Seaweed supplement aims to solve menopause symptoms...naturally
Launched by three-year-young UK-based brand 'Doctor Seaweed's Weed & Wonderful' as an alternate solution to "synthetic supplements currently on the market", the new offering contains pure Scottish seaweed blended with a carefully selected mix of nutrients to provide users with iodine, vitamin B-complex, vitamins C and D3, as well as isoflavones from red clover.
Each nutrient has been included to help to support menopause symptoms such as hormonal balance, tiredness and fatigue, mental performance, bone health, and skin maintenance.
The company's in-house nutritionist, Sarah-Jane Hall, said: "It has long been known that there is a link between thyroid health and menopause, and both can share the similar symptoms. In response, we began exploring ways to combine our unique seaweed, which contains natural iodine for thyroid support, with a carefully selected blend of natural and plant-based ingredients designed to help support the various symptoms of menopause.”
The launch comes as a number of brands and retailers set out to show their commitment to improving support for those going through perimenopause and menopause.
Health and nutrition retail giant Holland & Barrett recently joined the 'GenM' movement - a UK-based campaign in which brands and retailers pledge to do their part to support this group of consumers.
GenM's own market research (survey of 2,000 women aged 35-60) reveals that half of women (49%) couldn’t name any phases of the menopause, even when prompted, and almost half (46%) hadn’t come across the term perimenopause.
Of the 48 symptoms of menopause, 51% of women could only name three. Less than 15% of women realised depression, anxiety and irritability can be symptoms.
Two thirds of perimenopausal women felt unprepared or blindsided by it, half admitted they didn’t know what was happening to them, and more than half said they knew almost nothing about menopause before going through it.
One in five women said they visited their doctor six times before receiving adequate help or advice and 87% of menopausal women felt mid-life women were overlooked by society and brands.
Over half (57%) of women experiencing the menopause said that marketing and advertising did not reflect their life or the lives of their friends, viewing it as uninspiring (56%), showing an outdated view of their life stage (54%) and they couldn’t relate to it (47%).
Speaking about this lack of awareness, Hall says: “Thankfully it is becoming much more normalised for people to talk about women’s health concerns and the menopause, and this awareness is driving women to explore what options may work for them."
The Weed & Wonderful brand, founded by former marine biologist Dr Craig Rose, launched its range of seaweed inspired supplements and oils in 2018.
At the time of launch, Rose told NutraIngredients: “76% of school age girls and 66% of adult women have been found to have diets that are insufficient in iodine. This is generally because they don’t eat enough fish and dairy which are the two main sources - Seaweed is the only good source that is natural and vegan."
Linked resource
Probiotics for a smooth menopause transition
In this report, Lumina Intelligence reviews the shifting perceptions of menopause, overviews some of the recent science studies and zooms in on the current offering within this niche.
