Three nights ago you woke up at 3:17am absolutely drenched (again), stripped the bed for the second time that week, then sat scrolling through supplement reviews on your phone because you were too wired to sleep. Yesterday afternoon your brain went completely blank during a work presentation. Tonight you're Googling "what supplements are good for menopause" because HRT alone isn't quite cutting it, and you need something, anything, that actually works.
We see you.
The supplement aisle in Boots is overwhelming. Loads of pink packaging promising to "support you through the change." Your GP mentioned calcium and vitamin D for your bones but didn't really explain why. Your friend swears by magnesium for sleep. Someone on Mumsnet says creatine is the answer. Can you take menopause supplements with HRT? Do menopause supplements work at all, or is this just expensive wee?
Honestly? Many menopause supplements are overhyped nonsense. But—and this matters—a few specific ones have genuine research showing they can help with the symptoms currently ruining your sleep and your sanity.
Why These Four Supplements Matter
Here's what's happening: declining oestrogen levels aren't just causing hot flushes. They're affecting how your body absorbs nutrients, how efficiently your muscles work, how well you sleep, and how your brain produces energy.
Research shows that around 70% of women aged 40 to 60 use dietary supplements to manage their health during menopause. That's loads of women trying to feel better. You've probably tried things that didn't work. You've spent money on products that promised everything and delivered nothing.
Four supplements keep appearing in the research with actual evidence. Not testimonials. Proper peer-reviewed studies showing they address specific problems your body faces during perimenopause and menopause.
Vitamin D3 + K2: The Best Menopause Supplement for Bone Health
Walk into any pharmacy and you'll see vitamin D on its own. But here's what the research shows: vitamin D works synergistically with vitamin K2, and taking them together is significantly more effective than either alone.
Vitamin D3 helps your gut absorb calcium and supports muscle function. But without enough vitamin K2, some calcium might end up in your arteries instead of your bones. Vitamin K2 activates proteins that direct calcium to your bones and prevents arterial calcification.
After menopause, bone loss accelerates. Approximately one in two women will break a bone due to osteoporosis after menopause.
We know you're probably worrying about whether you're one of them.
Studies on postmenopausal women with osteoporosis found that combined vitamin D3 and K2 supplementation increased bone mineral density in the lumbar spine significantly more than calcium alone or either vitamin on its own. Research indicates that combined D3 and K2 intake reduces fracture risk through complementary mechanisms.
Here's something that surprised researchers: vitamin D also benefits immune function and may improve mood and fatigue in those who are deficient. Your brain has vitamin D receptors. When you're lying awake at 3am convinced something is terribly wrong, low vitamin D might be part of why everything feels so overwhelming.
Everyone in the UK is recommended to take vitamin D supplements, especially in autumn and winter. The NHS recommends 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily, though many women going through menopause need more. The form matters: D3 (cholecalciferol) is more effective than D2, and combining it with K2 MK-7 (menaquinone-7) appears most effective.
Magnesium Bisglycinate: What Supplements Are Good for Menopause Sleep
You've probably heard about magnesium—maybe from that viral TikTok sleepy girl mocktail (or from your daughter who watched that viral TikTok). But not all magnsium is created equal. Magnesium bisglycinate is the form most likely to help you in menopause and perimenopause. It's highly absorbable, gentle on your stomach, and won't give you diarrhoea like magnesium oxide or citrate.
If you're waking up multiple times a night, if you're lying there at 2am with your mind racing—magnesium might genuinely help. Research shows that magnesium supplementation improved insomnia symptoms, with increased sleep time, better sleep efficiency, and reduced time to fall asleep.
Magnesium activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helps regulate melatonin production, and binds to GABA receptors—GABA being the neurotransmitter that helps you feel calm. The glycine in magnesium bisglycinate adds another layer of calming.
When you snapped at your partner this morning for no reason, that might have been low magnesium. Magnesium may reduce anxiety and irritability through a constellation of different mechanisms, including regulating cortisol and supporting serotonin production.
Here's another benefit: magnesium is vital for bone health, and deficiency may be linked to osteoporosis. So while you're taking it for sleep, it's also quietly protecting your bones.
Interestingly, some evidence suggests magnesium supplementation can help reduce hot flash frequency and severity—particularly relevant for women who cannot use hormone therapy.
The NHS says women need around 270mg of magnesium daily, though up to 400mg in supplement form is generally safe. Take it in the evening with food. Give it at least a month.
Creatine: Supplements for Menopause Joint Pain, Brain Fog, and Muscle Loss
This surprises most women. Creatine? Isn't that for bodybuilders?
Actually, no. Emerging research suggests creatine might be particularly beneficial for women during menopause, helping with muscle mass, bone density, brain fog, sleep quality, and mood.
Creatine is a natural molecule your body makes. It helps your cells produce energy. As oestrogen declines during menopause, so does your body's creatine. Women have lower creatine stores than men, and declining oestrogen makes this worse.
Muscle loss accelerates after menopause. If you're searching for supplements for menopause joint pain, creatine might help: a meta-analysis found that creatine supplementation combined with resistance training helps older adults significantly increase lean tissue mass and improve muscular strength, which can reduce joint stress.
One 14-week study of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women found that those taking 5g of creatine daily while doing resistance training twice weekly experienced meaningful improvements in muscle strength and body composition. Crucially, sleep quality improved—particularly among perimenopausal women.
For bones, studies suggest that creatine with resistance training helps reduce bone mineral density loss.
Your brain uses about 20% of your body's energy despite being only 2% of your body mass. Creatine helps keep that energy supply consistent. A systematic review found that creatine supplementation improves short-term memory and reasoning, particularly in older adults and people who are sleep-deprived.
When you can't remember your colleague's name even though you've worked with her for years? Creatine might help.
There's evidence that creatine improves mood and depression, particularly in women. A randomized trial found that creatine augmentation enhanced response to SSRIs in women with major depressive disorder.
The most effective form is creatine monohydrate. Dose: 3-5 grams daily. You can take it any time with or without food. You don't need a "loading phase." Effects usually become noticeable within a few weeks.
Important: If you have kidney problems, talk to your doctor first. And no, it won't make you gain fat.
B Complex Vitamins: Energy, Mood, and Heart Health
B vitamins are essential for energy production, mood regulation, cognitive function, and cardiovascular health—all areas that get hit hard during menopause.
When you wake up exhausted even after a full night's sleep, when you need three coffees just to function—that's not just "getting older." A systematic review found that B vitamin supplementation has significant effects on depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress. Around 80% of menopausal women report feeling fatigued, and B vitamin levels often decline during this time.
B12 deserves special mention because as we age, our bodies lose some ability to absorb it. Low B12 is associated with fatigue, memory problems, and nerve damage.
B6 and B12 support neurotransmitter synthesis including serotonin and dopamine. Research found that higher dietary intake of folate and B vitamins was associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms, particularly in midlife women. B vitamins support cognitive function by maintaining healthy brain cells.
This one's crucial: metabolic vitamin B12 deficiency leads to elevated homocysteine, which is linked to cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia and stroke. Elevated homocysteine is also linked to cardiovascular risk—and your risk of heart disease increases after menopause.
Research shows that B vitamin therapy can reduce homocysteine levels. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women after menopause.
There's even a benefit for your hair and nails: biotin (B7) supplementation may improve thin, splitting nails and support hair health—particularly relevant since biotin deficiency has been observed in 38% of women experiencing hair loss.
Look for a B complex with all eight B vitamins. Check that it includes B12 in the form of methylcobalamin, which is more easily absorbed. Take it in the morning with breakfast.
Can You Take Menopause Supplements With HRT?
Short answer: generally yes, but talk to your menopause specialist first. There are some supplements which do have interactions with HRT, so it's always important to keep your specialist up to date with what you are taking.
Supplements work through different mechanisms than HRT. HRT replaces hormones. These supplements address specific nutritional deficiencies. They're complementary, not competing.
Many women take these supplements alongside HRT to address symptoms that HRT alone doesn't fully resolve—like sleep disturbances, brain fog, or muscle loss.
Do Menopause Supplements Work?
Fair question. Here's the truth: most menopause supplements on the market are overhyped, under-researched, and poorly regulated. Harvard researchers describe this as "menowashing."
The four supplements we've discussed are different. They're well-researched individual nutrients with decades of scientific evidence. They're not cure-alls. They won't eliminate all your symptoms. But they address specific nutritional needs that become more important during menopause.
Do menopause supplements work? These four do—when you're using them to fill actual nutritional gaps. They work best alongside other healthy habits, not instead of them.
The Best Menopause Supplements UK: Your Next Steps
Talk to your menopause specialist first. Especially if you're taking medications.
Start with one supplement:
- Sleep and stress? Magnesium bisglycinate.
- Brain fog, joint pain, muscle loss? Creatine.
- Fatigue and low mood? B complex.
- Bone health concerns? Vitamin D3 + K2.
Give it time. Most supplements need 4-6 weeks of consistent use.
Look for quality. Choose supplements with third-party testing (USP or NSF labels).
Track what changes. Write down how you're feeling before you start and reassess after a month.
You deserve to feel better. You deserve to understand what's happening in your body and what might genuinely help. The research suggests these four supplements have the strongest evidence for supporting women through perimenopause and menopause.
We've got you.
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