Finishing off my “Low Progesterone causing Hormonal acne” mini-series, in this blog, I’m focusing on boosting progesterone. Look at the previous blog on:
Progesterone is a skin & mood calming hormone. It also helps with sleep. It is only released on ovulation.
Healthy ovulation depends on:
- The communication between your brain and ovaries
- The number of eggs in your ovaries.
- Sufficient nutrients and “building blocks” to produce progesterone.
- Enough energy in your mitochondria (powerhouse) to produce progesterone.
To boost progesterone, follow these steps:
Investigate & address possible causes of irregular periods/ anovalutory cycles
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- Stress?
- Inflammation?
- Hypothyroid?
- High prolactin?
- Over-exercise?
- Underweight?
- Poor diet?
- PCOS?
- Gut issues?
- Perimenopause?
- Primary ovarian insufficiency?
Regulate menstrual cycle & optimise ovulation
- Manage stress.
- Reduce inflammation.
- Optimise gut health.
- Optimise detoxification.
- Optimise sugar balance.
- Increase intake of antioxidants.
- Ensure adequate amount of healthy dietary fats (hormones are made from cholesterol)
- Ensure plenty of foods high in vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin C to make progesterone.
Where indicated, supplement can support production.
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- Magnesium – 150mg – 300mg / night
- Vitamin C – 1000mg/ day
- Vitamin B6 – 30-50mg/ day
- Zinc – 25-75mg/day. Ensure you balance with copper.
- Vitex agnus Castus (Chaste tree berry)
NATURE & AGE
- Eventually with age, there will be less eggs in the ovaries, resulting in irregular periods or sporadic ovulation. Hormone levels fluctuate and this is commonly known as
- When there is no more eggs in the ovaries, women stop having periods and after 12 months of no periods, menopause is diagnosed.
- In this situation, hormone replacement with body-identical or bio-identical may be required after careful assessment and risk profiling.
Given it can seem a big topic and so many elements to focus on but if you build on the fundamentals:
🔸 Eat Well
🔸 Rest Well
🔸 Love Well
…..The battle is half won.
If you need extra help, work with a practitioner who specialises in hormonal health to further fine-tune and fill any gaps that require extra support.
If I can support you in your journey to balance and optimise your hormones, please email my team at [email protected] for more information.
Until the next blog, here’s to your best self.