A survey released on July 29 found that perimenopause cognitive symptoms were of greater concern than physical changes, putting brain fog, forgetfulness and poor concentration ahead of the familiar focus on hot flushes and night sweats. The result matters because it points to a mismatch between what many women feel and what the market has historically sold them.
The Menopause Charity says brain fog is a very common symptom of perimenopause and menopause, describing it as feeling like the brain is cotton wool. Its guidance says it can make it hard to concentrate, retain information and function at work, and the page was last updated in October 2022 with a planned review in October 2025. NHS guidance adds that symptoms can have a big impact on daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work.
UCL’s Faculty of Brain Sciences said on 13 April that brain fog affects two-thirds of women going through menopause and remains poorly understood. UCL’s CST-Meno project page goes further, saying cognitive symptoms are highly prevalent in the menopause transition, that many women fear early-onset dementia, and that one in ten women permanently leaves work because of symptoms. Those figures explain why cognitive complaints need to be taken seriously in consultations, not treated as a side issue behind menstrual change or flushes.
The supplement sector is already moving toward that reading of the market. On 22 July, Heights was targeting menopause brain health with an MRI study, and on 14 April NutraIngredients reported menopause supplement launches were becoming more symptom- and stage-specific. ClinicalTrials.gov also lists a 12-week multi-vitamin/mineral supplementation study, published on 29 May, looking at perimenopause symptoms, cognition, sleep and psychological well-being. For formulators and retailers, the message is clear: products pitched only at menopause relief or hot flush support are missing a large part of the consumer brief.
The scientific backdrop is shifting too. A Nature paper published on 16 March, titled Cognition and the menopause transition: cross-sectional ..., examined how cognitive symptoms can be reported even when objective task performance is largely intact. That kind of split between lived experience and test scores helps explain why women often describe the problem first as lost words, missed deadlines or mental fatigue rather than a temperature issue.
UCL has been pushing the same point on information gaps. On 20 October 2025 it called for a nationwide menopause education programme, saying more than three-quarters of women felt they were not well-informed enough about menopause. In March 2026 it said Black women in the UK were entering menopause severely under informed, under supported and often dismissed by healthcare professionals.