How to Increase Progesterone Levels Naturally for Better Hormone Balance

TL;DR

• Progesterone is a crucial hormone for regulating menstrual cycles, supporting pregnancy, and balancing estrogen. Low levels can cause symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, irregular periods, and sleep disturbances.

• You can achieve a natural progesterone boost through foundational lifestyle changes, including managing stress, prioritizing 7-9 hours of quality sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in regular, moderate exercise.

• Specific nutrients are vital for progesterone production. Focus on foods rich in Vitamin B6, Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin C to provide your body with the building blocks for hormone balance.

• Chronic stress is a major enemy of progesterone, as the body will prioritize making the stress hormone cortisol over progesterone when resources are scarce.

• While diet and lifestyle are key, targeted topical products can provide additional fertility support and help regulate women's hormones without the side effects of oral supplements.

• If your symptoms are severe or you are trying to conceive, consulting a healthcare provider is an important step to rule out underlying conditions.

Feeling anxious, struggling with irregular periods, or noticing your sleep is consistently disrupted? You might be quick to blame stress or a busy schedule, but the root cause could be a dip in one of your most important women's hormones: progesterone. Progesterone is often called the "calming" hormone, and when its levels are low, your entire system can feel out of sync.

At Glow by Hormone University, we are committed to empowering you with knowledge about your body . Achieving hormone balance is not about fighting against your body, but working with it. The good news is that there are powerful, natural ways to support your body's ability to produce this vital hormone. A natural progesterone boost is achievable through strategic lifestyle and nutrition choices.

What is Progesterone and Why Does It Matter?

Progesterone is a steroid hormone produced primarily in the ovaries after ovulation. Its main jobs are to regulate your menstrual cycle and prepare the uterus for a potential pregnancy, making it essential for fertility support. Beyond reproduction, progesterone has a calming effect on the brain, helps you sleep, and balances the effects of estrogen. When progesterone and estrogen are in harmony, you feel your best. When progesterone drops, you feel the effects.

What Are the Signs of Low Progesterone?

Low progesterone can manifest in ways that disrupt your daily life. Recognizing the signs is the first step toward seeking a natural progesterone boost.

Checklist: Common Symptoms of Low Progesterone

•  Anxiety, irritability, and mood swings

•  Irregular menstrual cycles or heavy periods

•  Headaches or migraines, especially before your period

•  Difficulty sleeping or insomnia

•  Weight gain, particularly around the midsection

•  Low libido

•  Hot flashes and night sweats (common in perimenopause)

•  Challenges with fertility or early miscarriage

The Foundation: 4 Lifestyle Changes for a Natural Progesterone Boost

Before you even think about supplements, your lifestyle provides the most powerful foundation for healthy women's hormones. Your body is an interconnected system, and these four pillars are non-negotiable for achieving hormone balance.

1. Master Your Stress

Chronic stress is the number one enemy of progesterone. Your body produces both progesterone and the stress hormone cortisol from the same precursor hormone (pregnenolone). When you are constantly stressed, your body enters survival mode and prioritizes making cortisol. A process known as the "pregnenolone steal," which leaves fewer resources available to make progesterone.

How to Reduce Stress for a Natural Progesterone Boost:

• Mindfulness Practices: Dedicate 10-15 minutes daily to meditation, deep breathing exercises, or journaling.

• Gentle Movement: Activities like yoga or tai chi can lower cortisol levels.

• Soothing Rituals: A warm bath with our All-Natural Flaxseed and Lavender Pad draped over your shoulders can provide immediate physical and mental relaxation, signaling to your body that it is safe to relax .

2. Prioritize Quality Sleep

Sleep is when your body repairs and regulates its hormones. A lack of consistent, quality sleep raises cortisol levels and disrupts the entire endocrine system, further suppressing progesterone.

Pro Tip: Magnesium is a critical mineral for both sleep and hormone production. Our Super Rich Magnesium Body Lotion is a powerful tool for your evening routine. Applied topically, it delivers Zechstein magnesium directly through the skin to calm the nervous system, ease muscle tension, and promote deep, restorative sleep without any gut irritation .

3. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Both being significantly underweight and overweight can disrupt hormone balance. Adipose (fat) tissue can produce estrogen, which can lead to a state of estrogen dominance if progesterone levels are not sufficient to balance it. Maintaining a healthy weight for your body helps keep this ratio in check.

4. Can exercise boost progesterone levels?

Yes, but the key is moderation. Regular, moderate exercise like brisk walking, swimming, or cycling can help reduce stress and maintain a healthy weight, both of which support a natural progesterone boost. However, over-exercising can act as a major physical stressor, increasing cortisol and having the opposite effect.

Power Up Your Plate: Foods That Support Progesterone Production

While no food directly contains progesterone, many foods are packed with the specific nutrients your body needs to synthesize it. Focusing on these building blocks is a cornerstone of achieving a natural progesterone boost.

Beyond Diet: Targeted Support for Women's Hormones

Lifestyle and diet are your foundation. But sometimes, your body needs more targeted support to restore hormone balance, especially during times of significant fluctuation like perimenopause or when dealing with PMS.

A situation like this is where clean, science-backed topical solutions can make a significant difference. Unlike oral pills that can cause gut issues, topical creams are absorbed directly through the skin for efficient delivery  .

For PMS & Irregular Cycles: Our Period SOS Cream is specifically designed to support your body's natural rhythm. A cream that contains ingredients like Wild Yam, which is traditionally used to support natural progesterone production, and Vitex, which helps balance hormones to reduce symptoms like irritability and mood swings . Applying this cream can be a key part of your strategy for a natural progesterone boost.

For Perimenopause & Menopause: As you enter perimenopause, progesterone is often the first hormone to decline. Our Menopause SOS Cream uses a similar science-backed formulation to help manage symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings that arise from this hormonal shift .

Troubleshooting & When to See a Doctor

• How long does it take to raise progesterone naturally? With consistent lifestyle and diet changes, you may start to notice improvements in your symptoms within 2-3 cycles.

• If you have tried natural methods for several months without improvement: A situation like this means it is time to see a healthcare provider. A professional can run hormone tests to get a clear picture and rule out underlying conditions like thyroid issues or PCOS.

• If you are actively trying to conceive: Do not wait. Low progesterone can be a factor in infertility, and working with a doctor or fertility specialist is crucial for proper fertility support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Can I increase progesterone without hormones?

Yes. You can support your body's own production of progesterone through diet, stress management, and sleep. Products like our Period SOS Cream use herbal ingredients to support your body's natural processes rather than introducing synthetic hormones .

Q2. What vitamins support progesterone production?

Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Magnesium are the most important vitamins and minerals for providing your body with the building blocks it needs to make progesterone.

Q3. Which herbs increase progesterone?

Vitex (Chasteberry) is one of the most well-researched herbs for supporting progesterone levels by acting on the pituitary gland. Wild Yam is also traditionally used to support progesterone production .

Q4. Is seed cycling effective for progesterone?

Seed cycling is a popular practice where you eat specific seeds (like flax and pumpkin, then sesame and sunflower) to support hormone production in different phases of your cycle. While many women find it helpful, scientific research is still limited. A practice like this is a low-risk strategy to try as part of a broader plan.

Q5. What is the fastest way to raise progesterone?

The fastest way is through prescription progesterone (pills, suppositories, or injections) administered by a doctor. For a natural progesterone boost, consistency with diet, stress reduction, and sleep is the most effective long-term strategy.

Q6. What happens when progesterone is too high?

While less common, high progesterone can cause symptoms like drowsiness, dizziness, bloating, and mood changes. A situation like this is most often seen with hormone therapy.

Q7. Can I test my progesterone levels at home?

Yes, at-home testing kits are available that typically measure progesterone in saliva or through a blood spot test. These can be useful for tracking trends, but a blood test from your doctor's office is the gold standard for diagnosis.