Researchers from consumer champion Which? have concluded that supplements marketed for menopausal symptoms are often overpriced and ineffective. Analyzing 26 such supplements costing up to £95 per month, the study found none contained appropriate doses of essential nutrients. For instance, while some claim to help bone health, only one product had beneficial amounts of calcium and vitamin D, matching those in a much cheaper multivitamin. The global market for menopause supplements is expected to reach £18.4 million by 2030, despite the lack of evidence supporting these products' efficacy.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Which?, a consumer watchdog, found that menopause supplements costing up to £400 annually offer no better benefits than a standard multivitamin priced at 6p per dose. The organization reviewed 26 products from retailers such as Boots, Holland & Barrett, and Amazon, discovering that these supplements often contain key nutrients like calcium and vitamin D in insufficient quantities or omit them entirely. This investigation reveals that many supplements marketed to women experiencing menopause are overpriced and ineffective, suggesting that purchasing a high-quality multivitamin plus targeted supplements could be both cheaper and more effective. The global market for menopause supplements is expected to exceed £18.4 million by 2030, raising concerns about the lack of regulatory oversight in this industry.
Written for “Menopause SupplementsExposedWasteMoney” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Supplements that claim to tackle symptoms of the menopause are overpriced and no better than a bog-standard multivitamin, researchers have concluded.
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researchers → claim → multivitamin
Many of the products on offer, costing up to £95 a month, contain key nutrients in doses too low to be effective, while others omit crucial vitamins and minerals.
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others → cost → vitamins
Researchers from consumer champion Which? say their findings are evidence that manufacturers are 'fairy-dusting' ingredients and using 'quasi-medical claims' to 'cash in on health anxiety and insecurities'.
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manufacturers → say → anxiety
Nutrition experts from the website reviewed 26 supplements aimed at women going through the perimenopause, menopause or those over 45 – and checked the scientific validity of the 78 active ingredients they contained.
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they → review → ingredients
They found that not a single product analysed contained the right combination of nutrients at appropriate doses to support their use specifically for menopause.
'Despite these big claims the vast majority of these products lack the nutritional basics to cover the deficiencies most likely to happen with menopause,' said Which? nutritionist Shefalee Loth.
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Loth → find → menopause
Supplements aimed at menopausal women have become increasingly popular in recent years and have been promoted by high-profile figures including actress Naomi Watts.
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Supplements → aim → Watts
The global market for menopause supplements is expected to surpass £18.4million by 2030.
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market → expect → 2030
Menopause supplements are no better than 6p multivitamin, investigation reveals
Many products – sold at high street retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and Holland and Barrett – claim to help bone problems that can result from a decline in the sex hormone oestrogen.
However, the analysis showed that only one product contained beneficial amounts of calcium and vitamin D – nutrients proven to help strengthen bones.
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product → reveal → bones
What's more, the amount in the Menopace Max pill, created by pharma firm Vitabiotics, was identical to the quantity in a supermarket multivitamin that is 15-times cheaper.
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that → create → multivitamin
However, it was found to contain higher doses of calcium – which women lose at a higher rate after the menopause, thanks to falling oestrogen levels.
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women → find → levels
Other eye-wateringly priced products include Wild Nutrition Women's 45+ Daily Multi Nutrient, which costs £1.27 a day (£468 per year) and is promoted as 'menopause-friendly' on the company website.
Despite this, it contains just 60mg of calcium and 30mg of magnesium, both way below the daily dose recommended by the NHS.
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both → price → NHS
The British Menopause Society recommends a daily 10mcg or 400IU vitamin D supplement only for women of menopausal age.
Vitabiotics Menopace Max costs £340 over the course of a year - over 15 times more than Asda’s 6p multivitamin
Meanwhile, The International Menopause Society states that adequate calcium is vital for the prevention of brittle bone condition osteoporosis, which is common post-menopause.
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which → recommend → osteoporosis
The findings come weeks after UK experts warned that some menopause supplements on sale contain potentially toxic ingredients.
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supplements → come → ingredients
Some products were found to put women at risk of vomiting, confusion and organ damage, if taken at high doses.
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products → find → doses
The researchers, from University College London, concluded that women are falling victim to a 'menopause gold rush', spending hundreds of pounds on products 'not supported by scientific evidence'.
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women → conclude → evidence
The Which? experts described the supplement industry as resembling the 'wild west' and accused regulators of not doing enough to protect consumers from 'dubious marketing' and unchecked medical claims.
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experts → describe → marketing
The menopause is when a woman’s periods stop due to lower hormone levels, usually between the ages of 45 and 55.
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periods → stop → 45
It is estimated that there are currently around 13million perimenopausal or menopausal women in the UK.
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It → estimate → UK
Common physical symptoms experienced by some 80 per cent of women include hot flushes, palpitations and difficulty sleeping, and mental symptoms including brain fog and mood changes.
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symptoms → experience → fog
The Aporia
