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Supplements and life stages

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Ashwagandha for women: a UK guide Ashwagandha for women explained: why it carries no authorised EFSA claim, who it is and is not for, what to look for, and named UK brands to compare.
Collagen for women: a UK evidence-led guide Collagen for women explained: what the evidence supports, why vitamin C matters, marine vs bovine sources, what to look for when buying, and named UK brands.
Creatine for women: a UK evidence-led guide Creatine for women explained: the EFSA-authorised performance claim, who it suits, why monohydrate and Creapure matter, and named UK brands to compare.
Do you need a multivitamin? A UK guide Do you need a multivitamin? What the NHS says for UK women, who genuinely benefits, the nutrients to single out by life stage, and what to avoid.
Do you need collagen after 40? A UK guide Do you need collagen after 40? What the evidence and EFSA rules actually support for women, why the claims often run ahead, and what to weigh before buying.
Editorial policy How Her Vitals sources, fact-checks and edits its women’s health and supplement coverage: named primary sources, a named editor, evidence over marketing, and clear corrections.
Iron for women: a UK evidence-led guide Iron for women explained: the EFSA-authorised roles, why to confirm low iron with a test first, the gentler forms, and named UK brands to compare.
Magnesium for women: a UK evidence-led guide Magnesium for women explained: what it does (EFSA-authorised roles), who it suits, the glycinate vs citrate vs oxide forms, and named UK brands to compare.
Menopause and perimenopause symptoms: an evidence-first guide What the evidence says about the main menopause and perimenopause symptoms for UK women, symptom by symptom: hot flushes, sleep, mood, brain fog and joint aches, what helps, and when to see your GP. Cited to the NHS and NICE.
Menopause supplements: a UK evidence-led guide Menopause explained for UK women: what changes nutritionally after periods stop, which supplement categories matter, and how to choose, citing the NHS and EFSA.
Omega-3 for women: a UK evidence-led guide Omega-3 for women explained: the EFSA-authorised EPA and DHA roles, fish oil vs vegan algae sources, who it suits, what to look for, and named UK brands.
Perimenopause supplements: a UK evidence-led guide Perimenopause for UK women: what changes nutritionally, the supplement categories that matter, and how to choose, with NHS and EFSA sources.
Perimenopause symptoms and what helps Perimenopause symptoms explained for UK women, with what the NHS says, where lifestyle and supplements fit, and when to see your GP. Information only.
Postnatal supplements: a UK evidence-led guide Postnatal nutrition for UK women: vitamin D while breastfeeding, recovery, energy, and which supplement categories are worth understanding. Information only.
Pregnancy supplements: a UK evidence-led guide Pregnancy nutrition for UK women: the folic acid and vitamin D the NHS recommends, what to avoid, and which extra supplements to understand. Information only.
Protein powder for women: a UK guide Protein powder for women explained: the EFSA-authorised roles, whey vs plant sources, who it suits, what to look for, and named UK brands to compare.
Supplements for menopause: the evidence Supplements for menopause and what the evidence actually says for UK women, the EFSA-authorised nutrient roles, and where claims run ahead. Information only.
Supplements for older women: a UK evidence-led guide Nutrition for women in the senior years: bone and muscle health, vitamin D, calcium, protein and B12, and which supplements matter. Information only.
Trying to conceive: a UK supplement guide Preconception nutrition for UK women: the folic acid and vitamin D the NHS recommends when trying to conceive, plus what the evidence supports. Information only.
Vitamin D for women: a UK evidence-led guide Vitamin D for women explained: the NHS 10 microgram advice, EFSA-authorised roles in bones and immunity, D3 vs vegan sources, and named UK brands to compare.
Vitamin D: how much do you really need? How much vitamin D do you really need? The NHS 10 microgram daily advice for UK adults, the mcg to IU conversion, autumn and winter, and the safe upper limit.
When to take magnesium: a practical UK guide When to take magnesium, in plain English: morning or night, with or without food, the timing question around sleep, and the label-first principle. UK guide.
Your menopause and HRT questions, answered Plain answers to the specific questions UK women ask about perimenopause, menopause and HRT: hot flushes, early waking, bleeding on HRT, supply shortages, over-the-counter options and more. Cited to the NHS and NICE. Information, not medical advice.

Best of: product round-ups

Best ashwagandha UK for women: 2026 comparison Our pick of ashwagandha supplements in the UK, comparing extract and format and who each suits, across named real brands, with the EFSA-claim caveat explained.
Best collagen UK for women: 2026 comparison Our pick of the best collagen supplements in the UK for women, comparing marine and bovine sources, format and who each suits, across named real brands.
Best creatine for women UK: 2026 comparison Our pick of the best creatine for women in the UK, comparing monohydrate powder and tablet options, Creapure purity and value, across named real brands.
Best magnesium for women UK: 2026 comparison Our pick of the best magnesium supplements for women in the UK, comparing form, who each suits and price, across BetterYou, Wild Nutrition, Bulk and Form.
Best omega-3 UK for women: 2026 comparison Our pick of the best omega-3 supplements in the UK for women, comparing fish oil and vegan algae sources, EPA and DHA content and who each suits.
Best prenatal vitamins UK: 2026 comparison Our pick of prenatal vitamins in the UK, comparing format and who each suits, against the NHS folic acid and vitamin D advice, across named real brands.
Best protein powder for women UK: 2026 Our pick of the best protein powder for women in the UK, comparing whey and plant sources, protein per serving and who each suits, across named real brands.
Best vitamin D supplement UK: 2026 Our pick of the best vitamin D supplements in the UK for women, comparing D3 and vegan sources, spray and softgel formats, and who each suits.

Evidence-led guides

Evidence-led women's health and supplement guides In-depth, plainly written guides on the questions UK women actually ask: perimenopause and menopause, supplements in pregnancy, vitamin D through the year, and magnesium. Cited to the NHS, NICE and EFSA. Information, not medical advice.
Magnesium for women: forms, evidence and what the claims really mean A UK evidence-led guide to magnesium for women: how much you need, the EFSA-authorised roles, how the common forms differ, the supplement caution amount, and where marketing outruns the evidence. Cited to the NHS and EFSA. Information, not medical advice.
Perimenopause and menopause supplements: what the evidence supports A UK evidence-led guide to supplements around perimenopause and menopause: what changes nutritionally, which categories have a credible role, what supplements may legally claim, and when to see a GP. Cited to the NHS, NICE and EFSA.
Supplements in pregnancy and when trying to conceive: the NHS essentials A clear UK guide to supplements before and during pregnancy: the two the NHS specifically advises, the one vitamin to avoid, and how to read a prenatal label. Cited to the NHS and NICE. Information, not medical advice.
Vitamin D for women through the year: how much, when and why A UK guide to vitamin D for women: why the NHS advises a daily 10 microgram supplement in autumn and winter, who should take it all year, the upper limit, and how to compare products. Cited to the NHS and EFSA. Information, not medical advice.

Compare and explain

Collagen types explained: type I, II and III Collagen types I, II and III explained for UK women: where each is found in the body, which supplements tend to contain them, and what to look for on the label.
Magnesium glycinate vs citrate vs bisglycinate Magnesium glycinate vs citrate vs bisglycinate, compared on what each form is, how gentle and well absorbed it tends to be, and who it suits, for UK women.

Free tools and calculators

Are you overpaying for vitamins? UK supplement price checker Enter a supplement price, servings and active dose to see its cost per effective dose and whether you are overpaying against a typical UK price band for that nutrient.
Ashwagandha cost per standardised dose calculator (UK) Compare ashwagandha supplements on cost per 600 mg of standardised root extract, the common trial dose. Standardised KSM-66 or Sensoril extract is not the same as plain powder.
Collagen cost per 10g serving calculator (UK) Compare collagen powders and capsules on cost per 10 g of hydrolysed collagen, the serving size most trials use. Capsule products are often 10x dearer per gram.
Cost per effective dose calculators for supplements (UK) Free calculators that price UK supplements the honest way: per effective dose of the active, not per pack. Vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3, collagen, iron, creatine, prenatal and ashwagandha.
Creatine cost per 5g serving calculator (UK) Compare creatine monohydrate powders and capsules on cost per 5 g maintenance serving. Capsules are often many times dearer per gram than plain monohydrate powder.
Do you actually need this supplement? Honest UK evidence checker Pick a supplement and your life stage to get the honest NHS and EFSA evidence verdict: recommended, situational or no good evidence for most people, plus a cheaper or free alternative.
Free supplement tools and UK health data trackers Free, no sign-up supplement tools: are you overpaying, do you actually need it, evidence scorecard, stack cost, safe-limit and intake checkers, cost-per-effective-dose calculators, plus a live UK HRT prescribing tracker from NHS data.
Iron cost per mg elemental iron calculator (UK) Compare iron supplements on elemental iron, not compound weight. Form-adjusted for ferrous fumarate, sulfate, gluconate and bisglycinate, priced against NHS daily figures.
Magnesium cost per effective dose calculator (UK) Compare magnesium supplements on elemental magnesium, not compound weight. Form-adjusted for glycinate, citrate and oxide, priced against the NHS 270 mg daily figure.
Omega-3 cost per gram of EPA and DHA calculator (UK) Price any fish oil or algae omega-3 by what matters: cost per gram of combined EPA and DHA, not per capsule of "1000 mg fish oil". Instant, honest comparison.
Prenatal vitamin cost and baseline checker (UK) Check whether a prenatal hits the NHS baseline of 400 mcg folic acid and 10 mcg vitamin D, and what it costs per day. Most of that baseline is available free or very cheaply.
Proprietary blend decoder: spot hidden supplement doses (UK) Understand why a proprietary blend hides per-ingredient doses, and check whether a blend could be under-dosing its headline ingredient. A plain explainer plus a quick flag.
Recommended daily intake lookup for women (UK) Look up NHS reference daily intakes of folic acid, iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and vitamin C for women by life stage, from trying to conceive to over 50.
Supplement ingredient evidence scorecard (UK) Score a supplement headline claims against the EFSA and GB authorised health-claim register and NHS guidance: authorised, situational or no authorised claim, with sources and dates.
Supplement stack daily and annual cost calculator (UK) Add the supplements in your routine to see the real combined cost per day and per year, with a flag when the same nutrient appears twice. See what a menopause or TTC stack really costs.
UK HRT Prescribing Tracker (NHS England data) How much HRT the NHS in England is prescribing: items in , charted monthly from . NHSBSA data, updated .
Vitamin and mineral upper safe limit checker (UK) Check a daily supplement amount against the NHS and EFSA tolerable upper intake guidance for vitamins and minerals. Spot doses that may be too high before you buy.
Vitamin D cost per effective dose calculator (UK) Work out what a vitamin D supplement really costs per NHS reference dose of 10 micrograms (400 IU). Enter price, pack size and dose for an instant, honest cost per day.

Research and data

Research and data assets Her Vitals research: consolidated, citeable data assets on UK women\
UK Supplement Price-Per-Effective-Dose Index A consolidated UK index that prices eight common supplements by their effective daily dose of the active ingredient, not by the pack, with the NHS or EFSA basis and a primary source for every figure. Updated June 2026.

UK women's health statistics

Statistics Key statistics on UK women's life-stage health and supplements for , each linked to its primary source. Updated .

Editorial team

, Editor, Her Vitals is the editor of Her Vitals, the UK women's life-stage health and supplement authority.
Editorial team The named editorial team behind Her Vitals.

Accreditations

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About, contact and policies

About Her Vitals Her Vitals is an independent UK women's health and supplement information service, operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, with a named editor, cited sources and an affiliate model disclosed upfront.
Contact How to contact Her Vitals: editorial corrections, data protection, and the registered operator.
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Her Vitals Data API and MCP server Free, read-only access to Her Vitals's index of UK women's supplement categories: a JSON REST API, an OpenAPI 3.1 spec and an MCP server. Information only, not medical advice. CC BY 4.0.
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Home

Her Vitals: supplement reviews for every life stage Evidence-led supplement reviews for women, from trying to conceive to menopause and beyond. We explain what the evidence supports. Information, not advice.

questions

Can a Mirena coil mask perimenopause? A Mirena coil can make periods lighter or stop them, so it can hide the change in your cycle that often signals perimenopause. It does not stop other symptoms such as hot flushes, and it can also be used as the progestogen part of HRT. Information only.
Can I get HRT over the counter? One low-dose vaginal oestrogen, Gina, can be bought from a pharmacy without a prescription for postmenopausal vaginal symptoms, after a pharmacist check. Whole-body HRT for hot flushes and other symptoms still needs a prescription. Information only.
Can my GP refuse HRT because of a family history of breast cancer? A family history of breast cancer is not an automatic bar to HRT under NICE NG23. It is one factor in a shared decision about benefits and risks, alongside your symptoms and history. The decision should be discussed, not simply refused. Information only.
Can you have perimenopause without hot flushes? Yes, perimenopause can arrive without hot flushes. The NHS lists many symptoms beyond vasomotor ones, and NICE NG23 lets a GP recognise perimenopause from a changing cycle and symptoms in women aged 45 and over. Information only.
Is irregular bleeding on HRT normal? Unscheduled bleeding is a common side effect in the first few months of HRT or after a change of dose. NICE NG23 says to mention it at your review, and to seek prompt advice if it carries on beyond the first months or starts later. Information only.
Is waking with anxiety at 4am a menopause symptom? Early waking and night-time anxiety can be part of perimenopause and menopause. The NHS lists sleep problems and anxiety among the common symptoms, often linked and worsened by night sweats. Information only, not medical advice.
My pharmacy is out of my HRT, what now? If your HRT is out of stock, ask the pharmacist about a Serious Shortage Protocol or an equivalent, try other pharmacies, and speak to your GP. Do not simply stop. A Serious Shortage Protocol lets a pharmacist supply an alternative without going back to your GP. Information only.

data

HRT prescribing in England: the numbers (2024/25) How much HRT England prescribes and who gets it: 14.7 million items to an estimated 2.8 million patients in 2024/25, up 11% in a year, with a striking deprivation gap. Sourced from NHS Business Services Authority data.

menopause-symptoms

Menopausal hot flushes and night sweats: what helps Hot flushes and night sweats explained for UK women: what the NHS and NICE say drives them, the lifestyle steps and medical options that help, and when to see your GP. Information only.
Menopause and sleep problems: what helps Why sleep breaks down in perimenopause and menopause, what the NHS and NICE say helps, where supplements fit, and when to see your GP. Information only.
Menopause brain fog and memory: what helps Brain fog, poor concentration and memory changes in perimenopause and menopause: what the evidence says is happening, what helps, and when to see your GP. Information only.
Menopause joint and muscle aches: what helps Aching joints and muscles in perimenopause and menopause: what the evidence says about the link to falling oestrogen, the steps that help, and when to see your GP. Information only.
Menopause, low mood and anxiety: what helps Low mood, irritability and anxiety in perimenopause and menopause: what the NHS and NICE say, the options to discuss with a GP, and where supplements fit. Information only.