Supplement labels boast a lot of benefits—but are they really worth it? If you’re a woman over 40, you may turn to any product promising to balance your hormones, relieve uncomfortable symptoms, or even just get a better night’s sleep as you navigate menopause. But according to health experts, not all supplements are created equal; and they’re not all worth your money.
In fact, Dr. Ann-Marie Regina, ND, MSCP (@dr.regina_nd on TikTok), a naturopathic doctor, says that some supplements are downright ineffective. In a TikTok, Dr. Regina shared five supplements that women over 40 can leave out of their shopping carts. Not only are they not useful, but some of them could also backfire. She warns that hormone-balancing blends, electrolytes, green supplements, collagen, and vitamin K are all best avoided. Find all of her warnings below.
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1. Hormone-Balancing Blends
The first item on Dr. Regina’s list is hormone-balancing supplements, which she describes as ineffective and misleading. "These hormone-balancing supplements can have up to 20 different herbal products in them, claiming that they can help to balance your hormones in menopause," she explains. However, there are two major issues with these products: "One, there’s not enough of the herbal product to actually make a difference. Two, we can’t balance your hormones in menopause—they’re low!"
Instead, she suggests using targeted herbal supplements to alleviate specific symptoms. For example, sage can work to reduce hot flashes. She warns against supplements that claim to fix everything: "A red flag would be a supplement that claims it reduces hot flashes and night sweats and vaginal dryness and insomnia and causes weight loss and reduces bloating—it can’t do all of those things." Noted!
2. Collagen
Collagen is one of the most popular supplements out there, especially when it comes to beauty. But while collagen is often marketed for improving joint pain and skin health, Dr. Regina says it's not worth the hype for menopause.
"Collagen doesn’t have a lot of research behind it for joint pain and skin health," she notes. The only proven benefit of collagen, she says, is that it contains protein. "If it helps you increase your protein consumption, great. But other than that, don’t expect any other benefits."
3. Electrolytes
Do you really need electrolytes? According to Dr. Regina, the answer is probably no. Unless you’re a high-performance athlete or participating in activities like hot yoga, Dr. Regina says you don’t need electrolyte supplements.
In fact, excess electrolyte consumption could backfire, especially if you eat a high-sodium diet. "Electrolytes contain salt. We need less salt in our diet," she explains. Most people, especially those who aren’t sweating excessively due to intense physical activity like hot yoga, are already consuming enough—if not too much—salt. So you can skip those electrolytes, even in menopause!
4. Vitamin K
Last but not least, Dr. Regina says you can leave Vitamin K on the shelf. She claims it has no proven benefits for menopausal women. "There are literally zero studies on vitamin K supporting your brain health," she explains.
Additionally, vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it could backfire and pose risks if not carefully monitored. Dr. Regina reassures viewers that vitamin D can be absorbed just fine without pairing it with vitamin K. Good to know!
