How to choose a menopause supplement

Walk into any pharmacy, or open a shopping app, and there is a whole shelf of menopause supplements. Soy. Red clover. Black cohosh. Evening primrose oil. Herbal blends. Multivitamins for women over fifty.

They are not the same thing, and they are not made for the same problem. This guide shows you how to tell them apart, wherever you live. For prices and shops in your country, see the country guides further down.

Which stage are you in?

If your periods still come but the pattern has changed, you are most likely in perimenopause. That is the stretch of years before your last period, and it is when hot flushes, broken sleep and mood swings usually begin, often in your forties.

Menopause itself is a single day: twelve months after your last period. After that you are postmenopausal. Most menopause supplements are made for the first two stages.

Perimenopause

Often about 4 years

Periods still come, but the pattern has changed.

Menopause

One single day

12 months, no period.

Postmenopause

The rest of your life

You do not pass through it. You stay here.

If you are still not sure where you are, the three stages are explained here.

What are the main types of menopause supplement?

Almost every product is built on one of eight ingredient types. Find the main ingredient on the label first, then you know what you are comparing.

• Soy isoflavones. Plant compounds shaped a little like oestrogen. The most researched plant option for hot flushes, though results vary from study to study. More on soy isoflavones.
• S-equol. Your gut bacteria make it from soy, but only some women’s bodies do. Some products add it ready-made.
• Red clover. Another plant source of isoflavones. Study results are mixed.
• Black cohosh. A North American herb. Study results are mixed.
• Evening primrose oil. A popular shelf choice. Study results for hot flushes are mixed.
• Traditional herbal blends. Chinese herbs used for generations. Every blend is different, so read the full list.
• Ashwagandha and chasteberry. Used for stress, sleep and mood swings.
• Calcium and vitamin D. For your bones. They do nothing for hot flushes, but bones need more care after menopause.

Ingredient	Hot flushes	Sleep and mood	Bones
Soy isoflavones		·
S-equol		·	·
Red clover		·	·
Black cohosh		·	·
Ashwagandha, chasteberry	·		·
Calcium, vitamin D	·	·

What should you check before you buy?

Check six things: hormones, the ingredient list, the daily cost, how easy it is to take, how long to try it, and whether it suits any medicine you take.

1. Does it contain hormones? Most shop supplements do not, but check if you want to avoid them.
2. Is every ingredient listed, with amounts? A “proprietary blend” tells you less.
3. What does it cost a day? Divide the price by the number of days the pack lasts, not by the number of pills.
4. Can you take it every day without fuss? The best supplement is the one you remember to take.
5. How long should you try it? Give any supplement 8 to 12 weeks before you decide.
6. Is it safe with your medicine? If you take a blood thinner such as warfarin, or have had a hormone-related cancer, ask your doctor before taking soy or any isoflavone.

Where can you buy them in your country?

Shops, prices and delivery differ a lot from one country to the next, so each country has its own guide with what is on the local shelf today.

• Menopause supplements in Malaysia: pharmacies, Shopee and Lazada, and prices in RM.
• Menopause supplements in Singapore: what Guardian and Watsons stock, and prices in S$.
• Menopause supplements in Hong Kong: what is sold online, the HKC number on Chinese medicines, and prices in HK$.
• Menopause supplements in Australia: what Chemist Warehouse stocks, what AUST L means, and prices in A$.
• Menopause supplements in the UK: what Boots and Holland & Barrett stock, what NICE says, and prices in £.

Where does MenoLuv fit?

MenoLuv is a hormone-free soy drink with 15 listed ingredients, taken as one sachet a day. This guide is written by LUQUA and we make MenoLuv, so here are our own answers to the six questions.

• Hormones: none. It is hormone-free by design.
• Ingredients: 15, all on the label, including soy isoflavone, black mulberry, ashwagandha and chasteberry.
• Daily cost: lowest on the 90-day plan. Your country guide shows the price in your currency.
• How you take it: one sachet stirred into a glass of water, once a day. It tastes of mixed berries.
• How long to try it: the 3-box plan lasts 90 days.
• Where it is made: in Malaysia, in an FDA-registered, GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000 and Halal-certified facility.

In a survey of MenoLuv customers by PlantBio Research, 88% said they would continue using it daily, and 72% said their sleep lasts till morning.

We deliver worldwide, with prices shown in your own currency. See MenoLuv.