12 Best Foods to Boost Progesterone
Progesterone is a sex hormone released from the ovaries that is vital for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The hormone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy. It is released from the corpus luteum which is the remains of the ovarian follicle which releases the ovum or egg. Progesterone has 2 different paths each month depending on fertilization and ovulation. If your ovulated egg is fertilized, then progesterone rises after ovulation to help thicken the uterine lining for pregnancy. If your egg does not become fertilized after ovulation, then progesterone peaks and then declines, because you do not need to prepare for pregnancy. The uterine lining will shed and become a period. Progesterone is also involved in breast development and breastfeeding. Problems can arise when progesterone levels are too low regardless if you are attempting to conceive. Certain foods contain nutrients to help increase progesterone in the body.
Reasons progesterone can be low :
-Nutrient Deficiencies
Many nutrients are important for hormone production and regulation. These include zinc, vitamin B6, and magnesium.
-Estrogen Dominance NIH
Estrogen is another sex hormone that is vital for reproduction. It needs to be released in a balance with progesterone for an optimal menstrual cycle. Estrogen should be higher in the first half of the cycle and lower in the second half whereas progesterone is the opposite. Estrogen dominance means that the level of estrogen in relation to progesterone is abnormally high.
-Lack of Ovulation 25681845
Lack of ovulation, where the egg is not released from the ovary, can be what causes low progesterone levels. If the ovulation does not occur or is irregular, then the body will not think to prepare for pregnancy and progesterone will not be released. Lack of ovulation can be due to a number of reasons, but a common factor is stress.
Symptoms of low progesterone:
-Anxiety
-PMS
-Heavy Periods
-Cyclical Headaches
-Irritability
-Poor Sleep
-Breast Tenderness
-Bloating
-Painful Periods
-Ovarian Cysts
-Irregular Periods
-Infertility
-1st Trimester Miscarriage
Here are 12 foods to boost progesterone
1. Nuts
Nuts are great foods to boost progesterone because of the minerals zinc and magnesium.
Zinc is an important mineral used to help promote the reproductive system. A study found that zinc is able to increase the number of binding sites on a progesterone receptor which will increase total progesterone levels.
Magnesium is a mineral that helps with muscle protein synthesis, nerve functioning, and it is a cofactor for many enzymatic reactions. A study found an inverse relationship with magnesium and estrogen, showing that as magnesium levels increased, estrogen levels decreased. We know that estrogen and progesterone work in opposition so when estrogen levels are lowered this means that there will be an increase in progesterone naturally.
Source: 7386123, 28684689, 10231048
2. Dark Chocolate
Another one of the foods to boost progesterone is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains magnesium, and as previously stated, this can have a very beneficial effect on total progesterone because magnesium can lower estrogen.
Source: 10231048
3. Poultry
Chicken and turkey are common sources of poultry which are foods to boost progesterone. Vitamin B6 is rich in these lean meats which is the reason these are foods to boost progesterone. Vitamin B6 is an important water-soluble vitamin to help promote the reproductive system. A study found that supplementation of B6 increased progesterone levels and decreased estrogen levels. Additionally, vitamin B6 combined with calcium can decrease PMS symptoms.
Source: 6684167, NIH, 26989667
4. Citrus
Citrus fruits are a good source of Vitamin C, making them foods to boost progesterone. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that has many beneficial functions like improving immune function, creating scars for wound healing, and helps maintain tissue and skin integrity. A study found that vitamin C was associated with higher progesterone levels in perimenopausal women. Additionally, another study found that pregnancy rates increased and progesterone levels increased in those who supplemented with vitamin C and had luteal phase defect (shortened luteal phase).
5. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are beneficial foods to boost progesterone too. These foods contain calcium and magnesium which are the active minerals in affecting progesterone. A study has found that hormone-stimulated progesterone production requires calcium ions for it to be produced, so if calcium consumption increases through foods then progesterone will increase.
Source: 2170770
6. Bell Peppers
Peppers contain high amounts of vitamin C, as well as citrus. Specifically, red peppers have the highest concentration of vitamin C. This is why peppers are another one of the foods to boost progesterone.
7. Avocado
Avocados have a high amount of healthy fats, which is why they are one of the foods to boost progesterone. Healthy fats are unsaturated, which means they have at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain. They have fewer hydrogen bonds. Polyunsaturated fats are fatty acids that contain at least two double bonds in the structure. It has been shown that healthy fat consumption, specifically polyunsaturated fats, were associated with increased progesterone and decreased anovulation. Additionally, fat consumption is needed for hormone production in general because hormones are made of lipids (the broken down component of fat).
8. Salmon
Salmon is one of the few foods that contain optimal amounts of omega 3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat, specifically polyunsaturated fats. Due to this, salmon is one of the foods to boost progesterone. Omega 3s can increase luteinizing hormone (LH), which can then boost progesterone production. Omega 3s have also been found to be beneficial in managing PMS symptoms, which are tied to lower progesterone.
Source: 24639805
9. Pumpkin Seeds
Another one of the foods to boost progesterone is pumpkin seeds. These seeds are beneficial because they contain a combination of zinc, magnesium, healthy fats, and protein, which all contribute to increasing progesterone.
Source: 7386123, 28684689, 10231048
10. Crucifers
Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and more. These vegetables are noted as one of the foods to boost progesterone due to their estrogen detoxification effect. When progesterone is low in the body, this could be due to estrogen dominance, which is a higher ratio of estrogen to progesterone. This is not optimal because the excess estrogen in the body is not being eliminated through the gut and can cause many unwanted symptoms like constipation, fatigue, and stress. Estrogen detoxification is the process the liver undergoes in order to excrete the estrogen to maintain normal levels, and this leads to normalized progesterone levels.
Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) is the main compound in many cruciferous vegetables. A study found that participants who were given the I3C had decreased concentrations of metabolites that would activate the estrogen receptor, which shows that it can lower estrogen naturally and boost progesterone.
Sulforaphane is another compound found in cruciferous vegetables. A study found that sulforaphane has protective effects against pathways that lead to carcinogenic effects from high estrogen by inhibiting estrogen-induced DNA damage, which will boost progesterone.
11. Oats
Another one of the foods to boost progesterone is oats. Oats contain lots of good fiber, which is beneficial for estrogen detoxification. Estrogen is eliminated through the gut, so if there is more fiber, this can add bulk to each bowel movement and allow the estrogen to be excreted. Maintaining healthy bowel movements is very important for hormone balance, and will help lower estrogen to a normal level leading to increased progesterone.
Source: 19004010
12. Grass-Fed Beef
Grass-fed organic meat is another one of the foods to boost progesterone. The livestock animals on factory farms (not grass-fed organic) are produced to grow as big and fast as possible in order to produce the most amount of meat per animal. These animals are fed large quantities of feed and are additionally supplemented with antibiotics and growth hormones like estrogen to make them grow faster and bigger. A study found that though the estrogen level in these meat products does not match the amount of estrogen in oral contraceptives, the estrogen in the meat transfers at a significant amount to humans. This estrogen that transmits to humans can be a cause for estrogen dominance. Because of this, it is recommended to shop for grass-fed and organic meat when you can. These meat options are made from animals who were not mass-produced with hormones, and they were fed their preferred diet, which is grass. This way, you can lower estrogen and boost progesterone naturally.
Source: Journal of Oncology
