OVULATION AND PROGESTERONE

Ovulation is an important part of the cycle, even if you’re not trying to be pregnant. Why? Because ovulation is how you make progesterone.

The making of progesterone, is brought on by ovulation. Meaning that progesterone production starts with ovulation. Ovulation is a part of a healthy menstrual cycle, and if you aren’t ovulating, on a regular basis, that’s a sign that something is off.

When an egg is released from your ovary, the follicle (a follicle is a sac that contains one egg) is what’s left. This material then developes into what’s called the corpus luteum, which is a temporary gland that forms from the emptied follicle after ovulation. And this material, the corpus luteum, is what makes progesterone! So if you don’t ovulate, you aren’t getting this remaining material that forms the corpus luteum, either. Which again mean, that you won’t produce progesterone. Ovulation is an all-or-nothing event. Your either ovulate, or you don’t. So to produce progesterone, you need to ovulate.

The corpus luteum forms rapidly after ovulation, and the tissue grows from literally nothing to a fully 4 centimeters structure in less than one day. It then secretes progesterone for the next 10-16 days, which is the luteal phase (hence corpus luteum), the period between ovulation and the bleed.

The corpus luteum requires certain nutrients to form, build and make progesterone. If you don’t ovulate, or you do ovulate, but you don’t have enough nutrients to create a propper corpus luteum, this will result in lower levels of progesterone. So to make sure that you produce enough progesterone, start with:

1. making sure that you ovulate. 
2. making sure that the corpus luteum has everything it needs.

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Nutrients needed for a healthy corpus luteum

  • Selenium (animal foods, brazil nuts)

  • Magnesium (malate/glycinate supplementation, magnesium baths)

  • Cholesterol (eggs and other animal foods)

  • B vitamins (liver, bone broth)

  • CoQ10 (organ meats)

  • Iodine (natural sources only: kelp/seaweed, fish)

  • Zinc (from food. not recommending supplements as zinc can disturb your copper/zinc ratio and the copper metabolizm, depending on your status)

    The more progesterone you have in your life, the better your life will be.

Trine KristiansenComment