

Medically Reviewed By Margaret Etudo. Written By The Vitamins For Woman Team.
Are you pondering on how to increase Progesterone naturally to ease PMS, improve fertility, or support perimenopause? This pharmacist-approved guide walks you through 12 evidence-based strategies from hormone-friendly foods and herbs to stress relief, supplements, and testing.
If your periods have been all over the place, or you’re struggling with sleep, anxiety, or trying to get pregnant, you might be asking yourself how to increase Progesterone naturally.
It is a hormone that doesn’t get much attention, but it plays a big role in keeping your cycles steady, supporting a healthy pregnancy, and helping you feel emotionally balanced.
For women with hormonal imbalances—especially those looking for natural progesterone boosters rather than synthetic hormones—there are evidence-based ways to support the body’s ability to restore balance.
In this article, you’ll learn practical, pharmacist-approved strategies to boost Progesterone naturally and improve hormonal well-being.
Understanding the signs of low Progesterone is the first step to restoring balance. Progesterone is primarily produced after ovulation, during the second half of your menstrual cycle. When ovulation becomes irregular or absent—as in Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or perimenopause—progesterone production can drop, leading to a wide range of symptoms.
Progesterone prepares the uterine lining for implantation and helps sustain pregnancy. It also counters the effects of estrogen, reduces inflammation, and supports neurotransmitters that influence sleep and mood.
Without sufficient Progesterone, estrogen can dominate the cycle—contributing to premenstrual symptoms, heavy periods, and endometrial overgrowth.
The most common signs of low Progesterone include:
These symptoms often overlap with PCOS and perimenopause, making it even more critical to explore natural ways to restore progesterone levels.
Ready to learn how to increase your Progesterone naturally? The following strategies are backed by research and support healthy ovulation, adrenal balance, and hormone detoxification—all essential for progesterone production.
Although no foods directly contain Progesterone, several nutrients are vital for supporting ovulation and corpus luteum health. These nutrients in foods that increase Progesterone naturally include:
The sample hormone-friendly meals are:
Vitex for progesterone support has been extensively studied. This herbal remedy does not contain hormones but influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) and indirectly boosting Progesterone.
Clinical highlights:
Suggested dose:
Best brands (third-party tested):
Vitex is one of the best supplements for raising progesterone levels in women with irregular ovulation or luteal phase defects.
When you are under constant stress, your body makes more of the stress hormone cortisol. It “borrows” building blocks (called pregnenolone) that are also needed to make Progesterone.
Over time, this can lead to lower progesterone levels because your body keeps prioritizing stress over reproductive health.
Natural progesterone boosters for stress management:
Reducing cortisol is one of the most effective ways to support your body’s hormone production.
The liver helps clear excess estrogen, which competes with Progesterone. Overloaded detox pathways can lead to hormonal imbalance.
Supportive foods:
These dietary habits indirectly support natural progesterone production by balancing estrogen levels.
Insulin resistance disrupts ovulation and is a common underlying issue in PCOS—a condition often accompanied by low Progesterone.
To stabilize blood sugar:
Melatonin plays a role in reproductive hormone regulation, and poor sleep increases cortisol, which can lower Progesterone.
To support your hormonal rhythm:
Sleep is one of the most underutilized yet powerful way to increase progesterone naturally as it is a progesterone booster.
Exercise promotes insulin sensitivity and circulation to the reproductive organs. However, excessive cardio or under-fueling can suppress ovulation.
Best forms of movement:
Choose a movement that energizes, not depletes.
Exposure to environmental estrogens (xenoestrogens) can increase estrogen dominance and suppress Progesterone.
Familiar sources to avoid:
Choosing cleaner products supports hormonal balance in the long term.
Fat tissue produces estrogen so excess body fat can tilt the balance toward estrogen dominance. On the flip side, being underweight can suppress ovulation.
Aim for a weight that supports regular ovulation and menstrual health. Even a 5–10% reduction in body weight can improve cycle regularity in women with PCOS.
Some women choose bioidentical progesterone cream derived from wild yam. It’s absorbed through the skin and can ease perimenopausal symptoms like insomnia, irritability, and spotting.
Tips for safe use:
For those in perimenopause, this may be helpful, but it’s not a solution for everyone.
B vitamins, especially B6 and folate, are vital for progesterone production and methylation pathways involved in hormone regulation.
Look for:
A high-quality prenatal or B-complex is a simple step with broad hormonal benefits.
In addition to Vitex, other herbs for hormonal balance include:
Always consult your healthcare provider before adding new herbs—especially if taking medications or managing a condition.
If you’ve implemented natural strategies and still experience symptoms of low Progesterone, testing may help clarify what’s going on.
Testing tips:
A pharmacist or practitioner can help interpret your results and guide you through the following steps—whether you need further evaluation or additional natural progesterone boosters.
The fastest way to increase Progesterone naturally is to support regular ovulation and reduce cortisol levels.
Ovulation is the only time your body produces meaningful amounts of Progesterone, so anything that enhances ovulatory health—such as Vitex (chasteberry), managing insulin resistance, and improving sleep—can be highly effective.
For example, in clinical trials, Vitex agnus-castus has been shown to improve luteal phase progesterone and cycle regularity within 3–6 months.
Diet provides the foundation, but in many cases—especially in PCOS or perimenopause—supplements and lifestyle changes are also necessary to fully restore balance in some women, yes—but not always.
Diet is a foundational part of increasing Progesterone naturally. Still, it’s usually not enough on its own when more complex hormone issues are at play (such as anovulation, insulin resistance, or high prolactin).
Diet can provide the micronutrients required for progesterone synthesis (e.g., B6, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C). It can also support liver detoxification of excess estrogen, improving the estrogen-to-progesterone balance
The right kind of exercise—done in moderation—can help your body ovulate, which is how you naturally make Progesterone.
Regularly moving your body helps with blood sugar, lowers stress, and supports overall hormone balance.
However, if you push too hard with intense workouts or don’t eat enough, your body may stop ovulating. This often happens in women with low body fat or high stress, and it can lead to low progesterone levels.
If you’re dealing with irregular periods, mood swings, or fertility struggles, learning how to increase Progesterone naturally can give you more control over your health.
Instead of jumping straight to synthetic hormones, you can support your body with the right foods, herbs, lifestyle habits, and hormone testing.
As a pharmacist, the best results come from getting to the root of the problem and making lasting changes. Every woman deserves a plan that fits her, and natural progesterone boosters can be an innovative, effective way to start.
Iancu ME, Albu AI, Albu DN. Prolactin relationship with fertility and in vitro fertilization outcomes—a review of the literature. Pharmaceuticals. 2023;16(1):122.
How taking pregnenolone might boost brain health. Verywell Mind.
medically reviewed by margaret etudo, BPharm. written by the vitamins for woman team.