Experts are warning of an explosion in ineffective and potentially harmful menopause supplements, with a parliamentary inquiry into menopause due to report this week. Here's what you need to know.
With a parliamentary inquiry into menopause expected to report shortly, experts are warning of a rise in ineffective and potentially harmful menopause supplements.
She said women self-treating with supplements may also miss more serious medical issues such as thyroid and mental health conditions or deficiencies in iron or vitamin D.Kristen Holzapfel, 47, said she turned to supplements after struggling to find good menopause care.Ms Holzapfel was looking for a treatment to alleviate her brain fog, fatigue, insomnia and weight gain.
Professor Davis said the increase in the marketing of menopause supplements started in 2002 when a highly publicised study raised concerns about the safety of HRT. Some are sold as single-ingredient formulations but most are multi-ingredient products containing vitamins and minerals and/or a range of herbal constituents.Professor Davis said while it was possible to cherrypick data supporting menopause supplement ingredients, reputable large-scale reviews haven't found them to be effective.
Professor Baber said the placebo effect could be strong for supplements, so women taking them might initially think they were working, only for symptoms to return later. "There's not a process of safety, quality and efficacy but they must be made under a licence of good manufacturing practice," Professor Langham said.However, the TGA website lists warnings required for two ingredients sometimes found in menopause supplements — black cohosh due to rare cases of association with liver harm and chaste tree berry because of risk of interference with other medications.
Author Kaz Cooke told the inquiry she surveyed 9,000 Australian women for her recent book on menopause, and she was concerned they were bombarded by marketing making untrue claims.
Women's Health Women Health Ageing Parliamentary Inquiry Senate Supplements
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