Supplements marketed at menopausal women and costing hundreds of pounds a year are no better than a 6p-a-dose multivitamin, according to consumer group Which?.
Researchers for Which? reviewed 26 supplements aimed at women going through the perimenopause, menopause or over the age of 45, cross-checking them with the latest scientific evidence on more than 78 active ingredients. They concluded that many were overpriced and lacked meaningful doses of key nutrients, while costing 20 times more than a standard multivitamin.
No product met nutritional needs
None of the supplements contained the right combination of nutrients at appropriate doses to support their use specifically for menopause, the experts found. The most important nutrients during menopause are calcium and vitamin D, which support bone health as oestrogen levels decline, while magnesium, iron, B vitamins, vitamins C, E and K, iodine, selenium and zinc can also help women.
Which? suggested that buying a high-quality multivitamin and adding targeted supplements where needed could be cheaper than a so-called all-in-one menopause blend while being potentially more effective. It found that Asda’s A-Z Multivitamins & Minerals, costing just 6p a day or £22 a year, contained all essential vitamins as well as 200mg of calcium and 100mg of magnesium.
Low doses and weak evidence
Beyond price, many of the menopause supplements contained key nutrients in doses too low to be beneficial – a practice known as “fairy-dusting” – while others omitted important vitamins and minerals altogether. Many products combined vitamins and minerals with botanical ingredients, but Which? found the evidence for botanicals such as black cohosh, soy and red clover was “mixed”, and products often contained them at doses far below those used in clinical trials.
Which? said it was concerned that the supplements industry had become a “wild west” and regulators were not doing enough to get a grip on “dubious marketing” and “unchecked quasi-medical claims from firms apparently seeking to cash in on people’s health anxiety and insecurities”.
Advice to shoppers
The consumer group advised shoppers not to be “swayed” by the marketing of specialist menopause or menopause-friendly supplements, and to check what they were actually getting for their money before paying a premium.
Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth said: “Navigating mid-life is tricky enough but with so many products making big claims about how they can help, finding what actually works can be completely overwhelming and costs can spiral.”
She added: “Our research shows that despite these big claims the vast majority of these products lack the nutritional basics to cover the deficiencies most likely to happen with menopause despite some costing hundreds and hundreds of pounds a year. Our advice is to look beyond the marketing hype and think carefully about what you actually need. A higher price doesn’t automatically mean a product will be effective and a cheap multivitamin could do the same job without breaking the bank.”
