After holding C-Suite roles in media and marketing and running a private nutritional practice specializing in women’s health, Joanna Lyall considered it a perfect opportunity to combine both areas of expertise when she was approached by entrepreneur investor Debbie Wosskow.
“She was looking for a business partner to build a wellness supplement brand for women in mid-life, with a particular interest in gut health, and the opportunity seemed like the perfect way for me to combine the two separate worlds,” Lyall said.
They launched The Better Menopause in the UK in July 2023 aiming to provide all-in-one blends targeting key menopause-related health issues with their first formulation named The Better Gut.
Created with the support of a gastroenterologist, the product combines the specific bacterial strains found to be most impacted by hormonal changes during menopause: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus reuteri, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and HOWARU Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
Since then, they have expanded their product range with three more lines—Better Night, Better Libido, and Better Metabolism—and quickly grown their consumer base across the UK, Ireland, US, Australia and Canada.
Supporting sleep, weight and libido
The Better Night SKU combines selected botanicals, vitamins and minerals, including ashwagandha (KSM-66), saffron (Affron), magnesium glycinate and vitamins B6, B12 and D3, to support relaxation and normal nervous system function.
Lyall said sleep disturbance has been the biggest problem raised by customers and was one her own first sign of menopause.
“I went from not really having any hormone issues to suddenly not sleeping at night at all, feeling really anxious and waking up at 3am every night.”
Aiming to help women who feel ‘like they’ve lost their spark’, the founders developed Better Libido, which contained zinc, niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin E, maca, cordyceps, Korean ginseng and ginkgo biloba. The formulation aimed to support energy and mood as well as maintenance of normal testosterone levels.
“In menopause, it’s not just your estrogen levels that change, your entire sense of vitality and drive can be affected,” said Lyall.
“Libido isn’t just about intimacy, it’s about energy, mood, focus, and connection, and that deep feeling of feeling alive. When your hormones are disrupted it can leave you tired, unfocused and just not like yourself.”
Developed to support weight management and the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels, Better Metabolism combines berberine, myo-inositol, chromium picolinate and cinnamon extract (Cinnasil).
“Metabolism is the biggest reason why women’s health deteriorates in mid life and so if you can intervene then you can change healthspan and wellness considerably,” Lyall said.
The co-founders have a further two new product launches planned for early next year, which will focus on muscle and brain health.
Addressing the missing science
In an aim to help address the lack of scientific evidence available in women’s health, The Better Menopause is investing £100,000 into delivering gold standard clinical evidence for the benefits of its Better Metabolism product.
In collaboration with researchers from the University of Southampton, the team will conduct a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial.
They will enroll 80–90 women in menopause, with a 12-week intervention period, with a range of blood and urine biomarkers collected at the beginning and end of the trial.
The results of the study are expected to be published in a peer reviewed journal next year.
“It’s not a cheap endeavor but right from the start we said we wanted to use the science where it exists and create the science where it doesn’t,” said Lyall. “We want to produce products that work and raise the bar and the understanding for what nutrition can do as an intervention.”
