Experts highlight latest science and consumer engagement in menopause products

24 Oct 2023 --- World Menopause Day may have passed, but discussing menopause throughout the year remains crucial to raising awareness and combating social stigma. Nutrition Insight continues its conversation about the latest developments in menopausal nutrition products with professionals from Kerry ProActive Health, IFF Health, Gencor, dsm-firmenich and PharmaLinea.

Last week, industry experts highlighted several critical considerations in the menopausal nutrition space, including addressing wellness needs, the lack of appropriate representation of menopause signs and symptoms, scarcity of supplement availability and hormone imbalance.

Highlighting the complex landscape of menopausal experiences, Mary Phillips, marketing director of dietary supplements HNC NA at dsm-firmenich, points out: “Approximately 1.3 million women in the US enter menopause every year. There are now over 30 symptoms that manifest due to hormonal imbalances and fluctuations, including brain fog, anxiety, irritability, night sweats, joint pain and bloating.” Approximately 1.3 million women in the US enter menopause every year. 

Addressing the competitive and innovative atmosphere in women’s health, Alexandra Boelrijk, global senior R&D director at Kerry ProActive Health, adds: “As with other areas of women’s health, competition is driving rapid expansion and innovation in the menopause space. Kerry’s ProActive Health portfolio offers a range of ingredients to support critical need states throughout a woman’s lifespan.”

Menopause product innovation
To support and empower women’s health, dsm-firmenich expresses its determination to continue monitoring ingredient, format and flavor trends to develop science-backed products that address various menopausal symptoms through its state-of-the-art innovation labs and premix facilities. 

“At dsm-firmenich we are always innovating to address market needs to improve overall health, well-being and quality of life,” says Phillips. “We will be featuring five new science-backed concepts to address stress, lack of energy, protein needs, lack of focus and bloating at the SupplySide West 2023 trade show [currently ongoing in Las Vegas, US].” 

Through these concepts, dsm-firmenich aims to combine the benefits of life-essential vitamins, clinically-tested phytonutrients and nutritional ingredients with emotive flavors into food-inspired formats.

“Women represent the primary purchasers of dietary supplements, and they are no longer content with being the gatekeepers for their family’s needs,” underscores Philips.  

A similar trend can be noted in the case of Kerry, as Boelrijk explains: “Our RD&A, formulation and marketing experts can help manufacturers create the next generation of women’s menopause health products tailored to meet women’s individual needs.”

Clinical trials
Vanessa Azevedo, global product innovation marketing manager at IFF Health, and Maider Gutierrez, the global health category leader, emphasize the necessity for market innovation in the menopause nutrition sector. There is a growing necessity for market innovation in the menopause nutrition sector.

“We have developed a range of innovative supplement concepts that support the most prevalent and troublesome symptoms of this life stage, such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, brain fog and weight gain. Our concepts are tailored to meet the specific needs of women going through the menopause transition.”

IFF Health utilizes core ingredients such as probiotics and scientifically researched traditional botanicals, along with vitamins and minerals proven by clinical studies, to support the well-being of women going through menopause.

“Many of the ingredients used in these concepts have been clinically studied in women within the peri, menopausal, and post-menopause age groups in areas like cognitive, skin or metabolic health. The time to see results varies, but our studies suggest that results can be seen within a few weeks,” detail Azevedo and Gutierrez. 

They emphasize women’s health, specifically menopause, as a central area of innovation within IFF Health and highlight the company’s commitment to providing holistic and long-term support for this category.

Studying menopausal symptoms
Maggie McNamara, the marketing director at Gencor, emphasizes that the company is dedicated to providing scientifically validated ingredients for women’s health, researching how natural products can assist women in various life stages. “We allocate significant resources for global clinical research, specifically focusing on studies involving women.”

In the first study on Libifem, the company’s fenugreek-based supplement, researchers implemented a 12-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess its impact on reducing menopausal symptoms in 115 women aged 40-65. The key objective was to measure a decrease in menopausal symptoms.

The study revealed that a daily dose of 600 mg significantly reduced menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, and demnstrated improvements in vasomotor, psychosocial, physical and sexual symptoms.

Ethical consumer engagement
In today’s market, consumers looking for menopause products are not just seeking effective products; they are also looking for transparency, ethical practices and genuine care from the brands they choose.  Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at PharmaLinea  (Image credit: PharmaLinea).

“As a brand, we strongly believe in our responsibility to engage with consumers. Our goals are to communicate honestly and to educate them through marketing, a commitment to scientific research and a deep understanding of their needs. This is reflected in the importance we place on scientifically substantiating our menopause solutions,” states Boelrijk of Kerry ProActive Health.

Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR director at PharmaLinea, provides examples of a few noteworthy marketing strategies employed by consumer-facing companies to raise awareness about menopause. 

“As early as 2019, Holland & Barrett launched a ‘Me.No.Pause.’ marketing campaign, aiming to make the discussion about menopause more open, spread awareness and understanding. Estroven provides educational content along with a menopause symptom checker on their website.”

“Phenology offers an application where consumers can access health advice from dietitians and a quiz through which women can learn more about their hormones, symptoms, nutrition and menopause in general.”

Azevedo and Gutierrez of IFF Health similarly highlight the need to raise awareness about menopause-related symptoms and challenges through education and transparency and to provide adequate support and solutions.

 “Responsible brands have a duty to offer products and services that cater to the real needs and preferences of the contemporary woman in menopause, who wants to manage menopause — her way, with options, comprehensive resources, and robust support.”

By Milana Nikolova