. It is also a precursor to all other steroid hormones.
Natural progesterone is often derived from plant sources, such as soy and yams. However, by the time the soy or wild yam becomes progesterone, it has no resemblance to the original plant. A substance called diosgenin is extracted from soy or yams and then modified to make progesterone. There is no soy left behind after the plant has been transformed and it exactly matches the progesterone produced in your body.
The basic procedure of using progesterone is to use it in sufficient quantity to make the symptoms of progesterone deficiency disappear.
Nutrient-dense diet
A nutrient-dense diet is key to adequate progesterone levels because the basis of all sex hormones is cholesterol. Fat-soluble vitamins can be helpful to achieve healthy cholesterol levels. If cholesterol is too high If you have high cholesterol, it may be because your body is not converting it into these hormones
Vitamin A is involved in converting cholesterol into sex hormones – estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, etc. Having adequate liver and vitamin A in the diet assists in the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, – the base hormone responsible for the production of progesterone and other steroid hormones. Grassfed liver, high-quality dairy, sardines, and bone broth are great nutrient-dense food options.
White Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
White peony is commonly used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for gynecologic conditions. It is generally used for infertility associated with PCOS, hyperprolactinemia, endometriosis, ovarian failure, and androgen excess.
Paeonia has been shown to positively influence low progesterone, reduce elevated androgens (testosterone), and modulate estrogen and prolactin. In vitro, the active constituent paeoniflorin has been shown to affect the ovarian follicle by its action on the aromatase enzyme.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C can be helpful for women, particularly if progesterone is low.
When women with low progesterone take 750 mg of vitamin C per day, 77% of those women saw an increased level of progesterone, leading to an increased rate of pregnancy (25%) vs. 11% of women in the study with no treatment resulting in pregnancy.
In the study, 53% of women with luteal phase defect experienced a lengthening of their luteal phase (and those trying to conceive became pregnant) versus 22% of women without vitamin C supplementation found that their luteal phase was longer.
Vitamin C from food or food-based vitamin C can be beneficial.
Magnesium
Magnesium is also used in the production of all steroid hormones, including progesterone. Magnesium is an essential ingredient for both cortisol and progesterone production. Magnesium plays a very important role in hormone regulation because it helps regulate the pituitary gland which produces FSH, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), which lead to the production of estrogen and progesterone.
It’s no surprise that in one study, magnesium has been shown to be a helpful solution for PMS symptoms as well.
Hormones regulate every function of your body — sleep, metabolism, sexual function, mood, and how your body gets energy from the foods that you eat, just to name a few. When hormones are off, you might feel off. Check out www.momenthealth.co to meet with a doctor and start balancing your hormones.
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