Treatments · before your appointment
Where supplements fit alongside MHT.
The supplement aisle in midlife is loud, expensive, and mostly unregulated. This is the version of the conversation a menopause-trained doctor would actually have with you, what's worth your money, what isn't, and how it sits next to MHT.
The honest framing
Supplements are a treatment category, not a workaround. They're best thought of as companions to medical care, sometimes filling a real nutritional gap, sometimes nudging a symptom, occasionally interfering with the prescription you're already taking. A few have solid evidence, a handful are promising, most are marketing, and almost none of them replace hormone therapy when hormone therapy is what your body needs. The curated library sorts the bottles; this page is the map.
Where the menopause societies land
Strong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
The Menopause Society's 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement doesn't recommend supplements or herbal remedies, soy foods and soy extracts, or the soy metabolite equol for hot flashes, on its strongest levels of evidence. [1]
We don't hide that. Where this page calls something Promising, it's for a narrower job: correcting a low level, supporting muscle alongside training, or a mild symptom nudge. It isn't a proven hot-flash treatment. If hot flashes are the main problem, the proven non-hormonal options are prescription and therapy options.
See the treatments menuThe three honest tiers
A few have solid evidence, a handful are promising for a narrow job, most are marketing, and almost none replace hormone therapy when hormone therapy is what your body needs.
When we curated the supplement library, we sorted everything into three buckets and left out the rest. The same map applies here, so you can tell at a glance where any new bottle on your shelf actually sits.
Strong evidence
Vitamin D3, when you're low
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
Guideline-backed for correcting a confirmed low level and supporting bone health. Test-led, not a guess.
Calcium, food first
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
Food first, with a supplement only to top up a shortfall. High-dose supplemental calcium carries a small cardiovascular and kidney-stone signal that food sources don't.
Creatine monohydrate, for muscle with training
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Monohydrate is the form used in most trials. In a 2026 review of 7 trials in postmenopausal people (608 participants), creatine plus resistance training produced small gains in lean mass and leg strength. Those gains appeared when the trial dose was 5 g a day or more alongside resistance training; trials using 3 g a day or less without training showed no measurable effect, and bone density didn't change overall. That's the dose used in the trials, to talk through with a clinician or pharmacist. It isn't a bone, sleep or brain-fog supplement on current menopause evidence. Kidney indices didn't change in the trials, which didn't include people with kidney disease, so raise it first if that's you. [8]
Promising, for a narrower job
Omega-3 EPA/DHA
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Omega-3 from food and omega-3 in high-dose supplements aren't the same story, and supplements haven't earned a blanket "protects the heart" claim. On heart rhythm: earlier reviews raised a concern about atrial fibrillation at high, prescription-strength doses in people already at high cardiovascular risk. A larger 2026 meta-analysis of 35 randomised trials (114,592 participants) found no increased rhythm risk at ordinary nutritional doses, and a modest increase only at high doses in people with established cardiovascular disease. [4][5]
See the blood-thinning note in the interactions listMagnesium
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
May help you fall asleep a little faster if you're an older adult who's low in magnesium. The trials are small, rated low to very low certainty, and weren't done in menopause. One encouraging bisglycinate trial doesn't make that form proven superior. It hasn't been shown to help hot flashes, weight change or cognitive symptoms. Correct a gap, take it consistently, judge it by your sleep, and don't let it replace CBT-I or treating night sweats when night sweats are what's waking you. [9]
B12, if you're vegetarian or on metformin
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Both raise the odds of running low. A blood test settles whether it's needed.
Probiotics, strain by strain
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Effects belong to specific strains, not probiotics as a class. A 2025 review of 39 studies (3,187 participants) found positive pooled effects on overall menopausal symptoms, urogenital health and bone health, and suggested probiotics may complement estriol and isoflavones. The included studies carried a high risk of bias, and strains, doses and populations varied widely. Gut claims and vaginal or urogenital claims are separate questions; one bottle doesn't answer both. A basic probiotic during or after antibiotics remains a reasonable, separate use. [11][12]
Soy isoflavones, for mild flushes in some people
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Food soy (tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk in ordinary amounts) is a food, not a treatment claim. Concentrated isoflavone supplements are different, and the 2023 Menopause Society statement doesn't recommend soy for hot flashes. After hormone-sensitive cancer, see the interactions list. [1]
After cancer? Read the menopause after cancer pathwayCollagen peptides: promising, with a funding asterisk
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
One of the most-asked-about products in midlife, for skin, joints, hair and bone. For skin, a 2025 meta-analysis (23 trials, 1,474 participants) found improvements when all trials were pooled, but no effect in studies not funded by supplement or pharmaceutical companies, and no significant effect in high-quality studies. Its authors concluded there's currently no clinical evidence to support collagen to prevent or treat skin aging. Other pooled reviews report modest skin and joint-pain signals. The lesson is the disagreement itself: in this literature, who funded the trial changes the answer. For hair, there are no well-designed trials of collagen alone. For bone, one small signal hasn't been repeated, so it isn't a bone treatment. If you try it for skin or joints, treat it as a personal, time-limited trial with modest expectations; price doesn't fix the evidence problem. [10]
Iron: only if you're low
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Heavy or prolonged bleeding in perimenopause is a common reason iron runs low. Midlife fatigue isn't automatically low iron, though, and iron shouldn't be started on a guess. Test first (ferritin and a blood count), and treat the bleeding cause as its own conversation. Excess iron has its own harms. No test, no iron. If you take levothyroxine, the four-hour gap in the interactions list applies.
Traditional use
Chamomile, ginger, turmeric
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Long history, modest evidence, generally safe with the usual caveats. Turmeric belongs on the blood-thinning list below.
Use with real caution: ashwagandha
Often sold as a gentle stress herb. The safety picture has moved, and it doesn't have menopause trials showing benefit.
Traditional use for stress isn't a menopause indication. Here's what's worth knowing before you start, or before you keep going.
Liver
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Ashwagandha has been linked to rare but serious liver injury. The NIH LiverTox database rates it a likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury, usually appearing weeks after starting and usually settling after stopping. Don't restart the same product. [2][3]
Thyroid
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
It can raise thyroid hormone activity and has been linked to thyrotoxicosis in case reports. If you have a thyroid condition, or take levothyroxine or other thyroid medication, don't start it without a clinician conversation and a plan to recheck your levels. [2][3]
Pregnancy and other medicines
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Don't use it in pregnancy. Take care with liver disease, autoimmune conditions or immunosuppressants, sedating medicines, and diabetes or blood-pressure medicines; raise it with your prescriber or pharmacist first. [3]
Where regulators have moved
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Denmark doesn't allow it in supplements, and France's food safety agency advises people with thyroid, liver or heart conditions to avoid it.
When to stop and get care
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Yellowing of your skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, severe itching, nausea, or pain under the right ribs. Stop and seek care promptly. [2]
Complementary therapies, the honest middle
Low harm, modest signal, no menopause-society endorsement. Fine to try alongside the real plan, not a substitute for it.
A few non-supplement, non-drug things sit in a quieter middle ground. Small trials, modest short-term signal for specific symptoms. We're comfortable naming them as long as nobody pretends they replace MHT, CBT-I, strength training or a proper workup. The line we won't cross is medicalising them, no 'ear seeds for estrogen detox', no acupuncture point that 'resets your HPA axis'. If a practitioner is making endocrine claims, that's the cue to walk.
Auricular acupressure / ear seeds
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Tiny seeds or magnets taped to specific points on the outer ear. Small trials suggest a modest short-term benefit for hot flushes, sleep and anxiety in midlife. Low cost, low harm, self-applied. Reasonable to try alongside, not a stand-in for MHT or CBT-I.
Acupuncture
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Mixed evidence; the better trials show a modest reduction in hot-flush frequency and bother, often comparable to placebo needling. If you find it calming and can afford it, fine. If it isn't doing anything after 6 to 8 sessions, stop.
Reflexology, massage, aromatherapy
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
No strong symptom-specific evidence, real evidence for stress and sleep generally. Treat as wellbeing care, not menopause treatment.
Yoga, tai chi, qigong
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Decent evidence for sleep, mood and balance in midlife. These earn their place as movement, not as hormonal interventions.
What we deliberately don't recommend
The loudest products in the menopause aisle didn't make any of the three tiers. Either the safety signal is real, or the evidence is too thin to recommend honestly.
These are the ones we get asked about most, and the ones we're most consistent about declining to endorse. Naming them by name is part of doing this honestly.
Compounded "bioidentical" hormones
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Marketed as natural, actually unregulated and inconsistently dosed. Regulated body-identical estradiol and micronised progesterone (the standard MHT options) are chemically the same molecule and properly studied. There's no upside to the compounded version, and there are real downsides.
"Detox", "hormone reset" and DIM/I3C blends
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
The premise (that your body needs help clearing estrogen) isn't how endocrinology works. The blends are usually expensive and occasionally interact with real medication.
Mega-dose multivitamins and high-dose iodine
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
More isn't more. High-dose iodine in particular can destabilise thyroid function in midlife.
Black cohosh and sage leaf
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Mixed evidence for hot flushes, real (if rare) liver-injury reports for black cohosh. Most menopause societies have stepped back from recommending them.
Branded menopause "complexes" with long symptom lists
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
If one bottle claims to fix a dozen symptoms at once, that's a marketing structure, not a mechanism. Amberen settled US Federal Trade Commission charges over misleading menopause and weight-loss claims in 2016, and Nutrafol's hair formula has faced class actions alleging deceptive advertising. Neither outcome proves a product does nothing; it means the claims ran ahead of what the company could show. A 2026 JAMA news review of the menopause marketplace put it plainly: for a lot of what's on the shelf, "there are some supplements with essentially no data at all."
Asked about a lot, not yet endorsed
These are the names people bring to appointments most often right now. Naming them isn't endorsing them.
Each gets a line or two, a grade, and the reason it isn't in the tiers above. We don't link to any product or brand page.
Siberian rhubarb extract (ERr 731)
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
A proprietary extract with a few small 12-week trials for hot flashes in perimenopause, for example one with 109 participants in 2006. Single proprietary source, older small trials, and not endorsed by menopause societies for hot flashes. [13][1]
Purified pollen extract
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Small trial base, mixed results, proprietary blends. Not enough to recommend.
S-equol (a soy metabolite)
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
The 2023 Menopause Society statement lists equol as not recommended for hot flashes. Only some people's gut bacteria turn daidzein into equol, which helps explain inconsistent soy results; it doesn't make equol supplements a proven fix. [1]
Lion's mane mushroom
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Promoted for brain fog. No trials in menopause, and small human trials elsewhere are mixed. Unproven for this use.
Berberine, inositol, NAD+ boosters, resveratrol
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Heavily marketed for midlife metabolism, brain fog and longevity, with no menopause trial evidence establishing benefit for those claims. Berberine interacts with many medicines, so a pharmacist check isn't optional.
Where supplements actually sit next to MHT
MHT is the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary symptoms and bone protection in early postmenopause. Supplements earn their place in the spaces MHT doesn't fully reach.
No supplement competes with hormone therapy where hormone therapy works. The honest job for supplements is the supporting cast around it, or part of the plan when MHT isn't on the table.
Protein comes first
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Enough protein is the foundation the creatine finding rests on; resistance training without it is an uphill job. Think food first. Protein powder is a convenience tool if you can't reach your target from food, not a menopause product.
Read the nutrition guideBone and muscle, alongside MHT
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Vitamin D3 to a doctor-confirmed level, calcium topped up to roughly 1,000 to 1,200 mg/day from food and supplement combined (a guideline range to confirm with your doctor), and creatine monohydrate layered with resistance training. In the trials, benefit for muscle appeared at 5 g a day or more with training, not without it, and bone density didn't change overall; that's the trial dose to talk through with a clinician or pharmacist. MHT slows bone loss; these support the structural side. [8]
Cardiovascular risk, alongside MHT or instead of
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Fibre from food, with psyllium as the supplement top-up that has the most consistent evidence for cholesterol and constipation. Take it with plenty of water and separate it from medicines, since it can slow absorption (a pharmacist can help with timing). Omega-3 from food, and the boring lifestyle pieces, do the heavy lifting regardless of hormonal status.
Sleep, when MHT isn't enough
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Magnesium if you're low, a consistent wind-down, light exposure in the morning. Useful adjuncts, not a substitute for treating night sweats if night sweats are what's waking you up. [9]
When MHT isn't an option
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
After certain cancers, with specific clotting histories, or by personal choice, the non-hormonal plan includes lifestyle, CBT for hot flushes and non-hormonal prescription options where appropriate. Supplements play a supporting role. Have that conversation with a menopause-trained doctor or specialist, not a supplement website. [1]
The interactions worth flagging before you start
"Natural" doesn't mean "no interactions." Bring this short list to your doctor or pharmacist before you stack anything new on top of an existing prescription.
Most of the trouble we see isn't the supplement itself, it's the supplement plus something already prescribed. A two-minute mention at the appointment usually settles it.
St John's wort
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
Reduces the blood level of many drugs including some hormonal contraceptives, some antidepressants, and tamoxifen. Avoid alongside MHT, contraception, or after breast cancer without a specialist conversation.
High-dose fish oil, vitamin E, ginkgo and turmeric
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Can additively thin the blood. Worth flagging if you're on an anticoagulant or before a planned procedure.
Calcium and iron
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
Compete for absorption with thyroid replacement (levothyroxine). Take levothyroxine first thing, leave a four-hour gap.
Ashwagandha
Grade D: Anecdotal / marketedClaim outpaces the data. Common online, thin in the literature. We name it as such so you can decide.
Can raise thyroid activity and has been linked to liver injury. See the caution section above before starting, especially on thyroid medication. [2]
Soy isoflavone and red clover extracts after cancer
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Food soy in ordinary amounts isn't what this is about. Concentrated isoflavone supplements and red clover extracts are different. After estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, public discussion is split but practice is cautious: the British Menopause Society cautions against herbal options with estrogenic activity, and NICE guidance doesn't recommend soy (isoflavone), red clover, black cohosh or vitamin E for symptoms in that setting. After hormone-sensitive cancer, don't start these extracts without your oncology or menopause specialist. [6][7]
Read the menopause after cancer pathwayGrapefruit juice (not a supplement, but)
Grade A — strong evidenceStrong evidence from multiple high-quality studies. Nila is confident in these takeaways.
Changes the metabolism of a long list of midlife-common drugs (some statins, some blood-pressure pills, some sleep medications). Worth knowing.
How to think about a "stack"
Three to five supplements, chosen for one or two named goals, taken consistently for 12 weeks before you decide if they're earning their place.
A clean approach beats a clever one. The fastest way to a confused, expensive cabinet is buying one bottle per symptom from one influencer per week. A reasonable starting frame to talk through with a pharmacist: one bone-and-muscle item (vitamin D3 or creatine), one cardiometabolic item (fibre from food with a psyllium top-up, or omega-3), one sleep-or-mood item (magnesium if you're low, or B12 if your diet calls for it), and an honest conversation about whether MHT is doing the job you're asking the supplements to do. This is a guide, not a prescription.
What to bring to the appointment
The actual list, the actual reasons, and the honest test: which of these would you miss if you stopped them tomorrow?
A specific page of notes turns a vague 'I take some supplements' conversation into a useful one. Photos of the labels are fine.
The actual list
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
Brand, dose, how often, how long, and the NPN if it has one. Include any ashwagandha, collagen, or probiotic (with the exact strain names from the label).
Test results you already have
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Iron studies (ferritin and blood count), vitamin D, B12 and thyroid results, if you have them. They decide whether a supplement is filling a real gap.
What you're hoping each one does
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
In your own words, not the marketing copy on the bottle.
What's already prescribed
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Including MHT, contraception, thyroid replacement, antidepressants, blood-pressure pills, anticoagulants.
Allergies and upcoming procedures
Grade B — good evidence, some limitationsGood evidence, but limited sample size. Nila notes where the gaps are so you can ask smarter questions.
Any known allergies and any planned procedures in the next eight weeks (some supplements need pausing before surgery).
The honest test
Grade C — emerging or limited evidenceEmerging or limited evidence. Useful context, but treat conclusions as provisional.
"Which of these would I miss if I stopped them tomorrow?" The answer usually trims the stack faster than your doctor will.
Before you buy a "menopause" blend
Read the label, not the name
In 2026, the UK consumer group Which? reviewed 26 supplements sold for perimenopause and menopause. None had the right nutrients at doses worth taking, so none earned its top rating.
- Watch for "fairy-dusting." An ingredient can be on the label at a dose far too small to do anything; one blend had 100 mg of evening primrose oil, against a usual 500 mg.
- The opposite problem happens too: too much. Vitamin B6 is added to many blends, multis and energy products at once, so totals stack up without anyone noticing. Long-term high-dose B6 from supplements can cause sensory nerve damage: tingling, numbness, pain in hands and feet, and in severe cases difficulty walking. The US upper limit for adults is 100 mg a day, and EFSA, Europe's food safety authority, set a much lower adult upper limit in 2023 after reports of nerve symptoms at lower doses. If B6 is in more than one product, add it up and raise the total with a pharmacist.
- Calcium and vitamin D are what usually matter for bones. 20 of the 26 had no calcium at all, and some had a fraction of the 10 micrograms of vitamin D the NHS suggests.
- "Natural" isn't the same as safe. Black cohosh didn't beat placebo for hot flashes in a Cochrane review, and rare liver injury has been reported. Herbs can also interact with medicines, so check with a pharmacist.
- Gummies leave little room for the active ingredients, because sugars and gelling agents take up the space.
- In the UK: the blends cost up to about £485 a year, against about £22 for a basic multivitamin.
If you take a multivitamin
A basic multi is a reasonable way to cover gaps. It won't prevent heart disease or cancer, according to the US Preventive Services Task Force. What to look for:
- Vitamin D at a useful dose, at least 10 micrograms (400 IU). Many people need more in winter, so ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Vitamin B12. Absorption from food drops with age, and the form in supplements is easy to absorb.
- Little or no iron once periods have stopped, unless you've been told you're low. Formulas labelled "50+" usually reflect this.
- Don't count on it for calcium. Multis carry only a small amount, because calcium is bulky.
- Nothing far above 100% of daily values, especially B6, vitamin A and iron, and check whether your other products repeat the same nutrients.
- A quality mark. In Canada, look for an NPN on the label. Third-party seals such as USP or NSF mean the contents were tested against the label.
- Algae powders like spirulina and chlorella add little on top of a multi, and their B12 is mostly a form the body can't use.
Fewer bottles, fewer missed doses. A weekly pill organizer with morning and evening slots, filled once on a Sunday, means you only open one thing each day. Bring the bottles, not the organizer, to a pharmacist when you want everything checked for overlaps.
Sources
- Which? (2026). Why menopause supplements aren't worth it. Consumer investigation, not a study.
- Leach MJ, Moore V (2012). Black cohosh for menopausal symptoms. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Black cohosh fact sheet (liver safety).
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B6, Health Professional Fact Sheet (adult upper limit 100 mg/day; sensory neuropathy with chronic high-dose use). EFSA's 2023 adult upper limit noted as a contrast.
- NHS. Vitamin D (10 micrograms a day guidance).
- US Preventive Services Task Force (2022). Vitamin, mineral and multivitamin supplements for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. JAMA.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Multivitamin/mineral supplements fact sheet.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12 fact sheet (absorption from food falls with age; B12 analogues in algae).
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron fact sheet (lower needs after periods stop).
Canada
In Canada, check the NPN
Prices and rules differ in Canada. This is the check that applies here.
The Which? investigation above is a useful warning about fairy-dusting and cost, but Canada regulates these products differently. A natural health product needs a product licence to be sold legally here. Licensed products carry an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN), or a DIN-HM for homeopathic products, on the label.
An NPN doesn't prove a marketing claim the way a drug approval does. Health Canada's assessment can rest on different kinds of evidence, including traditional use for some products. It does mean the specific product, dose and authorised use were reviewed, and that the licence is active.
The one-minute check
- Find the 8-digit NPN on the label, near the ingredients or barcode.
- Search that number in Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database (enter the number only, without the letters NPN).
- Compare the listing with the bottle: ingredients, doses, authorised use, warnings and licence status. Only "active" means it's authorised for sale now.
- No NPN on the label means no Canadian product licence, whatever the website says.
Buying from US or international sites? Those products may have no NPN at all. Look for independent third-party testing marks such as USP Verified or NSF, and treat their absence as information. [14] [15]
Editorial, not medical advice. Supplements interact with prescriptions and with each other. The right stack for your body depends on what's already on board, your bloodwork, and what you're actually trying to fix. Use this page to walk into a real conversation with a menopause-trained doctor or pharmacist, not as a prescription.
Sources
Evidence checked October 2026.
- The North American Menopause Society (2023). The 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement. Menopause 30:573–590. Guideline; supplements/herbal remedies, soy foods and extracts, and equol not recommended for hot flashes (Level I–II). DOI 10.1097/GME.0000000000002200.
- LiverTox: Ashwagandha. NIH / NIDDK, updated Dec 3, 2024. Drug-induced liver injury database; rated a likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury.
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ashwagandha fact sheet.
- Abuknesha NR et al. (2026, online July 28). Effects of omega-3 fatty acid treatment on risk for atrial fibrillation: an updated meta-analysis of 35 trials including 114,592 individuals. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology 19(8):e014785. Led by the Fatty Acid Research Institute. DOI 10.1161/CIRCEP.125.014785.
- Gencer B et al. (2021). Effect of long-term marine omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on the risk of atrial fibrillation in randomized controlled trials of cardiovascular outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation. 7 trials; the earlier dose-dependent signal.
- RCGP Learning (2026). Summary of British Menopause Society caution on herbal options with estrogenic activity after breast cancer.
- GPnotebook. Menopausal symptoms after early invasive breast cancer, summarising NICE early and locally advanced breast cancer guidance (updated June 2023): soy (isoflavone), red clover, black cohosh and vitamin E not recommended for symptoms.
- Naddafha S et al. Creatine monohydrate for lean mass, strength, and bone density in postmenopausal women: systematic review and meta-analysis (2026). Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 7 randomised trials, 608 participants. Funding disclosure: one senior author chairs a creatine advisory board funded by a creatine manufacturer, and another leads an organisation that receives creatine-company funding. The finding is consistent with the wider literature.
- Mah J, Pitre T (2021). Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. Small randomised trials, low to very low certainty, not menopause-specific.
- Myung SK, Park Y (2025). Effects of collagen supplements on skin aging: systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Medicine 138:1264–1277. 23 randomised trials, 1,474 participants; no effect in studies without industry funding. DOI 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.04.034.
- Andrews RAF et al. Investigating the effects of probiotics during the menopause transition: systematic review and meta-analysis (2025). Clinical Nutrition ESPEN. 39 studies, 3,187 participants; high risk of bias across included studies.
- Watch list only: Rodríguez-Palmero et al. (2026). Multi-strain probiotic trial, Menopause, NCT06604234. Company-led (Kaneka / AB-Biotics). Not a recommendation.
- Heger et al. (2006). Efficacy and safety of a special extract of Rheum rhaponticum (ERr 731) in perimenopause. Menopause 13:744–759. 12-week randomised trial, 109 participants; single proprietary extract.
- Health Canada. Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD): what it is and how to identify a licensed product by its NPN or DIN-HM.
- Health Canada. LNHPD User Guide: search by NPN or DIN-HM (enter the number only, without the letters).
Consumer and label-reading sources for the blend box sit inside that box. Grades follow how we grade evidence.
Where to next
The library
The curated supplement library
Every supplement in the three tiers, with dose, evidence and the brands we trust.
Open libraryAdjacent
Eight MHT myths
If supplements are the loud aisle, MHT misinformation is the loud headline. The honest answers.
Read mythsBack to the menu
Treatments overview
MHT, non-hormonal Rx, vaginal therapies, bone meds, the menu in one place.
Treatments