How to Increase Progesterone Naturally: 8 Evidence-Based Ways

Progesterone is one of the star hormones in reproductive function and fertility. It helps your menstrual cycle run smoothly and, if you get pregnant, creates the necessary, welcoming environment in your uterus for a growing fetus.

Progesterone plays an important role in preparing the body for pregnancy. If you’re trying to conceive, ensuring your progesterone levels are healthy can support implantation and early pregnancy. In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend progesterone supplementation if levels are found to be low.

So if you’re wondering how to increase progesterone, there are some strategies that may be able to increase progesterone levels naturally. Other cases of low progesterone may require a bit more assistance, in this case, your doctor can help figure out what will get you the extra push you need.

Not sure if you have low progesterone? Learn the signs: Low Progesterone Symptoms: Complete Guide

What is progesterone and what does it do?

Before you learn how to increase progesterone, it's good to have an understanding of what it is and its many roles in your body, so you know why you should increase it. Progesterone is a central hormone that affects far more than just fertility. While it plays a key role in menstruation, ovulation, and maintaining pregnancy, progesterone also influences mood, sleep quality, bone health, metabolism, and more.

Progesterone's role in your menstrual cycle and fertility

In people who ovulate, progesterone levels rise after ovulation, during the second half of the menstrual cycle (also called the luteal phase).

During ovulation, an egg is released from your ovaries and travels down the fallopian tube. The follicle that released the egg becomes a structure called a corpus luteum, which then starts releasing progesterone and estrogen. The rise in these two hormones tells your uterine lining (or endometrium) to thicken in order to prepare your body for a potential pregnancy.

If the egg hanging out in your fallopian tube isn’t fertilized by sperm, the corpus luteum deteriorates. In that case, progesterone and estrogen go back down to pre-ovulation levels, and you shed the thickened uterine lining as your period. Then, your menstrual cycle starts over again. 

If the egg is fertilized, it slowly transforms into an embryo, implants in the thickened uterine lining, and you become pregnant. The corpus luteum sticks around for a little while and continues to secrete progesterone. Later, around the tenth week of pregnancy, the job of progesterone production transfers from the corpus luteum to the placenta.

Progesterone is often referred to as the “pregnancy hormone” because of its vitally important role in pregnancy. During pregnancy, progesterone continues to support the uterine lining, creating the ideal environment for the growing fetus and ensuring that it keeps developing properly. Progesterone is also necessary for maintaining pregnancy. It keeps your uterus from contracting, which is part of what prevents miscarriage.

Progesterone's other essential functions

Beyond reproduction, progesterone affects several aspects of your health:

Mood and mental health: Progesterone has a calming effect on the brain and nervous system. It interacts with GABA receptors (the same ones targeted by anti-anxiety medications), which is why you may feel more relaxed during the high-progesterone luteal phase. Low progesterone is associated with anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.

Sleep quality: Progesterone promotes better sleep by increasing deep, restorative sleep stages. Many people notice they sleep more soundly during the luteal phase when progesterone is naturally higher. Low progesterone often contributes to insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns.

Bone health: Progesterone works alongside estrogen to maintain bone density. It stimulates bone-building cells called osteoblasts, which is why maintaining healthy progesterone levels becomes increasingly important as you age.

Metabolism and body temperature: Progesterone slightly raises your basal body temperature, which is why tracking temperature can help confirm ovulation. It also affects how your body uses and stores energy.

Inflammation response: Progesterone has anti-inflammatory properties that help regulate immune function throughout your cycle and during pregnancy.

Progesterone during perimenopause

As you transition into perimenopause (typically starting in your 40s), progesterone is often the first hormone to decline, sometimes years before estrogen levels drop. This can cause heavier periods, worsening PMS, sleep disturbances, and increased anxiety. Many of the natural methods in this guide can help support progesterone during perimenopause, though you may also benefit from medical intervention. If you're experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, learn more about how progesterone changes during this transition and specific treatment options: Progesterone During Perimenopause: Complete Guide.

How progesterone helps you get and stay pregnant

Progesterone is necessary for conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy.

So, how can increasing progesterone levels help you get pregnant? Most importantly, progesterone enables pregnancy in the first place. Without it, a fertilized egg won’t be able to implant in the uterine lining because that lining won’t be thick enough to enable implantation and development.

Once you’re pregnant, does progesterone help you stay pregnant? By helping to support the healthy development of the fetus and by lowering the chances of miscarriage.

On the flip side, if you have low progesterone levels during your cycle or during pregnancy, you’re at higher risk for problems like:

• Decreased fertility
• Luteal phase defect
• Irregular cycles
• Miscarriage

Some people may not have low enough progesterone levels to be at risk for more serious health conditions, but they may still be interested in learning how to increase progesterone to get pregnant. If you’re looking to boost your fertility, there are strategies you can try in the hopes of naturally increasing your progesterone and optimizing your chances of conceiving.

If, however, you’re concerned about your progesterone (or general hormone levels), your fertility, or potential irregularities in your menstrual cycle, you should speak with your doctor. They will be able to run hormone and fertility tests to figure out if more advanced measures are necessary.

How to increase progesterone

1. Eat a diet rich in progesterone-friendly foods

Progesterone is produced by your body, so it’s not naturally present in foods. However, eating foods rich in certain vitamins and nutrients may help increase your body’s production of progesterone.

Take vitamin B6, for example. Vitamin B6 can help support progesterone’s role in the menstrual cycle, in part by alleviating irregular periods. This, in turn, regulates normal cycle function. Foods high in vitamin B6 include carrots, walnuts, and poultry like chicken and turkey. 

Vitamin C has also been associated with increases in progesterone levels. Foods high in vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries.

Here are some more foods that may help boost your progesterone levels:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale, spinach, and other leafy greens
• Nuts
• Pumpkin
• Beans
• Whole grains like quinoa, barley, and brown rice

2. Maintain a healthy body weight

First and foremost, the definition of a healthy body weight changes from person to person. What’s healthy for one person may not be healthy for you, and vice versa. If you’re unsure about where your weight stands in terms of your overall health, talking with your doctor may help you get a clearer picture.

Research has shown that people with obesity tend to have lower progesterone levels during the luteal phase, during cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and during early pregnancy. Obesity is also associated with higher levels of estrogen, which creates an imbalance in your hormones. 

Getting your body moving regularly and maintaining your healthy body weight can help counteract these effects. 

Of course, maintaining your healthy body weight doesn’t necessarily mean that your body will begin making more progesterone automatically. It can, however, help bring your hormones back into balance, which is beneficial for your progesterone levels.

3. Avoid overexercising

To maintain healthy progesterone levels, it’s important to exercise regularly, but it’s also important to avoid overexercising.

High intensity exercise causes your body to produce more cortisol, a stress hormone. Both progesterone and cortisol are made using cholesterol, so when your body produces more cortisol, it does so at the expense of progesterone. This means that as cortisol levels increase, progesterone levels tend to decrease.

Overexercising can also impact your menstrual cycle, potentially leading to irregular periods and anovulatory cycles (or cycles where you don’t ovulate). This can make it harder to get pregnant.

4. Reduce stress

Like overexercising, high stress also leads to high levels of cortisol. Cortisol levels can increase in moments of acute stress, like the stress you feel if you almost get into a car accident, and through chronic or long-term stress, like the stress caused by a difficult job or family situation. 

Too much cortisol impacts your body’s ability to make progesterone. When your body is overproducing cortisol, resources it could be using to make progesterone get diverted, leading to lower progesterone levels.

You may not always have total control over the things in your life that stress you out. Still, if you’re able to find time for activities that bring you happiness and make you feel calm and relaxed, it can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Some examples of relaxing activities are:

• Reading
• Listening to music
• Spending time outside
• Going for a walk
• Meditating
• Journaling
• Talking to a friend 

What works best to help you feel calmer depends on you, of course.

5. Take doctor-prescribed progesterone supplements

It can be difficult to significantly increase your progesterone levels by natural means only. If you have particularly low progesterone, you may need more help than the boost that can potentially come from strategies like eating progesterone-friendly foods, exercising moderately, or reducing stress. (Although, with your doctor’s okay, you can certainly use these strategies, too.)

In this case, medical intervention may be needed, and your doctor might prescribe progesterone supplements, also called progesterone supplementation.

Progesterone supplements can be injected, administered orally as a pill, or administered vaginally as a suppository. Other progesterone supplements include creams or gels that can be used topically or vaginally.

For some people, progesterone supplements are particularly important during assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. For instance, progesterone supplements used to support the luteal phase have been shown to improve birth rates in IUI cycles and in IVF cycles.

>>RELATED: Do People Actually Use Turkey Basters to Get Pregnant? Everything You Need to Know About IUI.

Progesterone supplements may also help reduce the risk of miscarriage, particularly in people who have already had multiple miscarriages. 

6. Get adequate quality sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role in hormone production and regulation. Studies show that poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which controls progesterone production.

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. To improve sleep:

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
• Create a dark, cool sleeping environment (65-68°F ideal)
• Avoid screens 1-2 hours before bed
• Consider magnesium supplementation (supports both sleep and progesterone production)
• Limit caffeine after 2 PM

Research shows that women who sleep less than 7 hours per night have lower progesterone levels during the luteal phase compared to those getting adequate sleep.

7. Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption

Both caffeine and alcohol can interfere with progesterone production and hormone balance.

Caffeine:

While moderate caffeine intake (under 200mg/day) is generally safe, excessive caffeine can increase cortisol levels and interfere with progesterone. Consider limiting to one cup of coffee per day, especially during the luteal phase.

If you do consume caffeine, timing matters. Avoid caffeine after ovulation during the two-week wait, as this is when progesterone production is most crucial.

Alcohol:

Alcohol affects liver function, and your liver is responsible for metabolizing and clearing excess hormones. When your liver is busy processing alcohol, it can't efficiently manage hormone balance. Limit alcohol to no more than 3-4 drinks per week when trying to conceive.

8. Try herbal supplements (under medical supervision)

Certain herbs may support progesterone production, though research is still emerging and you should always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplements.

Vitex (Chasteberry):

Vitex is one of the most studied herbs for supporting hormonal balance and may help regulate the menstrual cycle and promote healthy progesterone levels during the luteal phase. It’s typically taken as a capsule or tincture, with a common dose of around 400 mg daily.

For best results, Vitex is usually started in the morning, as it acts on the brain’s pituitary signaling, and taken consistently throughout the menstrual cycle (not just certain days). However, it’s best to discuss timing and dosage with a healthcare provider familiar with herbal or reproductive medicine before starting.

You can find Vitex supplements at most health food stores, pharmacies, or reputable online retailers. Look for standardized extracts from trusted brands that clearly list Vitex agnus-castus on the label.

Maca root:

Maca root is a traditional Peruvian adaptogen that may help support hormone balance, improve energy, and promote reproductive health. While it doesn’t directly increase progesterone, some research suggests it may help support overall endocrine function, which can indirectly benefit progesterone balance.

Maca is commonly available in capsule, powder, or liquid extract form. Many people add the powder to smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt, while capsules offer a more convenient option for consistent dosing.

A typical daily amount ranges from 1,500 mg to 3,000 mg, often divided into one or two doses. It’s usually taken in the morning or early afternoon to align with its natural energizing effect. As with any supplement, it’s best to discuss use and dosing with a healthcare professional. especially if you have thyroid concerns or are taking fertility or hormonal medications.

Evening primrose oil:

Contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which may support hormone production. Use only before ovulation, as it can cause uterine contractions.

Important consideration:

Herbal supplements can interact with medications and aren't regulated by the FDA. Always discuss with your doctor before adding any supplements to your routine, especially if you're trying to conceive or already taking fertility medications. Learn about all progesterone treatment options: Low Progesterone Symptoms and When to Seek Treatment

How to increase progesterone: The bottom line 

The hormone progesterone plays a critical role in healthy menstrual cycles and in conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy. 

Low progesterone levels can increase the risk of problems with fertility, irregular periods, and miscarriage. So, what should you do if you want to learn how to increase progesterone?

Strategies to increase your progesterone to get pregnant include eating progesterone-friendly foods, maintaining a healthy weight, appropriate exercise, and reducing stress. If your progesterone levels are low enough to require medical attention, your doctor may also prescribe progesterone supplementation.

Want to track your progress? Oova's at-home hormone testing lets you measure your progesterone levels daily throughout your cycle, so you can see exactly how lifestyle changes affect your hormone production.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to increase progesterone naturally?

Most people see improvements within 2-3 menstrual cycles when using  lifestyle changes consistently. Progesterone supplementation works faster, often showing results within 1-2 cycles.

What foods are highest in progesterone?

No foods contain progesterone directly, but foods rich in vitamin B6  (salmon, chickpeas, bananas), vitamin C (citrus, bell peppers), zinc (pumpkin seeds, oysters), and magnesium (leafy greens, almonds) support your body's natural progesterone production.

Can I take progesterone supplements without a prescription?

Over-the-counter progesterone creams exist, but prescription progesterone is more effective and properly dosed. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any progesterone supplementation.

Does vitamin D help increase progesterone?

Yes, vitamin D deficiency is associated with lower progesterone levels. Aim for vitamin D levels of 30-50 ng/mL. Most people need 1,000-2,000 IU daily supplementation.

Can stress alone cause low progesterone?

Yes, chronic stress significantly impacts progesterone production by increasing cortisol, which competes with progesterone for the same building blocks. Managing stress is one of the most important natural ways to support progesterone levels.

How do I know if natural methods are working?

Monitoring your progesterone levels can help you understand your unique hormonal patterns and identify potential imbalances. Using at-home hormone testing tools like Oova, you can measure daily progesterone (PdG) levels and visualize how they change throughout your cycle. Ideally, you should see a clear rise after ovulation, with levels remaining elevated during the luteal phase.

It’s also helpful to track symptoms and patterns over multiple cycles (typically 2–3). Hormones naturally fluctuate, and collecting long-term data gives you and your healthcare provider a more complete picture of your reproductive health. Combining hormone testing with notes on mood, energy, cervical mucus, and cycle length can reveal valuable insights into ovulation quality and overall hormone balance.