Progesterone is an important female sex hormone synthesized by the adrenal glands and ovaries. It has a crucial role in the menstrual cycle, fertility, and fetal development. Having high progesterone levels is essential for maintaining a normal, healthy pregnancy.

Imbalances in progesterone levels increase the risk of miscarriage, intensify PMS symptoms, thyroid dysfunction, weight gain, fibrocystic breasts, an irregular menstrual cycle, and even infertility.

Five Foods that Enhance Fertility and Progesterone Production

1. Fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, and salmon

These fish contain omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids that are crucial during the ovulation phase. They help improve fertility by improving blood flow to the uterus, regulating reproductive health, supporting the release of egg cells from the follicle, and enhancing the quality of the egg cells.

Omega 3 from fish and fish oil also constrict the blood vessels in your nether regions for faster arousal.

These fish are also rich in protein and magnesium, a key nutrient in progesterone production and maintenance of hormonal balance.

If you don’t like fish, flax seeds, pumpkin or squash seeds, nuts, okra, raw plantain, spinach, black beans, and raw grain cereals are good substitutes.

2. Oysters

Oysters are known as a fertility and libido-enhancing food because they contain large amounts of zinc. Zinc helps improve the health of both sperm and egg. Studies also suggest that it helps increase ovulation in women and semen and testosterone production in men through a 15 mg daily consumption.

Zinc is also important in producing adequate amounts of progesterone. It triggers the release of follicle stimulating hormones that stimulate progesterone and estrogen production and promote ovulation.

It is best to eat oysters in the middle of your cycle before ovulation. Other foods rich in zinc are nuts, eggs, wheat germ, lean red meat, dark chocolate, crabs, veal liver, chickpeas, baked beans, and pumpkin, watermelon, and squash seeds.

3. Foods rich in Vitamin B

Towards ovulation, B vitamins and other supporting nutrients are needed for the egg’s release, to promote implantation, cellular reproduction, and to maintain the optimum progesterone levels. Vitamin B also helps the liver break down estrogen levels to control its amount and maintain hormonal balance.

Foods rich in vitamin B, specifically B6, are whole grains, poultry, lean red meat, seafood, beans, potatoes, spinach, fortified cereals, and bananas. Whole grains especially oats, also contain vitamin E that aid in producing healthy eggs and sperm.

4. Fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C

Blakeway also said that high levels of Vitamin C are found in the follicle upon the release of the egg, which indicates that it also plays a role in progesterone production.

Eat plenty of citrus fruits, kiwi, tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, and other vitamin C- rich foods. Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D., nutrition consultant and author, helps in the absorption of iron from whole grains, fortified cereals, and beans.

5. Iron-rich food

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 identifies iron as a nutrient of utmost concern in women of the childbearing age. It is especially important in women who have endometriosis or experience heavy bleeding.

Iron is an important component of red blood cells and is shed through bleeding, according to Dr. Ward. Since an average woman loses 30 to 40 milliliters of blood over the course of three days to a week, iron supplies are depleted. This results in moodiness, fatigue, bloating, and cramps.

Beans, seeds, green leafy vegetables, fish, and meat are all rich in iron and/or protein. Seeds, greens, and fish also have anti-inflammatory properties which help encourage a healthy blood flow and reduce cramps.

Progesterone is used along with estrogen in women who still have their uterus.Progesterone reduces the risk of endometrial (uterine) cancer by making the endometrium thin. Women who take progesterone may have monthly bleeding, or no bleeding at all, depending on how the hormone therapy is taken.

Why is progesterone taken?

Progesterone is used along with estrogen in women who still have their uterus. In these women, estrogen– if taken without progesterone–increases a woman’s risk for cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). During a woman’s reproductive years, cells from the endometrium are shed during menstruation. When the endometrium is no longer shed, estrogen can cause an overgrowth of cells in the uterus, a condition that can lead to cancer.

Progesterone reduces the risk of endometrial (uterine) cancer by making the endometrium thin. Women who take progesterone may have monthly bleeding, or no bleeding at all, depending on how the hormone therapy is taken. Monthly bleeding can be lessened and, in some cases, eliminated by taking progesterone and estrogen together continuously. Women who have had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus through surgery) typically do not need to take progesterone. This is an important point, because estrogen taken alone has fewer long-term risks than HT that uses a combination of estrogen and progesterone.

What are estrogen and progesterone?

Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are produced by a woman’s ovaries.

Why does the body need estrogen?

Estrogen thickens the lining of the uterus, preparing it for the possible implantation of a fertilized egg. Estrogen also influences how the body uses calcium, an important mineral in the building of bones. In addition, estrogen helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood. Estrogen is necessary in keeping the vagina healthy.

As menopause nears, the ovaries reduce most of their production of these hormones. Lowered or fluctuating estrogen levels may cause menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, and medical conditions such as osteoporosis.

Why should I care about Progesterone?

Progesterone medicineBecause it’s kind of a big deal and this is why: Progesterone, also referred to as “the pregnancy hormone,” is a common female

Why should I care about Progesterone?

Because it’s kind of a big deal and this is why: Progesterone, also referred to as “the pregnancy hormone,” is a common female hormone found naturally in a woman’s body. It also happens play an essential role for both before and during a pregnancy. When a fertility workup is suggested, there are two main sex hormones an overseeing medical provider will look test: estrogen and progesterone.

Progesterone (as a prescribed hormone supplementation) is often necessary during Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Partly because the medications you may use during these procedures can suppress your body’s ability to produce progesterone. Certain procedures can even, unintentionally, remove progesterone-producing cells from your ovaries.

Sometimes, there are other reasons to use progesterone supplementation, such as little or no progesterone production from the ovaries or poorly developed follicles that do not secrete enough progesterone to develop the uterine lining.

The bottom line is this — all women who wish to become pregnant need progesterone to help their uterus prepare for and maintain a pregnancy. Follow the links to learn more about the important connection between progesterone and how it impacts both fertility and pregnancy.

Before Becoming Pregnant

The role of Progesterone in overall fertility health, is that it helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy. After ovulation occurs, the ovaries start to produce progesterone needed by the uterus. Progesterone causes the uterine lining or endometrium to thicken. The overall goal is to have a thick lining which will helps create an ideal supportive environment in your uterus for a fertilized egg/embryo.

During Pregnancy

Progesterone balance in a pregnancy is essential. A consistent supply of progesterone to the endometrium continues helps nurture the developing fetus throughout the pregnancy. Following a successful implantation, progesterone also helps maintain a supportive environment for the developing fetus. After 8 to 10 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta takes over progesterone production from the ovaries and substantially increases progesterone production.

The Different Forms of Progesterone

Not all forms of progesterone are created equal. There are several types of progesterone are available, including vaginal products that deliver progesterone directly to the uterus. The different forms include the following:

Vaginal gel:

• Used once a day for progesterone supplementation
• Unique — the only once-daily FDA-approved progesterone for ART for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy
• The only FDA-approved progesterone for replacement for donor egg recipients and frozen embryo transfers
• Over a decade of experience and over 40 million doses prescribed
  In studies where patient preference was measured, a majority of women preferred the gel for comfort and convenience over other progesterone formulations
• Some discharge reported during use

Vaginal suppositories:

• Compounded at specialty pharmacists
• Wax-based
• Widely used but not FDA-approved
• Used 2 to 3 times a day
• Leakage can be messy

Vaginal inserts:

• Designed for vaginal use
• FDA-approved for progesterone supplementation but not for progesterone replacement
• Effective in women under 35 years; no established results in women over 35 years
  Used 2 to 3 times a day

Progesterone oral capsules, used vaginally:

• Not formulated or FDA-approved for vaginal use
• Fewer side effects when capsules are used vaginally instead of orally
• Used up to 3 times a day

Injections:

• An oil-based solution (sometimes called progesterone in oil)
• Widely used; the oldest, most established method of progesterone delivery
• Injected into the buttocks once a day
• Require long, thick needle to penetrate layers of skin and fat
• Difficult to administer by yourself
• Injections may be painful
• Skin reactions are common

hormone found naturally in a woman’s body. It also happens play an essential role for both before and during a pregnancy. When a fertility workup is suggested, there are two main sex hormones an overseeing medical provider will look test: estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone (as a prescribed hormone supplementation) is often necessary during Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Partly because the medications you may use during these procedures can suppress your body’s ability to produce progesterone. Certain procedures can even, unintentionally, remove progesterone-producing cells from your ovaries. Sometimes, there are other reasons to use progesterone supplementation, such as little or no progesterone production from the ovaries or poorly developed follicles that do not secrete enough progesterone to develop the uterine lining. The bottom line is this — all women who wish to become pregnant need progesterone to help their uterus prepare for and maintain a pregnancy. Follow the links to learn more about the important connection between progesterone and how it impacts both fertility and pregnancy. Before Becoming Pregnant The role of Progesterone in overall fertility health, is that it helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy. After ovulation occurs, the ovaries start to produce progesterone needed by the uterus. Progesterone causes the uterine lining or endometrium to thicken. The overall goal is to have a thick lining which will helps create an ideal supportive environment in your uterus for a fertilized egg/embryo. During Pregnancy Progesterone balance in a pregnancy is essential. A consistent supply of progesterone to the endometrium continues helps nurture the developing fetus throughout the pregnancy. Following a successful implantation, progesterone also helps maintain a supportive environment for the developing fetus. After 8 to 10 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta takes over progesterone production from the ovaries and substantially increases progesterone production. The Different Forms of Progesterone Not all forms of progesterone are created equal. There are several types of progesterone are available, including vaginal products that deliver progesterone directly to the uterus. The different forms include the following: Vaginal gel: Used once a day for progesterone supplementation Unique — the only once-daily FDA-approved progesterone for ART for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy The only FDA-approved progesterone for replacement for donor egg recipients and frozen embryo transfers Over a decade of experience and over 40 million doses prescribed In studies where patient preference was measured, a majority of women preferred the gel for comfort and convenience over other progesterone formulations Some discharge reported during use Vaginal suppositories: Compounded at specialty pharmacists Wax-based Widely used but not FDA-approved Used 2 to 3 times a day Leakage can be messy Vaginal inserts: Designed for vaginal use FDA-approved for progesterone supplementation but not for progesterone replacement Effective in women under 35 years; no established results in women over 35 years Used 2 to 3 times a day Progesterone oral capsules, used vaginally: Not formulated or FDA-approved for vaginal use Fewer side effects when capsules are used vaginally instead of orally Used up to 3 times a day Injections: An oil-based solution (sometimes called progesterone in oil) Widely used; the oldest, most established method of progesterone delivery Injected into the buttocks once a day Require long, thick needle to penetrate layers of skin and fat Difficult to administer by yourself Injections may be painful Skin reactions are common

An Exclusive Feature Article Issue of the Hormone Balance Hotline

Few months ago, a large team of scientists working on multiple continents published a research study that came to startling conclusions about breast cancer and natural progesterone. The team determined that unlike synthetic progestins, which increase breast cancer risks, natural progesterone has the potential to slow the growth of many breast cancer tumors or even shrink them.

While this finding is stunning, it is not new. It is one of several conclusions about progesterone that John R. Lee, M.D. and David Zava, Ph.D. made more than a decade ago when they co-wrote the book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer. Now that their findings have been confirmed by other scientists, the medical community can no longer assume that natural progesterone promotes breast cancer like progestins do. Progestins are molecularly altered synthetic versions of progesterone.

It’s All About Receptors

For years, breast cancer researchers have known that women whose breast cancers contain both estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors (known as ER positive/PR positive tumors) have better treatment outcomes than women whose tumors do not have these receptors. What researchers have not understood is why this is the case. To find out, scientists at Cancer Research UK and the University of Adelaide in Australia studied the interactions between estrogen and progesterone receptors in breast cancer cells. They published their findings in the July 16, 2015 issue of the scientific journal Nature .

Before we discuss the study, let’s answer the question that many of you may be asking. What are estrogen and progesterone receptors, and what do they do? Estrogen and progesterone receptors are proteins found within many of the cells of our bodies, including cells in the breasts. They are the mechanism that allows estrogen and progesterone to change the behavior of our cells. In the process, they change how many tissues and organs in the body function. Estrogen receptors can only interact with estrogen molecules, while progesterone receptors can only interact with progesterone molecules.

When an estrogen or progesterone molecule comes in contact with its respective receptor, the molecule binds to the receptor and activates it. Once this happens, the receptor enters the nucleus of its cell and attaches to specific spots on the chromosomes that contain all of the cell’s genetic coding. When the receptor does this, it “turns on” and “turns off” specific genes that govern the behavior of the cell. So in a real sense, estrogen and progesterone receptors are constantly reprogramming our cells by turning selected genes on and off. However, these receptors can only do their work if the body provides them with estrogen and progesterone to activate them.

For years, scientists have known that when activated by most forms of estrogen, estrogen receptors turn on genes within cancerous cells that program those cells to multiply rapidly and stay alive rather than die off as normal, healthy cells do. This means that most forms of estrogen – especially estradiol and its metabolites – are potent fuels for breast cancer. That is why oncologists try so hard to reduce estrogen levels in breast cancer patients with drugs such as Tamoxifen, Femara, and Arimidex.

While scientists know how estrogen receptors fuel the growth of cancer cells, they know a lot less about what progesterone receptors do in those same cells. That lack of knowledge is what the latest research study was designed to correct. In the study, scientists took breast cancer cells that were ER positive/PR positive and exposed them to enough estrogen and progesterone to activate both the estrogen and progesterone receptors. They then used new, cutting-edge techniques to examine what the receptors did within the cancer cells. What they found amazed them. When activated by progesterone, the progesterone receptors attached themselves to the estrogen receptors. Once this happened, the estrogen receptors stopped turning on genes that promote the growth of the cancer cells. Instead, they turned on genes that promote the death of cancer cells (known as apoptosis) and the growth of healthy, normal cells!

Since these experiments were only performed on cancer cells in test tubes, the researchers took the next step and ran tests on breast cancer tumors in live mice. After embedding ER positive/PR positive breast tumors in a number of mice, they exposed some of the mice to estrogen only, others to both estrogen and progesterone, and others to no hormones at all. After 25 days, the team found that while the tumors in the mice that received only estrogen grew, the tumors in the mice that received both estrogen and progesterone decreased in size.

It should be noted that the research team gave the estrogen inhibitor Tamoxifen to some of the mice that had also been treated with natural progesterone. They then compared the tumors of these mice to the tumors of mice that received progesterone but not Tamoxifen. While tumor growth was reduced in both sets of mice, the tumors of the mice treated with both progesterone and Tamoxifen experienced the greatest growth reduction.

This led the research team to advise that doctors combine progesterone with estrogen inhibitors such as Tamoxifen in their patients’ treatment plans. While this advice deserves consideration and further research, Dr. Lee and Dr. Zava point out that Tamoxifen and other estrogen inhibitors have serious side effects that should play a role in any decision about their use.

Taken together, the experiments conducted by the research team led them to a powerful conclusion. When activated by progesterone, progesterone receptors bind to and “reprogram” estrogen receptors, transforming them from agents that turn on cancer-promoting genes to ones that turn on genes which slow down or even reverse the growth of cancer cells. The researchers also pointed out that their conclusions apply to natural, bioidentical progesterone. They rightly observed that many progestins – the synthetic, molecularly altered forms of progesterone found in pharmaceutical drugs – have been clearly shown to increase rather than decrease breast cancer risks.

These findings are incredibly good news for women diagnosed with estrogen receptor positive/progesterone receptor positive breast cancers. If such women have healthy progesterone levels or raise them to those levels through natural progesterone supplementation, they could dramatically improve their treatment outcomes. According to the American Cancer Society, around two out of three of all breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. This means that the majority of women suffering from breast cancer may benefit from adding natural progesterone to their treatment plans.

ProgesterAll™ is a fragrance-free topical cream that contains 20 milligrams (mg) of micronized bioidentical USP Natural Progesterone per quarter teaspoon of cream and 960 mg in every two-ounce tube of cream. It is the same cream formula that Dr. Lee and his family have used for over two decades. ProgesterAll contains the exact amounts of the ingredients that Dr. Lee recommended for women in his groundbreaking books, including:

• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause
• What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer

ProgesterAll™ is the only natural balancing cream that has the Lee family’s permission to have Dr. Lee’s name on it. Indeed, the Lee family is the majority owner of the company that produces ProgesterAll. This ensures that the product will always adhere to the strict guidelines that Dr. Lee laid down for natural balancing creams.

One of the unique qualities of ProgesterAll™ that sets it apart from similar products is its liposome-mediated delivery system. Many customers tell us that unlike other creams, ProgesterAll melts instantly into their skin with no greasy residue.

ProgesterAll™ Ingredients

Deionized Water, Capryllic/Capric Triglyceride, Sepigel, USP Natural Progesterone (20 milligrams (mg) per quarter teaspoon), Lecithin, Alcohol, Glycerin, Simugel (a plant-based thickener), Grapefruit Seed Extract, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate.

Net Weight: 2 fluid ounces

Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

Suggested Use:

The following information is for general use and not intended to encourage self-diagnosis or self-treatment, or to replace the guidance of your healthcare professional.

Gently massage 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cream per day into areas of thinner skin where you blush such as the neck, face, chest, inner arms or thighs, palms of the hands, or soles of the feet (unless your hands or feet are heavily callused). The optimal approach is to divide the above amount into a larger dose at bedtime and a smaller dose in the morning, or as directed by your healthcare provider. If this does not work well for you, just pick one time of the day when it’s most convenient to use it and apply the whole dose. Rotate areas daily to avoid saturation.

The back of the ProgesterAll tube has a small dot on it that you can use as a simple measuring device. If you put a round, pea-shaped dab of cream on your skin that is as wide as the dot, you will be applying approximately 1/16 teaspoon of the cream. To apply 1/8 teaspoon on a daily basis, apply two pea-shaped dots. To apply 1/4 teaspoon, apply four pea-shaped dots.

A few tips about using ProgesterAll™:
Apply the cream after a warm shower or bath, not before it. When it is used on the face, let it soak in completely before applying makeup, and do not apply ProgesterAll™ on top of makeup.

• Guidelines for Premenopausal Women. If you have an average 26- to 30-day menstrual cycle, you can begin your first month of cream use between day 10 to 12 of your menstrual cycle, counting the first day of your period as day 1. Continue until a day or two before your expected period, which for most women is between 26 and 30 days. If your period starts before your chosen last day, stop using the cream and begin counting again to day 10, 11, or 12. The closer you can get to using the cream when you ovulate or just after, the more in tune with your own cycle you will be. It may take two or three cycles to find the synchrony your body desires.
  
  
• Guidelines for Menopausal Women. The majority of menopausal women can simply use 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon of ProgesterAll™ for 24 to 26 days in a row of the calendar month. Many women find it easiest to start using the cream on the first day of the month and stop from day 24 to 26 until the next month. Other women prefer to take their hormone break for the first five to six days of the calendar month and then use the cream until the end of the month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the health benefits of the ingredients in ProgesterAll™?

In compliance with FDA guidelines, we do not provide information about health benefits on this web site. However, we can say that extensive research has been conducted on the health benefits of the ingredients. Most of this research is documented and referenced in Dr. John R. Lee M.D.’s books. To learn more about this research, click here and provide us with your email address. You will be sent a list of web sites and references containing research that you can consult.

Q. There are already a number of natural balancing creams on the market. Why offer one more?

Many excellent creams contain the ingredients that Dr. Lee recommended in the proper amounts. However, there is no industry standard to certify that natural balancing creams conform to Dr. Lee’s recommendations. As such, we are offering ProgesterAll™ as a product that will always conform to those recommendations. As the only product that has the Lee family’s permission to put Dr. Lee’s name on it, ProgesterAll™ is guaranteed to meet his exacting standards.

Q. Dr. Lee said that he would never sell a natural balancing cream because it would compromise his independence as a researcher into women’s health issues. Why is the Lee family selling a cream with Dr. Lee’s name on it now?

When Dr. Lee was alive and conducting research into women’s health issues, he avoided any conflict of interest by not selling a cream of his own. Since his death in 2003, the Lee family has been considering how to carry on his legacy of serving women. By offering a natural balancing cream that meets Dr. Lee’s strict guidelines, they are ensuring that women will continue to have access to a product that Dr. Lee used and trusted. In addition, our company will contribute a portion of the profits from sales of ProgesterAll™ to underwrite research and education for women’s health issues. When you buy ProgesterAll™, you benefit yourself and advance the women’s health causes that Dr. Lee spent his life fighting to promote.

Q. I am a healthcare practitioner. Can I purchase ProgesterAll™ for resale to my patients?

Yes…licensed healthcare practitioners can purchase ProgesterAll™ at discounted prices for resale to their patients.