What is in the bottle? An analysis of the ingredients in menopause supplements.

IF 3.9 4区医学 Q1 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Climacteric Pub Date : 2026-09-10 DOI:10.1080/13697137.2026.2719016

Poppy Sullivan, Anne-Marie Boylan, Joyce Catherine Harper

{"title":"What is in the bottle? An analysis of the ingredients in menopause supplements.","authors":"Poppy Sullivan, Anne-Marie Boylan, Joyce Catherine Harper","doi":"10.1080/13697137.2026.2719016","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Objective: Menopause supplements are a global market projected to reach $25 billion by 2030, despite a lack of evidence on their efficacy. This study analyzed the ingredients, doses and costs of menopause supplements in the UK.Method: A systematic search of nine UK retailers and Google Shopping was conducted using the terms 'menopause' and 'menopause supplements'. Products with the term 'menopause' in their name or description were included; duplicates, bundles and discontinued items were excluded. Ingredients were categorized as vitamins and minerals, botanicals, and other active and non-active ingredients. Doses and costs were recorded.Results: We identified 201 menopause supplements. Herbs (80.1%), vitamins (76.6%) and phytoestrogens (74.1%) were the most common ingredients. Vitamin B6 appeared in 69.2% of products, while zinc and magnesium were found in 48.8% and 47.3%, respectively. Red clover (38.8%) and sage (42.8%) were the most common phytoestrogen and herb. Costs ranged from £1.50 to £95 per month.Conclusion: Menopause supplements contain highly variable ingredients and are often expensive. They are being sold to women as a way to reduce menopause symptoms despite the limited empirical evidence currently available. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the wide variability in supplement formulations and discuss evidence-based treatment options with women considering these products.","PeriodicalId":10213,"journal":{"name":"Climacteric","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Climacteric","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2026.2719016","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: Menopause supplements are a global market projected to reach $25 billion by 2030, despite a lack of evidence on their efficacy. This study analyzed the ingredients, doses and costs of menopause supplements in the UK.

Method: A systematic search of nine UK retailers and Google Shopping was conducted using the terms 'menopause' and 'menopause supplements'. Products with the term 'menopause' in their name or description were included; duplicates, bundles and discontinued items were excluded. Ingredients were categorized as vitamins and minerals, botanicals, and other active and non-active ingredients. Doses and costs were recorded.

Results: We identified 201 menopause supplements. Herbs (80.1%), vitamins (76.6%) and phytoestrogens (74.1%) were the most common ingredients. Vitamin B6 appeared in 69.2% of products, while zinc and magnesium were found in 48.8% and 47.3%, respectively. Red clover (38.8%) and sage (42.8%) were the most common phytoestrogen and herb. Costs ranged from £1.50 to £95 per month.

Conclusion: Menopause supplements contain highly variable ingredients and are often expensive. They are being sold to women as a way to reduce menopause symptoms despite the limited empirical evidence currently available. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the wide variability in supplement formulations and discuss evidence-based treatment options with women considering these products.

查看原文本刊更多论文

瓶子里是什么？更年期补品成分分析。

目的：更年期补充剂是一个全球市场，预计到2030年将达到250亿美元，尽管缺乏证据证明其有效性。这项研究分析了英国更年期补充剂的成分、剂量和成本。方法：对英国九家零售商和谷歌购物进行系统搜索，使用术语“更年期”和“更年期补充剂”。产品名称或描述中包含“更年期”一词；不包括重复、捆绑和停止的项目。成分被分类为维生素和矿物质，植物成分，以及其他活性和非活性成分。记录剂量和费用。结果：我们确定了201种更年期补充剂。草药（80.1%）、维生素（76.6%）和植物雌激素（74.1%）是最常见的成分。维生素B6的含量为69.2%，锌和镁的含量分别为48.8%和47.3%。红三叶草（38.8%）和鼠尾草（42.8%）是最常见的植物雌激素和草本植物。费用从每月1.5英镑到95英镑不等。结论：更年期补品成分多变，价格昂贵。尽管目前可获得的经验证据有限，但它们仍被作为一种减轻更年期症状的方法出售给妇女。医疗保健专业人员应该意识到补充剂配方的广泛变化，并与考虑使用这些产品的妇女讨论循证治疗方案。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Climacteric 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

1.70

自引率

7.10%

发文量

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Climacteric is the official journal of the International Menopause Society (IMS). As an international peer-reviewed journal it publishes original research and reviews of all aspects of aging in women. Climacteric was founded by the IMS in 1998 and today has become a leading journal in the publication of peer-reviewed papers on the menopause, climacteric and mid-life health. Topics covered include endocrine changes, symptoms attributed to the menopause and their treatment, hormone replacement and alternative therapies, lifestyles, and the counselling and education of peri- and postmenopausal women. Climacteric, published bimonthly, also features regular invited reviews, editorials and commentaries on recent developments. The editorial review board of Climacteric includes leading scientific and clinical experts in the field of midlife medicine and research and is headed by its Editor-in-Chief, Professor Rod Baber of Australia. He and his team of Associate Editors act independently to set a clear editorial policy, co-ordinate peer review, and ensure a rapid response to submitted papers.