Low Progesterone – What It Means for Your Health and How to Naturally Boost It

When it comes to hormonal health, progesterone is a crucial yet often overlooked hormone. It plays a key role in regulating your menstrual cycle, fertility, and even your mood. If you’ve been struggling with irregular periods, difficulty getting pregnant, or mood swings, low progesterone could be a contributing factor.

For women navigating preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum, progesterone is especially important. During pregnancy, progesterone helps to support implantation, maintain a healthy pregnancy, and regulate other hormones in the body. In the postpartum period, maintaining proper progesterone levels supports hormonal balance as your body recovers.

In this post, we’ll dive into what low progesterone is, how it affects your body, and actionable strategies to boost your progesterone naturally through diet, lifestyle changes, and holistic support.

What is Progesterone and Why Does It Matter?

Progesterone is a vital hormone that is produced by the corpus luteum in the ovaries after ovulation. It plays a key role in:

• Regulating the menstrual cycle

• Supporting pregnancy by preparing the uterine lining for implantation and maintaining pregnancy

• Balancing estrogen levels to prevent estrogen dominance

• Supporting mood and mental health

• Preventing miscarriage in early pregnancy

When progesterone levels are too low, it can lead to issues like irregular periods, trouble conceiving, miscarriage, or PMS-like symptoms. For women who are pregnant, low progesterone can put the pregnancy at risk, leading to increased chances of miscarriage or preterm labor.

Causes of Low Progesterone

There are several factors that can lead to low progesterone levels, including:

1. Stress

Chronic stress is a major disruptor of hormonal balance. When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol (the stress hormone), which can lower the production of progesterone. This is especially true in women who experience adrenal fatigue or chronic high cortisol levels.

2. Poor Diet

A nutrient-deficient diet can hinder the production of progesterone. Insufficient intake of healthy fats, minerals, and vitamins needed for hormone production can negatively affect progesterone levels. Additionally, excessive consumption of sugar and processed foods can contribute to hormonal imbalance and lower progesterone.

3. Ovulatory Dysfunction

If you are not ovulating regularly, it can affect the production of progesterone. Without ovulation, the corpus luteum (the structure that produces progesterone after ovulation) does not form, resulting in low progesterone levels.

4. Age

As women age, particularly after 35, progesterone levels naturally decline. This is due to the decline in ovarian function and a decrease in the number of eggs. This is why perimenopause is often associated with lower progesterone levels.

5. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

Women with PCOS often have irregular cycles and ovulatory dysfunction, both of which can contribute to low progesterone levels.

6. Thyroid Imbalance

Both hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can interfere with the production of progesterone, leading to hormonal imbalances.

Signs of Low Progesterone

Low progesterone can manifest in various ways, including:

• Irregular periods or absent periods

• Heavy bleeding or spotting between cycles

• Trouble conceiving or miscarriage

• Low libido

• Mood swings or anxiety

• Fatigue

• Sleep disturbances

• Bloating and water retention

• Breast tenderness

• Acne

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be helpful to check your progesterone levels through blood tests or consult with a healthcare provider.

How to Naturally Boost Progesterone Levels

If you’re struggling with low progesterone, there are several lifestyle and dietary changes you can make to naturally support progesterone production.

1. Eat Progesterone-Boosting Foods

A nutrient-dense diet is essential for supporting hormonal balance. To boost progesterone, focus on foods that are rich in healthy fats, magnesium, and vitamin B6, all of which play a role in progesterone production.

• Healthy fats: Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds.

• Magnesium: Leafy greens (like spinach), almonds, pumpkin seeds, and dark chocolate.

• Vitamin B6: Bananas, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, salmon, and turkey.

• Zinc: Beef, shellfish, pumpkin seeds, and lentils help support progesterone levels.

2. Optimize Your Blood Sugar

High blood sugar levels and insulin resistance can negatively affect your hormone production. To improve progesterone, stabilize your blood sugar by reducing your intake of refined carbs, sugars, and processed foods. Focus on whole grains, lean proteins, and vegetables to maintain balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day.

3. Get Morning Sun Exposure

Vitamin D is essential for hormonal health, and it’s linked to progesterone production. One of the best ways to increase your vitamin D levels is by getting morning sunlight. Aim for at least 15–30 minutes of sunlight each morning, ideally before 10 AM, to help your body produce enough vitamin D and support progesterone.

4. Manage Stress

Chronic stress is one of the biggest disruptors of progesterone levels. Finding ways to manage stress through relaxation techniques can help keep your cortisol levels in check and allow your body to produce more progesterone. Try:

• Meditation and deep breathing exercises

• Gentle yoga or stretching

• Walking in nature

• Journaling for emotional release

5. Support Your Liver

Your liver plays a key role in detoxifying excess estrogen, which can help improve progesterone balance. Eating liver-supportive foods like beets, dandelion root, milk thistle, and garlic can help enhance liver function and support hormone production.

6. Get Enough Sleep

Lack of sleep can increase cortisol levels, which suppresses progesterone. Aim for 7–9 hours of restful sleep each night to allow your body to restore and balance hormones. Sleep hygiene—such as reducing screen time before bed and creating a calming bedtime routine—can help improve the quality of your sleep.

Supplements to Support Progesterone Production

There are several natural supplements that can help boost progesterone levels:

• Vitex (Chaste Tree Berry): This herb is commonly used to support hormonal balance and boost progesterone levels, especially if you have irregular cycles. Can dip your breastmilk supply, be cautious of this.

• Vitamin B6: B6 can support progesterone production and improve luteal phase defects.

• Magnesium: Magnesium supports progesterone production and helps reduce stress and muscle tension.

• Zinc: Zinc plays a role in thyroid health, and it can help support progesterone production.

• Vitamin D: Make sure you're getting enough vitamin D, especially if you're trying to conceive or during pregnancy.

Supplements should be taken under the care of a practitioner. Speak to your healthcare provider first before starting any.

Nourish Your Body for Balanced Hormones

If you’re struggling with low progesterone, it’s important to remember that healing takes time, but with the right nutrition, lifestyle changes, and support, you can naturally restore balance to your hormones. Whether you’re trying to conceive, preparing for pregnancy, or navigating the postpartum period, progesterone plays a vital role in your hormonal health and overall well-being.

At Root Nutrition & Wellness, we believe in empowering women with the knowledge and tools they need to nourish their bodies and support their hormonal health naturally. If you’re ready to take control of your hormonal health and boost your progesterone levels, we’re here to help.

If you’re looking for guidance on boosting progesterone and optimizing hormonal health, check out Balanced & Blooming today. A holistic wellness course that is on your timeline and supports your journey to better health and well-being.