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Hey everyone, it's Mikki here. You're listening to another mini Mikkipedia on a Monday. And today I am wanting to follow up on last week's mini episode on lifestyle considerations for progesterone levels with some supplement ideas. And I'm going to stop short of saying recommendations only because supplements...

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can be very individual as to what works and what doesn't. And while some are absolutely fine to take, you know, regardless, probably for most people, I would say that giving the advice from a naturopath or an experienced nutritionist in this area makes sense to me or herbalist or something like that. Someone who is well-schooled in the

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effects of different supplements and herbs and the interactions between them. So really, this is quite an informational podcast in that it'll give you some ideas to then go and sort of seek out more professional advice if that is what you require. So if you didn't listen to last week's podcast for the general overview of what might be helpful, et cetera, then I would definitely suggest

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heading back to listen to last week's podcast, where you get like an overview of progesterone, luteal phase deficiency, and lifestyle considerations. And of course, during that podcast, I highlighted how important stress management was. So I will reiterate that again today before just going through some of the most common

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vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are often recommended for low progesterone levels or to support healthy progesterone levels. What I would also say is that for an excellent resource, of course, you will want to be checking out Lara Brydon and her book, Hormone Repair Manual, and also her period repair manual. And even just over at her website, Lara Brydon.com.

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She has a ton of information over there as to what can be really super helpful. So the other thing I will mention with some of these supplements is that the majority of research that you will find out there are preclinical trials or proof of concept trials, which just means that there is not robust evidence in humans.

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to support their use, which doesn't mean that they're not helpful. It just again means that it cannot be, I guess, stated that there is really robust evidence around it. Some of these supplements, indeed they show some promise. I would definitely say they shouldn't really replace any sort of advice that you might get from a health professional in this field. So the first one, super basic, vitamin C. So there are in fact some studies showing

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in women with luteal phase deficiency that have shown that vitamin C can increase progesterone levels and it is thought that vitamin C or ascorbic acid plays a role in increasing estrogen levels which can indirectly lead to increased progesterone production. Because of course we require sufficient estrogen for ovulation and after ovulation progesterone is produced.

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It might also enhance the function of the corpus luteum, which is responsible for progesterone production in the ovaries. And the amounts that are considered helpful is in the realm of about 5,000 to 1,000 milligrams per day, which isn't a lot. And in fact, I've often seen 750 milligrams recommended with vitamin C.

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Vitamin B6 is a super common one as well, and it has been linked to improve progesterone levels and often recommended for premenstrual syndrome symptoms or PMS. And it is believed to support overall hormone balance, including the regulation of estrogen and progesterone, potentially impacting neurotransmitter function and steroid hormone metabolism. And often you find B6 in other

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supplements such as the one that I love, ethical nutrients, mega magnesium to help support gather in our neurotransmitters actually. You don't want to overdose on B6 because there is certainly is an upper tolerable limit here and you wouldn't want any more than 50 milligrams a day from your from any of the supplements that you would take. Zinc is crucial for hormones and hormone production and has been linked to improved reproductive health and menstrual regularity.

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And certainly if stress management is a concern of yours, zinc is super helpful for stress, but also we use more zinc in stressed sort of situations. It plays a role supporting the pituitary gland, which releases the hormones necessary for ovulation. And as mentioned earlier, ovulation is essential for progesterone production. Now zinc is best taken with food, particularly if you feel nauseous.

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and standard dose recommendations would be 15 milligrams. However, I have seen recommended 25 to even 50 milligrams of zinc. But as zinc is something that we can't easily excrete, I would say, and it's often recommended not to stay at too higher doses for too long. So again, this is why it is important to get the input from your health professional.

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are also involved in hormone production. It supports the adrenal glands, reduces stress, which obviously can impact progesterone levels, and helps in the production and release of progesterone from the ovaries. And magnesium is super safe to take. Often we are recommended to take around 400 milligrams of magnesium. And there are several different types of magnesiums out there on the market. My best advice is to ignore

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magnesium oxide and hydroxide because these are poorly absorbed. And instead, magnesiums such as threonate, which the commercial product is MagTeen, or even magnesium glycinate, these two are typically thought to be to cross the blood-brain barrier much more readily than other forms of magnesium, albeit magnesium malate.

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magnesium citrate and then magnesium that is also chelated to an amino acid is thought to also be really helpful as well. And if you struggle with a form of magnesium or your magnesium supplement that you might have in terms of it resulting in digestive distress, then do look at the form that you've got because that isn't the case for all magnesium supplements.

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And as I said, 400 milligrams, you can absolutely go higher. Now this is one which there is in fact quite good evidence for, and that's Vitex or chased berry is another way to, another name for it. So it's been traditionally used to heal hormone imbalances. There is some clinical evidence supporting its use in improving progesterone levels. And it might influence hormonal production by acting on the pituitary gland.

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particularly increasing the luteinizing hormone production, which encourages ovulation and subsequently progesterone production. Common doses range from about 150 to 200 milligrams of a standardized extract, taking once daily in the morning. And it's usually recommended to take Chaseberry for at least three months before assessing its effectiveness. And I've also seen recommendations of being on it for

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25 days and then coming off it for the five days of your actual menstrual cycle and then beginning that on the next cycle of the bitex or of the chase berry. Evening primrose oils often used for PMS and menopausal symptoms and hormone balance. Although its role in progesterone production isn't fully understood, it's thought to involve its fatty acid content which can impact overall hormonal health.

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So you can see it's interesting with EPO, evening primrose oil, is that there isn't any robust clinical evidence to support its use, but it is widely used and has a lot of anecdotal reports to suggest that it can be super helpful. And standard doses range from about 500 to a thousand milligrams a day. And starting at that lower dose might be helpful, taken in the evening. Other.

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Minerals that are often recommended is selenium. It's a trace mineral. And whilst direct studies linking selenium to progesterone production are limited, we know that it plays a role in overall endocrine and reproductive health. It's an antioxidant and it's got a supporting role with thyroid function. And these are interconnected with our reproductive hormones. So

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This is one of the reasons why selenium is often recommended. Now you do want to be mindful of dose because selenium toxicity can occur if too much is ingested which can lead to symptoms such as GI upset, hair loss and fatigue. So this is particularly one where it is really helpful to work with a practitioner with.

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Despite the fact that you hear you can get selenium from Brazil nuts, in fact, it's very variable as to how much selenium Brazil nuts actually have in them. You can of course get it from fish and other meats like chicken and beef as well, potentially sunflower seeds also. Dose recommendations might be anywhere from 50 to 200 milligrams per day, but as I said that at that higher dose, do be mindful of the potential for toxicity.

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Another anti or the other two antioxidants which are widely sort of suggested to help are vitamin A and vitamin E. They're part of a wider network of nutrients necessary for optimal hormone health. So their antioxidant properties help protect the reproductive system from oxidative stress, thus supporting hormone production and balance. Do note that both vitamins A and E are fat soluble, which means that they can accumulate in the body and potentially.

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If you take them in excess, they can cause toxicity. That's why dietary sources of both nutrients are often recommended. And vitamin A is found in liver, fish oils, milk, eggs, as retinol, which is the preformed vitamin A. But then you've also got better carotene from fruits and vegetables like carrots and spinach.

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Having said that though, of course supplementing can be really helpful as well. So you do want to be mindful as I said about toxicity. Supplemental doses for vitamin E range from 100 to 400 international units, which is anywhere from 6 to 25 milligrams. And the RDA for vitamin A is 700 micrograms for women.

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And for a supplement in vitamin A, it's commonly available in doses ranging from 2,500 to 10,000 international units. However, again, because it is fat soluble, you do wanna be mindful to potentially start at the lower end of that supplement range, and as I have mentioned several times, work with a health practitioner around it. Now, herbs certainly are also sort of part of the recommendations for balancing or helping

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healthy progesterone levels. And herbs are absolutely not my skill set, but I did want to just mention some of the common recommendations that are out there. Again, I encourage you to work with someone in and around this. So the first one is Dong Kui. And this is known as a female ginseng. It's a traditional Chinese herb used for menstrual irregularities and menopausal symptoms.

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and it is believed to help balance progesterone and estrogen, although it's often used more for its estrogenic effects actually. It should be used with caution and not in conjunction with blood thinners or those with a heavy menstrual bleeding. Wild yam is a compound that can be chemically converted into progesterone in a lab setting.

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And this is why you often see it in progesterone creams, but the conversion doesn't actually happen in the human body. This is something that you see quite a bit in nutrition, actually. Just because something contains a particular constituent doesn't mean that we can actually use it. And this is the case with wild yam. So it would be fair to say that its effectiveness in increasing progesterone levels directly isn't actually that well established.

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Red raspberry leaf is often used as a uterine tonic and reputed to strengthen and tone uterine muscles and traditionally recommended during pregnancy. So while not directly linked to increasing progesterone, its overall supportive role in reproductive health does make it a popular choice in herbal blends for women. That really pretty much probably tells you a lot of what you need to know in terms of how little research there is around that actually.

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Cohox is in several supplements for hormonal health, it's very well known actually, and commonly used for menopausal symptoms and menstrual discomfort. And whilst it is thought to have estrogen-like effects, this has thought to help balance hormones directly, and is often included in these herbal regimes for hormonal balance. Maca root. Maca is a Peruvian herb known for its ability to enhance energy, stamina, and libido.

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and touted as a hormone balancer. And again, while not directly increasing progesterone, it is believed to support the overall endocrine system. And finally, ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is a super popular herb actually for stress and anxiety. And there is good research to support its use with these in mind. And because of its impact on improving stress levels, it could certainly

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So I have very little hesitation actually in recommending ashwagandha and I haven't mentioned dosages for the other herbs because it is just not my wheelhouse. But because I've used and seen ashwagandha with clients, I'm really confident in its ability to help. Doses of about 600 milligrams a day could be beneficial. And just to really be mindful as well with supplements, any supplements

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is that supplements are like the cherry on top of a good lifestyle. So you cannot really skip the real foundational work when it comes to any hormone issues, be it progesterone, thyroid, anything, and just go straight to the supplements because you will get very little results if that's the case. And then of course, you may be led to believe that these supplements don't work and they can't help, which couldn't be further from the truth, actually, if you listen to

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a lot of the anecdotal stories. And even as I said, there is some good research around some of these supplements. So you should absolutely consider them, but not until you address the foundational sort of problems. And of course, with anything hormonal, it's very difficult and not at all recommended to do it yourself, sort of in the dark without the help of a really experienced practitioner. And there are several people out there who can be super.

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helpful and I mentioned Lara and you know, if not as a consultation she has very accessible information out there to help support your journey into sort of figuring out What's going on with your hormones? Because I guess the other thing to be mindful of is that you know, yes, it can be your hormones But it is something else in the background that's causing these hormonal challenges and until you address that then you're probably not going to make too much progress Anyway, that is it

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If you're listening to this on a Monday, Merry Christmas! Hope you have just the most fabulous day and you get to spend it with the people that you love and that you appreciate what you have, I guess. Like I appreciate you listening to Mini Mikkipedia and just the podcast. It's amazing. So questions, comments, feedback, find me on Facebook @mikkiwillidennutrition, over on Instagram threads and Twitter @mikkiwilliden head to my website, mikkiwilliden.com.

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Awesome team, you guys have the best day, have the best week. See you later.