Did you know progesterone is the second most important sex hormone if you're a woman? That's just one reason it's so important to acknowledge and understand progesterone for women's health. In this episode, we're diving into part one of all things progesterone including how it's produced and what happens when it's out of balance with other hormones.

Women's bodies create progesterone alongside estrogen, and it's truly the balance between these two major hormones that promotes healthy balance. During a regular menstrual cycle, after ovulation, progesterone is generated at higher levels in the body. In fact, there is no progesterone without ovulation. This means ovulation is really crucial to balancing these hormones.

Low progesterone levels can lead to estrogen dominance—a hormone state in which symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, and more can arise. Identifying estrogen dominance and its possible cause (whether in relation to progesterone levels or not) can help you figure out the best next step towards a solution.

High cortisol can impact progesterone levels. It's been postulated that the production of cortisol may actually steal progesterone from the ovaries. Whether this is true or not, stress has been shown to inhibit ovulation by directly impacting the brain, thereby promoting an overall hormone imbalance.

Intense and strenuous exercise or competitive athletes may also notice low progesterone levels. Their bodies are under a different kind of stress, but a stress nonetheless, so the body shuts down pituitary hormones, meaning the ovaries won't make any estrogen. Without estrogen, the body won't produce any progesterone, leading to further health symptoms.

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