The ads, all seen in July and August 2025, were identified using the ASA’s AI assisted Active Ad Monitoring system, which proactively searched for online ads making claims about the treatment of symptoms of the menopause.
ASA flags menopause brands in paid social ads
The ASA investigated two paid social media ads for Lunera, a food supplement brand aimed at menopausal women, which used customer testimonials to claim the product could help with menopause symptoms such as weight gain, bloating, tiredness and poor sleep. The ads also suggested users experienced weight loss as well as benefits like improved metabolism and reduced inflammation.
Minerva Wellness, a probiotic supplement designed for menopausal women, used a Facebook ad to promote the product as menopause support and included claims that it could improve symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep, mood, fatigue and metabolism. The website also described the product as containing “adaptogenic herbs” and suggested wide-ranging health benefits.
Furthermore, Facebook ads from brand Nova promoted its Menopause Relief & Vitality supplement. Two of the company’s ads claimed the product could help with joint and hip pain linked to menopause and included statements about restoring estrogen, improving joint health and acting as an alternative to HRT. The company also used testimonials describing significant improvements in pain, sleep and mobility.
Menopause supplements make unauthorized claims
All three companies broke the CAP code rule that food supplements must not claim to prevent, treat or cure disease. In each case, the ads suggested the products could treat menopause symptoms, which the ASA considers medical conditions.
They also all broke the rule that specific health claims must be authorized, as each company made reference to metabolism, hormones, stress response or oestrogen production without providing evidence that those claims were approved on the Great Britain Nutrition and Health Claims (GB NHC) Register.
Furthermore, Minerva Wellness and Nova Relief also broke rules on making medicinal claims without authorisation by suggesting their supplements could work like medicines - for example, as an alternative to HRT. Lunera also made weight loss claims, which is not allowed for food supplements.
Brands push back against strict advertising regulations
In response to the ruling, Lunera said that both its ads had been removed voluntarily and would not be used again, as well as noting that they were taking steps to prevent similar issues in future, including working with a third-party regulatory specialist and introducing internal compliance training. However, both Minerva Wellness and Nova failed to respond to the ASA.
Recently, multiple brands have spoken out against stringent advertising rules when it comes to marketing women’s health products. During a women’s health-focused panel at NutraIngredients’ NutraHealthspan Summit, Lucy Goff, the founder of premium women’s health brand Lyma, said brands are unable to discuss menopause in their marketing due to advertising authorities considering it to be a disease claim.
“In Europe, we can’t say anything, so the consumer has no idea what we can do for them. We can’t mention the word sleep, we can’t mention stress,” Goff said. “The laws need to be that if an ingredient house can say something at a B2B level and we are using that ingredient at that dose, then we should be able to use a structure-function claim when speaking to the consumer in order to communicate that benefit.”
Furthermore, Gordon Lott, founder of the supplement brand Dr. Vegan, publicly called out the ASA, arguing that there is an over-medicalization of women’s health, creating red tape for those attempting to support women through diet and supplements.
“We’re not trying to replace medicine—we just want to offer and talk about everyday support options, but the rules make that too difficult,” he previously told NI.
NutraIngredients reached out to all brands mentioned for comment, but did not receive a response from any prior to publication.
