culled from:http://youqueen.com
Progesterone is a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries and the adrenal glands. It is extremely important for women’s health,
and it plays a crucial role in the female reproductive system including
the menstrual cycle and fertility, as well as the development of the
fetus and the maintenance of pregnancy.
Imbalances of progesterone levels may cause infertility, an increased
risk of miscarriage, increased PMS symptoms, depression, thyroid
dysfunction, fibrocystic breasts, weight gain and irregular menstrual
cycle.
Fortunately, there are many natural ways to increase progesterone levels and maintain a proper hormonal balance in your body.
Read below to learn how it can be done.
1. Avoid Foods and Herbs that Increase Estrogen Levels
The balance of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body is of
extreme importance for her health. Excess estrogen and low progesterone
levels can contribute to many psychological and physical conditions,
including infertility.
If you have been diagnosed with estrogen dominance and progesterone
deficiency, you should avoid all foods that can increase estrogen
levels.
2. Increase Your Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C Intake
1. Your body requires adequate amounts of vitamin B6 to maintain
optimal levels of progesterone. The lack of this important vitamin may
decrease the production of progesterone.
Vitamin B is also necessary for the liver to break down estrogen. If
it doesn’t break it down, the levels of estrogen increase, creating
hormonal imbalance. This means that levels of estrogen become higher
than progesterone levels.
Good amounts of vitamin B6 can be found walnuts, whole grains, lean
red meat, poultry, seafood, bananas, spinach, beans, potatoes, and
fortified cereals.
2. Also take vitamin C! A study has shown that 750mg of Vitamin C
taken every day for six months can considerably increase the
progesterone production.
3. Consume Foods Containing Zinc
Zinc is essential for hormonal health and it is extremely important for the production of adequate levels of progesterone.
Zinc is the mineral that prompts the pituitary gland to release
follicle stimulating hormones, which in turn promote ovulation and
stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone.
Good sources of zinc are veal liver, lean red meats, shellfish,
crabs, dark chocolate, wheat germ, chickpeas, and pumpkin, watermelon
and squash seeds.
4. Eat Magnesium Rich Foods
Magnesium is another key nutrient for increasing progesterone levels,
as it plays an important role in maintaining a healthy hormonal balance
in the body.
You can either take dietary supplements, or eat more foods that are
good sources of magnesium such as black beans, spinach, raw plantain,
halibut, whole grain cereals, pumpkin and squash seeds, okra, and nuts.
5. Control Your Stress Levels
Stress
can considerably reduce progesterone levels in the body. During chronic
stress, adrenal glands aren’t able to produce enough “fight or flight”
hormone called cortisol, which they constantly need. In this case, our
body converts progesterone into cortisol.
6. Herbs to Avoid and Herbs to Take
Avoid all herbs that can increase levels of estrogen – with estrogen
dominance, your progesterone levels are lower. These herbs include blue
cohosh, black cohosh, dong quai, hops, lavender, licorice, motherwort
leaf, rhodiola rose root, red clover blossom, saw palmetto berry, and
tea tree oil.
A herb that is good for balancing hormone levels in the body is
chasteberry, also known as vitex. It can stimulate the progesterone
production and reduce levels of estrogen, as well as amounts of
prolactin, which is another hormone that can lead to low progesterone in
the body.
7. Use Natural Progesterone Creams
Natural progesterone creams seem to be very helpful in creating a
proper estrogen and progesterone balance, since the natural progesterone
has the same molecular structure as the one produced by the human body.
Mexican yam cream
Mexican yam, also known as wild yam, is a root that contains a
substance called diosgenin, which can be converted through a simple
laboratory process into progesterone. The cream is also enriched with vitamin E,
which gives it exceptionally nourishing and regenerative properties.
When used correctly, it can considerably help balance hormonal levels in
the body.
