As a middle aged woman, my social media feed is drowning with the next miracle cure for hot flushes, midline weight gain, mood swings, frozen shoulder and the rest. But, do these products really work, do you need them, and most of all do you know enough about them to make a decision to try them?

Here’s a few things to keep in mind before you click ‘add to cart’ in the hope one simple pill will cure all your midlife ails.

I’ll start by saying there are many supplements that have good evidence for supporting women in perimenopause and beyond. That’s an article all in itself and is covered in A LOT of detail in my upcoming book, so stay tuned.

But for now, here are my 5 top tips when selecting supplements in this phase of life, which will leave you more informed and in control when it comes to spending hard earned cash on finding a way to rid symptoms fast.

1. Is the product a food or therapeutic good?

Ruminating over that superfood hot chocolate that eliminates hot flushes?  All I can say here is, buyer beware! In Australia, you can get two main types of ‘supplements’. Those that are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) and those which are sold as foods that contain a range of nutrition and health-type claims. In general, supplements on the ARTG (look for an AUSTL or AUSTR on the label) need to include ingredients at the right dose (based on evidence) to do the things they claim to do.

Although largely self-regulated, these supplements are generally higher quality and are subject to a range of guidelines, as well as random audits by the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration). Health food style supplements can contain a range of pre-approved low level health or nutrient claims, or slightly higher level claims they can submit to FSANZ (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) for use on their labels and marketing. Foods usually contain much lower doses of any active ingredients per serve and are not designed to achieve therapeutic outcomes. They are foods after all – they are designed to help supplement an otherwise balanced diet. If you want a therapeutic outcome (e.g. help relieve hot flushes) you are best to choose a TGA listed supplement.

2. How do you know if the supplement is a legitimate brand you can trust?

This can be a little harder to decipher based on packaging and marketing alone. But one option is to check if the product has any third party certifications. This is much more of a focus in the US versus down under, but there are some options. Third party certification is where an independent (3rd party) organisation, who is not affiliated in any way with making or selling the product, verifies the potency and purity of ingredients found within it. This gives you assurance that the product contains what it says it does, and has the most pure form of any ingredients. Now, you might be thinking – why do you need to check that it contains what it says it does? Well, there has been the odd occasion where products have been tested once in the market, to find they contain different ingredients altogether. Thankfully, this is not a huge issue in Australia.

Read the label and see if it refers to any 3rd party certification or testing, and read further details at any website that is also linked. When it comes to supplements for perimenopause and menopause, there is no third party certifying body in Australia.

3. Can you trust the claims?

TGA products are required to have the right ingredient at the right dose to achieve the claims listed on pack or in marketing. So, by choosing a TGA product you are already starting in a good place. But do bear in mind that when companies list products with the TGA it is largely self-regulated. This means they submit all the information to a TGA portal and get a listing number generated. Only a portion of these products are then subject to a TGA audit once in the market. So, there may well be some products who have not submitted correctly, or do not actually have the right dose, right ingredient and right claim mix, but they just fly under the radar so to speak – unfortunately it is sometimes not as easy as choosing a TGA product to be 100% sure.

This may sound ambiguous, but unfortunately that is the reality in this space. When it comes to products that are aimed at perimenopause and menopause there have been some questions raised about the efficacy and reliability of claims.

4. How does this supplement interact with your other medicines, supplements or medical conditions?

Ingredients found in perimenopause or menopause supplements can be vitamins, nutrients or herbal products. Some of these can interact with each other, with other medicines or even some foods. They can even have specific warnings when it comes to use with diagnosed medical conditions. An example is Black Cohosh which is a herbal remedy often claimed to relieve hot flushes, joint aches and pains associated with hormonal changes. Although the evidence is not 100% clear, it is thought this ingredient has the potential to cause liver damage, so this would require regular monitoring to be safe.

5. Speak to an adequately qualified and registered health professional.

This one is probably the most important. But it doesn’t mean any health professional, as we all have our specific expertise and professional scope of practice. Enquire if your health professional is an expert in supplements, and if so, what are their qualifications and experience when it comes to recommending supplements and understanding their effect and safety in your individual case. Just as I wouldn’t recommend how you rehabilitate your chronic knee injury, manage your tooth decay or deal with severe immune reactions, you probably shouldn’t take advice from those who are not experts in the field.

While that may all seem like a lot to digest, it hopefully widens your eyes and keeps you on your toes when it comes to choosing or recommending a supplement to relieve hot flushes, eliminate belly fat or banish brain fog. In most cases, think of the supplement as a boost to your other well established foundations in a well balanced diet, exercise, self-care and treatment of any diagnosed medical conditions.

The best way to approach this is through the guidance of an appropriately qualified health professional, who can assess your individual case and make a personalised recommendation.