Why menopause is not the 'new vegan'

Food and drinks manufacturers are cashing in on the menopause revolution. But will a tea bag, fruit drink or energy bar really help us navigate the hormonal challenges of mid-life?

The Grocer, a trade publication filled with stirring news from the supermarket aisles, isn’t generally thrilling reading. But recently it propelled me into a hot flush - of irritation, not fascination - with an article entitled: Why ‘menopause is the new vegan’.

The piece in question was an interview with Heather Jackson, the founder of a company called GenM. She told The Grocer her business’ mission was to act as a “menopause partner” for brands and retailers, as she believed menopausal women were a “commercially attractive market”.

Jackson said she set up her company because there was a dearth of menopause-friendly products on the shelves, and her research showed that almost all mid-life women wanted more of them. Personally, I don’t know any women who want more menopause marketing in their lives, but what is clear is that brands and retailers see us, the hormonally challenged mid-lifers, as potential cash cows.

The menopause wellness industry is estimated to be worth $600 billion and in the UK alone, around 13 million UK women are currently menopausal. Jackson believes this is “the next big market for businesses and hopes that one day, supermarket aisles will be dedicated to it. “Menopause is the new vegan,” she said. Kerching.

Speaking as someone who’s been there and got the T-shirt, I hate that menopause is now seen by big business as a commercial opportunity, another bandwagon to jump on, another chance to convince women they can only be their best selves if they buy their stuff.

Of course, the door to the menopause industrial complex has only opened because there’s been a long overdue revolution in attitudes towards the ‘change of life’, as it was euphemistically called in my mother’s day. Thankfully, menopause is no longer a taboo subject and menopause is now widely and openly discussed – between women and their doctors, families and employers, as well as in the media. But that also means that the M word is now fine to use on packaging. And I’m hacked off that my hot flushes, sore joints and sleepless nights are someone else’s business opportunity.

Supplements, bed linen, nightwear, shampoo, electric fans, skincare, vaginal moisturisers and transplants, body sprays, workshops, symposiums, diet plans ... you name it, it seems that no menopausal marketing stone has been left unturned. Including, of course, food and drink.

I have no doubt that some products might be helpful for women suffering symptoms that can be debilitating, but many of them just reek of opportunism. My Inbox is awash with press releases announcing new ways for women to eat, drink and supplement their way to symptom relief: bags of seeds, shakes, bone broth, meal kits, drinks, chocolate bars, tea bags, tinctures and energy bars (of course!), to name just a few. Many cost over the odds because they carry the word ‘menopause’ on the packet. And according to nutritionists, many of them confer no benefits (if any) above and beyond what might be gained from more cost-effective everyday foods.

Research suggests that adjusting your diet - including curbing spikes in your blood sugar levels - may well improve menopausal symptoms. The British Dietetic Association and the British Nutrition Foundation have good advice about what’s nutritionally important at this time of life. And nutritionists say some people may benefit from supplements, subject to specialist advice.

But menopause is not veganism. A combination of healthy diet, exercise, relaxation, reduced stress, limiting alcohol and professional advice is the best way to manage symptoms of the aging process. And unlike tofu, that’s not a package that can be sold on a supermarket shelf.