How to Increase Progesterone Naturally

If your progesterone levels are low, please don't worry! Worrying may actually decrease them further, since chronic stress can decrease the levels of progesterone in your body. Instead, manage your stress to help your body restore your progesterone levels. You can also restore your progesterone levels by eating foods that are rich in magnesium, vitamin B6, and zinc. Since your liver metabolizes hormones to ensure a proper ratio of progesterone to estrogen in your body, supporting your liver’s health may also increase your progesterone naturally.

EditSteps

EditReducing Chronic Stress

Exercise for 150 minutes each week. Regular exercise has been shown to decrease stress overtime. Walk bike, or run around your neighborhood or the park for 30 minutes, 5 days out of the week. You could also meet a friend up at the park to play catch, or walk your dog around the block to fulfill your weekly exercise goals.^[1]
- Hiking, swimming,or playing a sport are also great forms of exercise.
Sign up for a yoga class. Because yoga focuses on the mind-body connection, it is a great way to relieve stress. Sign up for a yoga class at your local yoga studio, gym, or wellness center. Try to go to at least 3 yoga classes per week.^[2]
- Alternatively, practice yoga at home.
Meditate or pray for 10 to 15 minutes each day. Meditation or prayer can help you manage anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Before your day starts or at the end of the day, sit in a quiet room to pray or meditate for 10 to 15 minutes.^[3]
Connect with your friends and family. Talking face-to-face with a caring friend or family member can trigger hormones to relieve stress. Try to set aside 30 minutes to an hour each week to catch up with a friend or a family member, even if you are very busy. Invite them out for a cup of coffee or a walk in the park with you.^[4]
- Try to avoid connecting with people that stress you out.
Make time for hobbies. Engaging in your favorite hobby is a great way to reduce chronic stress. Set aside at least an hour each week to read a book, listen to music, or work on a project. If you don’t have a hobby, now is the time to find one. It should be something that you enjoy doing that doesn’t cause too much stress, like volunteering, watching vintage movies, making jewelry, or painting.^[5]
Sleep for at least 7 hours each night. Sleep deprivation can add to existing stress and anxiety. Make sure to not only sleep for 7 hours each night, but to also sleep at a consistent time each night. To ensure a good night's rest, relax yourself before you lie down by avoiding stimulants like coffee. You can relax by reading a book, taking a bath, or by listening to calming music.^[6]
- For example, try to go to bed at 10 or 11 p.m. each night and wake up at 6 or 7 a.m. each morning.
- Feeling tired can also cause you to act irrationally, increasing your stress and anxiety levels.

EditBoosting Progesterone with Food

Eat magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium helps your body break down excess estrogen. Foods that are rich in magnesium include spinach, beans, squash and pumpkin seeds, mackerel, brown rice, and dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao). Incorporating these foods into your diet can help your body increase progesterone naturally.^[7]
Consume foods rich in vitamin B6 and C. Vitamin B6 helps your liver detoxify estrogen, while vitamin C helps to increase progesterone levels. Incorporate foods rich in vitamin B6 and C into your diet to increase your progesterone levels naturally.^[8]
- Foods rich in vitamin B6 include lean red meat, walnuts, whole grains, bananas, beans, and spinach.
- Foods rich in vitamin C include broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, oranges, and kiwi.
Increase the levels of zinc in your body. Like Vitamin C, zinc helps increase the levels of progesterone in your body. Include foods that are rich in zinc in your diet. Lean red meat, cooked oysters, wheat germ, pumpkin and squash seeds, and cashews are examples of foods that are rich in zinc.^[9]
Eat foods rich in L-arginine. L-arginine helps improve the blood flow to important organs so they can function properly, including your ovaries where progesterone is produced. By eating foods rich in L-arginine, you can help your ovaries produce more progesterone.^[10]
- Foods rich in L-arginine include pork, turkey, chicken, salmon, tuna, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts.

EditDetoxifying Your Liver

Drink water regularly. Water assists the liver in breaking down and removing toxins from your body. If you are male, drink 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water per day. If you are female, drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of water per day. Drinking enough water per day will help support the proper functioning of your liver, keeping the levels of progesterone and estrogen in your body balanced.^[11]
- Additionally, try to avoid consuming too many alcoholic beverages, as well as beverages that are high in sugar like sodas, bottled juices, and sports drinks.
Drink a cup of warm water with lemon each morning. Drinking warm water with lemon in the morning starts the liver’s detoxification process. Replace your morning glass of water with warm water and lemon to assist your liver’s detoxification process.^[12]
Drink raw vegetable juice 1 to 2 times per week. Raw vegetable juice provides the liver with the water and nutrients it needs to cleanse your body. Juice raw vegetables that will help cleanse your liver like cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cucumber, carrots, beets, and leafy green vegetables.^[13]
- To increase the flavor of your juices, add an apple or an herb like mint or parsley to it.
Eat foods rich in potassium. Potassium helps cleanse and detoxify the liver. Including foods in your diet that are rich in potassium can help cleanse your liver and improve its functioning. Sweet potatoes, bananas, spinach, beets, tomato sauces, and beans are some examples of foods that are rich in potassium.^[14]
Limit your consumption of processed foods. Processed foods are high in toxins like saturated fat, refined sugar, and hydrogenated oils. These toxins can overload your liver and hinder its ability to function properly. Try to limit eating processed foods like fast food, pre-packaged foods, and foods high in sugar, salt, and fat to once a week.^[15]