Supplements + Menopause

What you need to know before you shell out the big bucks.

Welcome to my nuanced take on supplements! This post (as well as next week’s follow up post) were originally sent a year ago but needed a permanent spot on Hot & Bothered - so here we are!

This post addresses important issues to consider before choosing to take any supplement. But next week I’ll give you a rundown of some supplements you might find helpful during the menopause transition and beyond.

Without further ado,

Why I’m careful when it comes to supplements and think you should be too.

The supplement industry is completely unregulated, which means there are all kinds of shenanigans happening behind the scenes that are important for you to understand so you can make an informed decision about what you put in your body.

Case in point, I pay for a membership to ConsumerLab.com which conducts independent research on supplements to see if they actually contain the ingredients and dosage they say they do. Spoiler alert: many products do not. But what’s really scary is the number of supplements that are contaminated with heavy metals - yikes!

But also, because the supplement industry isn’t regulated, a supplement manufacturer can make claims about the benefits of their product without any proof.

And those that market they have the scientific research to back their claims, often conducted that research in a way that influenced the outcome, didn’t account for placebo effect, or was done in animals and not humans.

Most people don’t understand what makes for robust, legitimate scientific research. They just think research is research, and you better believe the industry uses our ignorance to their advantage.

Want a good example? Here’s a helpful IG post about the very popular powdered greens supplement AG1.

Because supplements are “natural” we think they’re harmless. The reality is they can still cause harm.

Beyond issues due to lack of regulation, we think of supplements as being natural which creates a false sense of safety.

But the reality is that supplements can cause real harm. Both the proprietary blend MenoFit and the supplement Black Cohash - both of which are marketed to menopausal women - have reported cases of liver damage.

Some supplements contain high doses of fat soluble vitamins that can be toxic when taken at such high levels.

Many supplements also interact with prescription medication. For example, supplements like Maca or Ashwangandha can interfere with how your body metabolizes thyroid medication.

So how do you account for all the influencers and thousands of testimonials saying a supplement has helped them?

Supplements can truly be useful! In fact, I’m going to give you a list of supplements I think you might find helpful in my next post.

But also, sometimes an influencer is promoting a supplement because they are getting paid a lot of money to do so, not because it changed their lives in a meaningful way. Or if it did change their life, that change could have been from placebo.

And those thousands of positive reviews? Also likely from the placebo effect. The more social proof you have that a supplement will have a positive benefit, the more likely you are to experience a temporary benefit that comes from your belief that the product will work, not from the product itself. If you look at those reviews, most are from people who have only been taking the supplement for a few days.

How do you know if a benefit is all placebo? The effect will wear off after a few months.

When it comes to most supplements, I think your money could be better spent elsewhere.

If you think about health and well-being as a pyramid, supplements are rarely (if ever) the foundation of the pyramid - or even the middle of the pyramid. Supplements are the teeny tiny tip at the top. They might make a marginal difference in your health, but that’s about it.

Let’s say you’re drinking electrolyte power and AG1 every month. That’s nearly $150/month you could be spending on a gym membership, personal training, a healthy meal service, health coaching or therapy - all of which could impact your wellbeing in profound ways.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not anti-supplement. I take supplements and sometimes suggest them to my coaching clients. But I also know that supplements are no substitute for all those truly important foundational health habits like sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and solid stress management.

Next week I’ll give you a run down of supplements you may want to consider as a woman in midlife. So stay tuned for part two of this email series!

Until then,
Rebecca

P.S. Brain fog anyone? 😂

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