Do Progesterone Supplements Work? Here's What Your Body Actually Needs
If you've been dealing with PMS, anxiety, mood swings, or spotting before your period, these could all be signs of low progesterone. But before you run out and buy a progesterone supplement, just know that a supplement won’t fix your low progesterone - it can only mask the symptoms.
I know that might sound controversial, especially if you're currently taking progesterone or your healthcare provider just recommended it. But stick with me. I've worked with hundreds of women to balance their hormones and I want to share what actually works to fix low progesterone naturally.
What Progesterone Actually Does (Beyond Just Pregnancy)
Before we talk about whether progesterone supplements work, let's understand what progesterone actually does in your body. Most people think of progesterone as just the "pregnancy hormone," but that's only about 10% of the story.
After you ovulate, progesterone becomes the dominant hormone in the second half of your cycle. Think of it as your body's natural "keep calm and carry on" hormone. That follicle that released your egg forms something called the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone.
Here's what progesterone does for you:
Calms your nervous system and reduces anxiety
Helps you sleep better and deeper
Stabilizes your mood throughout your cycle
Keeps estrogen balanced (prevents estrogen dominance)
Acts as a natural anti-inflammatory
Supports your immune system
Protects your bones and brain health
Reduces period cramps and PMS symptoms
Pretty amazing, right? But all of this only happens when your body makes progesterone on its own - AKA you can’t get these benefits from progesterone supplements.
The Problem with Progesterone Supplements
When I ask clients about their experience with progesterone supplements, I hear the same story over and over: "It seemed to help at first, but now I'm having all these issues again."
That's because progesterone supplementation doesn't solve the underlying problem. It's like putting duct tape on a leaky pipe instead of fixing the actual leak.
Don't get me wrong - there are definitely times when I do recommend progesterone supplements. If you're pregnant and have low progesterone, absolutely get to your doctor and get on supplementation. Your baby needs that support!
But if you're not pregnant and dealing with low progesterone symptoms, supplements aren't addressing why your progesterone is low in the first place.
Why Your Progesterone is Actually Low
To fix low progesterone naturally, we need to understand what's driving it. Here are the most common root causes:
Chronic Stress
Your body makes both progesterone and cortisol from the same "mother hormone" called pregnenolone. When you're stressed, your body will always choose survival over reproduction. It's going to make cortisol to save you from the "bear" instead of progesterone to make a baby.
And when I say stress, I'm not just talking about emotional stress. Hidden stressors include:
Blood sugar instability
Food sensitivities
Gut issues and inflammation
Parasites or heavy metals
Mineral imbalances
Not eating enough food
Not Ovulating Regularly
Your body doesn’t produce progesterone until after ovulation. No ovulation equals no progesterone. It's that simple.
If you're not ovulating regularly, we need to figure out why. Common reasons include:
Insulin resistance
Thyroid issues
Excess testosterone
Chronic undereating
Mineral deficiencies
Excess Estrogen
Your body needs a certain ratio of estrogen to progesterone. If your estrogen-to-progesterone ratio is off due to excess estrogen, you're going to have symptoms of low progesterone even if your levels aren't technically "low."
How to Fix Low Progesterone Without Supplements
Let me share some real examples from clients I've worked with:
One client came to me for infertility after being on birth control for a long time. She'd been off for seven or eight months with very irregular and very long cycles. We started supporting her minerals and stress levels, and she was doing a really great job focusing on her eating.
When we did a retest, we saw that she was moving and detoxing all kinds of things, which actually looked worse on paper, but that's exactly what we wanted to see! After we supported that detox process through a second retest phase, that's when her cycles really regulated and she got pregnant.
I've also had a client who was working with a naturopathic doctor and supplementing with progesterone but could never lengthen her luteal phase and still had really painful periods. We fixed the underlying issues, which in her case were gut inflammation, stress, and blood sugar instability. When we addressed those root causes without progesterone supplementation, she got painless periods and lengthened her luteal phase to 12 days.
Here's what you can start doing today to increase progesterone naturally:
Balance Your Blood Sugar
This is foundational. Aim for half your plate to be non-starchy vegetables, with the other half split between protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. Stable blood sugar means less stress on your system and better hormone production.
Eat Enough Food
Chronic undereating is one of the biggest hormone disruptors I see. Your body needs adequate calories and healthy fats to make hormones. If you're constantly restricting, your body thinks it's in a famine and shuts down non-essential functions like progesterone production.
Support Quality Sleep
Better sleep equals better ovulation, which equals better progesterone production. Focus on consistent sleep and wake times, and create a calming bedtime routine.
Address Hidden Stressors
You can't out-supplement a dysregulated nervous system with ashwagandha and magnesium. While these herbs might help you feel less frazzled, they're not helping your body feel truly safe. Real nervous system regulation comes from addressing root causes of stress.
When to Consider Testing (And Which Tests Actually Matter)
If you're dealing with low progesterone symptoms, I don't recommend starting with a DUTCH hormone test. Here's the testing order I suggest:
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) - This shows your mineral patterns and stress levels
GI Map - This reveals gut health and estrogen detoxification pathways
Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH) - This confirms hormone levels after addressing upstream issues
Why this order? Because if you have symptoms, we already know your hormones are out of balance. Let's look upstream at what's affecting those hormones rather than just confirming they're low and trying to manipulate them directly.
Progesterone supplements provide temporary symptom relief, but they don't fix the underlying problem.
If you don't address why your progesterone is low, those symptoms will keep coming back or show up in other ways. Real progesterone balance happens when you support your body's natural ability to produce this important hormone. It means getting honest about stress levels, eating enough nutrient-dense food, supporting quality sleep, and addressing any hidden stressors disrupting your system.
Your body has an incredible ability to heal and produce the hormones you need. But it needs the right support and conditions to do so. Instead of relying on supplements as a long-term solution, focus on creating an internal environment where progesterone can naturally thrive.
If you're ready to find the root cause of your low progesterone, consider working with a practitioner who can run comprehensive testing and create a personalized plan.
This is exactly what I do in the Hormone Reset Program®, my comprehensive six-month program where we walk you through the complete transformation of balancing your hormones naturally. You'll get personalized lab analysis, custom protocols based on your unique results, and step-by-step support so you finally understand what's causing your low progesterone symptoms and how to fix it!
Your Hormone Health Deserves More Than a Bandaid Approach
Book your free call with one of my past clients who went through this exact transformation. She'll help you see if the Hormone Reset Program® is the right fit for you and answer any questions you have about getting started.