Anxious, foggy brained insomniac? It might be your progesterone.
Prefer to listen to this article (with some extra commentary?) Click below!
Let’s play a game.
How many of these symptoms do you have?
Anxiety
Brain fog
Insomnia
Cyclical headaches
Short cycle
Spotting before period
PMS
Breast tenderness
Weight gain before period
Heavy period
What's your score?
If you have more than 2 or 3 here - well, we likely have a low progesterone problem.
What’s progesterone?
Well, you probably remember talking or thinking about progesterone back when you were trying to make a baby. But it does way more than that.
First, some biology.
While we make tiny bits of progesterone in our brains and adrenals, the huge majority is made in a teeny tiny temporary organ called the Corpus Luteum.
And y’all, this little organ is rad.
It is made only after ovulation. So when a mature egg drops, your ovary is signaled to rapid fire create the corpus luteum with the leftover cells from the follicle that made that egg. It’s like a relay race, with the baton being handed over from egg growing to progesterone production.
Your corpus luteum is now a full fledged endocrine gland, pumping out progesterone. When it’s done (ie you get your period), it disintegrates. I like to think that your ovary is a hungry little period gremlin and just gobbles it up.
So in order to make enough progesterone for alllll the benefits, ovulation must happen. Then corpus luteum forms, then progesterone goes up.
Side note: If you're not ovulating (from things like breastfeeding or the pill or menopause or PCOS or hypothalamic amenorrhea) - then you're not making a TON - but your adrenals and brain will pick up some of the slack and make a bit to help you out.
While progesterone is most famous for its role in lining the uterus with nutrient rich blood, like a comfy blanket for a fertilized egg to implant - it does a helluva lot more than its role in babymaking.
You need it to FEEL good.
Progesterone is the "calming" hormone, because it interacts with the neurotransmitter GABA to chill your brain out. This is why when progesterone comes down (like right before your period) you might get more symptoms like insomnia and anxiety. This is also a leading theory in the susceptibility to postpartum anxiety. Low progesterone + sleep deprivation + being responsible for a new human = holy anxiety hellfire.
Progesterone also has other impacts on the brain - and affects cognition (hello low progesterone brain fog), inflammation (headaches each cycle?), and even healing after brain injuries.
Aside from it’s role in brain health and mood - low progesterone prior to your period is associated with worsening PMS (think sore boobs, weight gain, night sweats) - AND if estrogen is high or normal and progesterone is low, periods can get heavier / crampier / clottier.
So while you’ve probably only ever heard of progesterone as a problem when trying to conceive - it has a massive role in your body beyond reproduction.
File this under things that piss me off. We only care about women’s hormonal health when it comes to babies. If you’re not trying for a baby, or if your hormonal issue isn’t standing in the way of fertility, it’s generally seen as not a concern.
But I’m here to tell you that you WANT a nice, juicy amount of progesterone and it will impact quality of life if it’s too low.
I will save the menopause rant for another day.
Alright. Now you know symptoms to be on the lookout for, and how important this hormone is. Let’s talk about food.
What you eat has a massive impact on what's happening with your progesterone, cycling or not. Your diet is a huge root cause of hormone drama, so we always start here.
Here are my quick tips (and for a more comprehensive guide, see Mother Recover - hormone testing is an option inside the program for those who want to dive even deeper)
1. Eat balanced meals, 3x day. Protein-Fiber-Carbs. About equal portions.
Your hormones in general are very sensitive to restriction, even if you’re not doing it on purpose but just having a hard time momming + eating right. It’s almost like your hormones are famine sensors. If you’re missing carbs, or your blood sugar is erratic, or you’re skipping breakfast your hormones are like “there must not be enough food out there in life! Let’s shut this whole system down!” Progesterone production is particularly sensitive to missing dietary nutrients, and is one of the first things to be impacted.
2. Don't go keto or intermittently fast to lose weight.
Same idea as above. This will jack up all of your hormones in the short and/or long term. Don't do it. There are other ways to lose weight that don’t involve compromising your entire hormonal system.
3. Reduce stress.
I know. LOLZ. Cortisol and progesterone are either best friends or frenemies. Taking care of our stress and nervous system is really important for overall hormonal health. Take 5 minutes out of your day each morning to sit in the sunshine and do some deep breathing. Nervous system nourishing can be as simple as that.
4. Don't forget your micronutrients.
Vitamins C, B6, Magnesium, Zinc are all important for progesterone production. Taking a good quality multi or prenatal is the place to start. Food sources here on this post.
Are you dealing with low progesterone symptoms? Tell us in the comments!
