Menopause markup: specialist supplements costing more than £400 a year no better than 6p multivitamin, Which? reveals
Many supplements marketed at perimenopausal and menopausal women are overpriced and lack meaningful doses of key nutrients while costing 20 times more than a standard multivitamin, a new Which? investigation has found.
The consumer champion’s nutrition experts reviewed 26 supplements aimed at women going through the perimenopause, menopause or over the age of 45, from popular retailers including Holland & Barrett, Boots and Amazon, analysing the latest scientific evidence behind over 78 active ingredients.
None of the products assessed met the quality standards required to be named a Which? Best Buy as not one of the supplements contained the right combination of nutrients at appropriate doses to support their use specifically for menopause.
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 play a role.
Which? found that buying a high-quality multivitamin and adding targeted supplements where needed could be cheaper than a so-called all-in-one menopause blend and potentially more effective.
For example, Asda A-Z Multivitamins & Minerals, costs just 6p a day (£22 a year) and contains all essential vitamins, plus 200mg of calcium and 100mg of magnesium.
The most expensive product Which? looked at was Love Mushrooms Empower, which costs £1.33 a day for a two tablet dose (£485.45 over the course of a year). Which? found it has a good mix of well-dosed ingredients but it is lacking in the menopause-specific nutrients like magnesium and calcium. It also includes Lion's Mane extract - which has some evidence for menopausal mood symptoms - however the dose is too low to be effective.
Another expensive product reviewed by Which? was 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 the hefty price tag, it contains just 1.5µg of vitamin D, 60mg of calcium and 30mg of magnesium, all way under the daily dose recommended by the NHS.
Wild Nutrition also markets this supplement alongside one or two other products as part of “Menopause Support” packages. Adding the Menopause Complex product increases the price to £2.28 a day (£820.28 per year), but the combination still falls well short of the recommended levels of vitamin D and calcium. The company’s full Menopause Support Trio package adds a further “Bone & Muscle Support” product, which increases vitamin D, but still falls short on calcium and brings the overall price to an eye-watering £3.19 per day (£1,147.56 per year).
Beyond price, many of the menopause supplements also contain key nutrients in doses too low to be beneficial, known as ‘fairy-dusting’, while others omit important vitamins and minerals altogether.
My Vitamins Menosure, which includes the word 'wellness' on the label, costs 63p per daily dose yet every vitamin, mineral, and botanical ingredient is severely underdosed according to Which?'s standards. For instance, it contains 100mg evening primrose oil, when the recommended dose is 500mg. It contains vitamins B12, niacin and folic acid which have some evidence to support their use in menopause, however others such as B1, 2 and 7 have no evidence they specifically help.
Health & Her Menopause Multi Nutrient Supplement contains a host of claims on the label purporting to help with ailments such as cognitive function, energy levels and even testosterone. This product costs 59p per day but Which? found it contains no vitamin D or calcium, while the 57mg magnesium included is too low a dose to be beneficial. This product contains a host of botanicals such as red clover and sage, but these are also under-dosed.
Even the highest-scoring menopause supplement in the investigation, Vitabiotics Menopace Max costs 93p per daily dose or £340 over the course of a year - over 15 times more than Asda’s 6p multivitamin - meaning shoppers could still save more than £300 a year by swapping from one to the other.
Menopace Max - which says 'Maximum support' on the label - is the only product Which? looked at that contains a higher dose of calcium (700mg) which puts it ahead of the other products in the research. It also contains red clover isoflavones which research suggests is beneficial for hot flushes, however the 6p multivitamin provides identical amounts of Vitamin D (10µg) and Magnesium (100mg) although the Vitamin C (80mg vs 45mg) is higher.
Many products combine vitamins and minerals with botanical ingredients, but Which? found that the evidence for botanicals such as black cohosh, soy, and red clover is mixed and products often contain them at doses far below those used in clinical trials. This means consumers could be paying for ingredients in amounts that are too low to be of use, even if they were shown to be effective.
More broadly, Which? is concerned that the supplements industry has become a ‘wild west’ and regulators are 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.
While manufacturers should not be making false claims or medicinal claims, they can use persuasive buzzwords such as 'wellness', 'balance', 'support' and 'boost' alongside the 'meno' abbreviation or a specific age range.
Which? is advising shoppers not to be swayed by the marketing of specialist menopause or menopause friendly supplements, and to check what they’re actually getting for their money before paying a premium.
The consumer champion believes the responsible regulators need to up their game when it comes to monitoring the market for dodgy claims including holding online marketplaces, to account for allowing their sellers to seemingly mislead consumers.
Shefalee Loth, Which? Nutritionist, 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.
"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.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
Methodology
Every supplement in the review was assessed by Shefalee Loth, Which?'s Lead Health and Wellbeing Researcher and Public Health Nutritionist, alongside consultant dietitian Sophie Medlin. They researched more than 78 active ingredients and developed a detailed scoring system to assess the vitamins, minerals, herbal ingredients and additives in each menopause supplement.
Table of products Which? included in the study:
Which? Best Buys
The minimum criteria for a BB rating across Which?’s supplement testing is a minimum score of 70% across bioavailability, dose and additives.
Menopause supplements were assessed using a different methodology. The analysis considered the vitamins, minerals and other active ingredients (such as botanicals) contained in each supplement, the evidence supporting their use for menopause symptoms or related issues, and the doses provided.
Each supplement was assessed based on the nutrients it contained, the strength of evidence supporting their use in relation to menopause, and whether the nutrients were provided at an appropriate dose.
Regulation
In the UK, food supplements are generally regulated as foods and general requirements to be safe and not mislead as well as subject to more specific requirements for making health claims and labelling. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland are the responsible regulators with most enforcement falling to Trading Standards (and Environmental Health in Scotland and Northern Ireland). If they make a medicinal claim (that a product can prevent, treat or cure a condition for example), then the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has responsibility and borderline claims have to be resolved between the regulators. The Advertising Standards Authority can also act when claims are made in advertising.
HRT
Supplements are not a substitute for HRT. Speak to a GP or pharmacist before adding a supplement to your routine, as some ingredients, particularly herbal or botanical ingredients, can interact with medicines.
Botanicals and herbal ingredients
Botanical ingredients commonly marketed for menopause include black cohosh, soy and red clover isoflavones, sage and St John’s wort. While some may have evidence for helping particular menopause symptoms, they are not necessarily suitable for everyone. Some can interact with medicines or may be unsuitable for people with certain medical conditions. Consumers should check with their doctor or pharmacist before taking herbal or botanical supplements, particularly if they take medication.
Useful links
Full Which? menopause supplements review
Which? podcasts shorts: Are menopause supplements worth buying
Which? nutrition and supplement advice guides
The Health Reset - a podcast from Which?
To help consumers cut through health and wellbeing noise, Which? is launching a new four-part, video-first podcast series this October. Hosted by Which?’s in-house Nutritionist Shefalee Loth, the series features deep-dive conversations with leading industry experts to debunk trending health myths, separate marketing hype from genuine science, and offer clear, evidence-based advice.
Episode 1: Can you eat your way to a younger body?
8 October | Guest: Laura Clark, Registered Dietitian
Exploring how nutrition affects ageing, from metabolic slowdown and ultra-processed foods to the evidence behind popular supplements.
LIVE Podcast: How to thrive through mid-life and menopause
13 October | Guests: Dr Amir Khan & Dr Emma Wedgeworth
An interactive episode exploring menopause marketing, practical ways to manage hormonal changes, and how to support gut and skin health without overspending - with listeners’ questions answered live.
Episode 2: What’s the best way to protect ageing skin?
15 October | Guest: Dr Anjali Mahto, Consultant Dermatologist
Separating skincare science from marketing hype, including new technology, the key products and collagen supplements.
Episode 3: Can you stop yourself getting ill this winter?
22 October | Guest: Dr Jenna Macciochi, Immunologist
Cutting through winter wellness claims and examining what really supports immunity, from at-home health tests and nasal sprays to supplements.
You can watch each episode of The Health Reset on Which?'s YouTube channel, or listen to The Health Reset wherever you get your podcasts including Apple and Spotify. Episodes released each Thursday from 8th October.
Rights of Reply
Health & Her did not respond to Which?’s request for comment.
A Holland & Barrett spokesperson said:
“At Holland & Barrett, our own-brand menopause products are specifically formulated for the nutritional needs associated with this life stage. They contain meaningful, evidence-based levels of key vitamins and minerals and are not simply standard multivitamins with menopause branding.
We believe customers should have clear, transparent information to help them make informed choices. We ensure the health benefits we communicate are appropriately substantiated and continually review our formulations against evolving scientific evidence and our own rigorous standards.”
Love Mushrooms did not respond to Which?’s request for comment.
A MyVitamins spokesperson said:
“Our product is a multi-ingredient formulation, so individual ingredients are not intended to be used at the same levels as they would be in a standalone supplement. Evening primrose oil is included at 100mg per recommended daily serving as one component of the overall formulation, alongside sage, hops, soya bean, maca, magnesium and other nutrients. There is no single universally recommended dose of evening primrose oil applicable to all products or uses. The product also contains a range of B vitamins which have recognised nutritional roles. We do not claim that B1, B2 or B7 specifically treat or alleviate menopause symptoms, their inclusion reflects their nutritional contribution as part of the overall formulation.”
Isabelle Nunn, Head of Nutrition Science and Formulation at Wild Nutrition, said:
“Our carefully considered and well researched menopause formulations are designed to complement, not replace, a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle alongside weight-bearing exercise, sleep and stress management. This approach is reflected in the NHS guidelines, which state that adults should obtain most of their RDA of vitamins and minerals through a varied diet, not through supplementation. Every woman’s journey is unique to them, which is why we recommend speaking to a qualified nutritional expert before taking any supplements to ensure they are supporting individual nutritional needs.”
About Which?
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