Menopausal Women Drive a Market Worth nearly $384 million in Brazil - Folha de S.Paulo
Not long ago, social worker Adriana Mansueto, 59, visited a friend. After saying goodbye, she got a call from her friend asking where she was. "I’m downstairs," she replied. "Downstairs where?" her friend asked. "Downstairs from the building," Adriana explained. The social worker laughs about what she has come to know as the "brain fog" of menopausal women.
"I just forgot the word 'garage,'" she recalls. Adriana is part of the female population aged 50 and older, which this year is expected to make up 15% of all Brazilians, or 33.6 million people, according to projections from IBGE (the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics).
Menopause typically begins around age 50. To alleviate symptoms—hot flashes, chills, night sweats, brain fog, irritability, insomnia, and loss of libido—the pharmaceutical and vitamin supplement industries have increased product launches.
According to the U.S.-based research firm Grand View Research, global sales of over-the-counter supplements and medications for these women totaled US$ 384.4 million in Brazil in 2024 and are expected to reach US$ 527 million by 2030. According to gynecologist Maria Celeste Wender, about 20% of women do not experience menopause symptoms.
Those who do can turn to hormone replacement therapy. Regarding vitamins and supplements, the specialist says women tend to need calcium, vitamin D, and B12. "But there are no methodologically rigorous studies on their effectiveness."
