Nila literacy
How to spot junk science, in menopause marketing.
Most menopause products lead with sciencey language. Very few lead with science. Here are the six shortcuts that separate a real claim from a sales pitch.
This isn't about dismissing every non-prescription option. It's about reading the label underneath the label.
The one-minute version
If a product says it is "clinically validated" but won't show you the study, uses testimonials as proof, calls itself "natural" to imply safe, or claims doctors are hiding the truth, it is marketing dressed as medicine. The honest ones name the evidence, the dose, the population, and the limits.
How Nila grades evidence
We use the same four-tier badge across the site — on research articles, treatment options, and supplement entries — so you can compare claims at a glance.
Strong evidence means multiple solid human trials and guideline support. Emerging research is promising but still maturing. Expert consensus is what menopause-trained clinicians think when the trial data is thinner. Anecdotal is lived experience and community wisdom — valuable, but not proof of effect.
Browse the research libraryThe better questions
- Has this been studied in people like me (age, stage of menopause, health history)?
- Was the study randomised and controlled, or observational?
- What's the actual dose used, and is that what's in the bottle?
- Who funded the research, and was it published in a journal I can look up?
- What do the major menopause guidelines say about it?
- What are the known side effects and interactions?
A note on hope