Outline

The purpose of this outline is to simplify my thought process for how to get the hormones you need via diet and/or supplements. These are notes for the author because this site has mushroomed to 42 pieces in under ten days and ***I*** am having trouble following it. 

This is an untested hypothesis. I ***THINK*** this works but have no citable data proving that it works. Feel free to do a bonafide medical study. I'm in no position to do that.

---

Progesterone, estrogen and testosterone all start with cholesterol. -- Raison D'etre

Step Zero:

For some people, increasing cholesterol may be a necessary Step Zero. B5 is a cholesterol precursor which will help build cholesterol in house in places it's needed, including but not limited to the brain which is the highest cholesterol organ in the body and builds 95 percent of its cholesterol in house. 

I am noting this because my hypothesis is that there's a genetic or biological mismatch somewhere and I have a genetic disorder and know stuff. If consuming cholesterol is problematic, upping B5 may improve things while sidestepping problematic side effects.-- Dietary Sources for B5, a Cholesterol Precursor 

Step One:

A high cholesterol food consumed with a food rich in enzymes (such as raw pineapple and raw papaya) should increase progesterone. -- Quick and Extremely Dirty Notes

There are potentially other options for enzymes which may also work in place of raw papaya and raw pineapple. -- Other Foods Containing Enzymes

(MAYBE: For some people, increasing B5 to increase cholesterol and then eating enzyme-rich foods after cholesterol goes up might work. I am noting this to provide options because there are likely many different sex hormone syndromes with different problems, so some people may need alternate processes.)

The above is likely Step One of a multi-step process for creating estrogen or testosterone. -- Monotherapy

Half-baked Step Two:

This needs a LOT more research. I'm putting it here so I can FIND it again and eventually pursue it.

...that potentially means:

1. Progesterone producing meal

2. Plus adrenal support

Equals: one step away from making estrogen or testosterone AND up to this point, your gonads are completely irrelevant.

 According to a former registered nurse whose wealth of medical knowledge helped save my life, if you need substantial adrenal support, you likely also need Thyroid Support.

Step Three

Hypothetically, including nutrients known to support testosterone production and avoiding those known to support estrogen production might be a useful biohack for FtM pre-op trans people. And vice versa for MtF individuals.

Timing will matter. It's probably not something you can do in one meal because you are trying to artificially force the body through a series of manufacturing steps. 

As a guess, do steps one and two the same day and step three the following day.

A. Estrogen 

B. Testosterone 

Determining Need 

Testosterone Therapy for Post-Menopausal Women has general notes suggesting you may be able to determine need based on oral interview or DIY it with a health journal and doing your own research (aka reading and talking to people, often online). 

This site began as a thought experiment for making hormones without a prescription for trans individuals. I am fairly confident Step One should produce progesterone and I THINK Steps Two and Three should work, but I can't prove that.

However, there are more hormone-producing organs in the body than the gonads and I've written up information on supporting the adrenals and thyroid for purposes of fleshing out Steps Two and Three and that information about adrenals and thyroid is based on firsthand experience.

So I'm absolutely certain that WORKS if that's an issue, depending on the issue, because I actually do those pieces when I'm having adrenal or thyroid issues.

I have a history of getting along with bipolar individuals and I have long done research into bipolar pathology because side effects of my condition sometimes LOOK similar to bipolar symptoms, so I'm fairly confident bipolar is at least partly a hormone syndrome, though not a sex hormone syndrome like being trans is.

The post linked above about Testosterone Therapy for Post-Menopausal Women outlines yet another population for whom no existing commercial product tailored to their needs exists and who might be interested in tweaking their diet for health reasons.

So this site has inadvertently and organically expanded beyond its original scope and I probably can't adequately cover detailed instructions for every possible population who may find this information useful. But that doesn't mean you can't find a way to safely apply it to your situation, if you do your due diligence and follow appropriate procedures.

Footnote 

This piece is a living document and gets periodically edited. Heavily revised 28 November 2025. Testosterone notes added 9 January 2026. Estrogen notes added 27 January 2026.