Vegan Menopause Supplements in the UK: What to Look For
More women are coming to menopause already eating a plant-based diet, and many more are cutting back on meat and dairy in midlife. If that's you, the supplement aisle brings an extra question: is this actually vegan? Plenty of brands don't make it easy to tell. Here's what to check, which nutrients deserve your attention, and how to choose with confidence.
Where supplements can quietly fall short of vegan
The headline ingredient is rarely the problem. It's everything around it. Gelatin capsules are made from animal collagen. Vitamin D3 is very often made from lanolin, the oil in sheep's wool. Some omega-3s come from fish, some "natural" colours come from insects, and a few coatings use shellac or beeswax. A product can sound entirely plant-based on the front of the pack and still not be vegan.
What to look for
- A clear vegan mark on the pack, not just a line buried on a website.
- Plant-based capsules, usually listed as HPMC or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.
- The source of vitamin D3. Vegan D3 comes from algae or lichen. If the source isn't stated, ask.
- The source of omega-3. Algae is the plant-based route to DHA, the same long-chain omega-3 found in oily fish.
The nutrients worth building a plant-based midlife routine around
Vitamin B12. The NHS advises that people following a vegan diet get B12 from fortified foods or a supplement, because it isn't reliably found in plant foods. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal psychological function.
Vitamin D. Most people in the UK run low between October and March, whatever they eat. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and normal muscle function, which matters more as oestrogen falls.
Iodine. Dairy and fish are major sources of iodine in the UK diet, so plant-based eaters can easily miss out. Iodine contributes to normal cognitive function.
Zinc. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal hair, skin and nails.
Magnesium. Magnesium contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to normal muscle function. You can read more in our guide to magnesium for midlife women.
How MenoVeil does it
17 of our 20 formulas are vegan, each one carrying a clear VEGAN mark on the front of the pack, and every one of those vegan formulas is made in the UK, manufactured under GMP and ISO 9001 standards. We're open about the other three too: Krill Oil Complex, Glow Collagen+ (marine collagen) and Energy & Hormone Balance (vegetarian) are the only products in the range that aren't vegan, and each product page says so plainly.
Some popular plant-based starting points:
- Daily Balance, our everyday menopause formula with red clover and soya isoflavones, sage and wild yam, plus vitamin B6, which contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity.
- D3 & K2 Drops, with vegan vitamin D3 made from algae alongside vitamin K2, which contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
- Mind & Clarity, with algae-derived DHA, vitamin B12, iodine and zinc.
- Triple Magnesium Complex, three forms of magnesium in one plant-based capsule.
- Organic Mushroom Complex and Ashwagandha Botanical Complex, for women who like botanicals in their daily routine.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or under the care of a doctor, check with your GP or pharmacist before starting anything new.
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