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Spend any time on the ‘wellness’ side of social media and you will soon come across all kinds of ‘natural’ fixes for perimenopause symptoms. However, not everything is grounded in good evidence, as these claims show…
Natural HRT?
Claim one: Bioidentical and compounded hormones are safer because they’re ‘natural’
Many online influencers and wellness coaches are promoting compounded ‘bioidentical’ hormone therapy as a personalised, plant-derived, safer alternative to standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
What the evidence actually says, though, according to a 2025 study published in BMJ Open, which analysed the most visible UK social media content about HRT across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X and Google, is that 67 per cent of claims were outside NICE and BNF recommendations.
Furthermore, much of this content promotes compounded products.
The British Menopause Society (BMS) distinguishes between regulated bioidentical HRT (rBHRT), which is developed by the pharmaceutical industry and authorised by the MHRA, and compounded bioidentical HRT (cBHRT), which is produced by specialist pharmacies and does not follow the same MHRA regulatory pathway.
The BMS clearly states that the potential benefits of bioidentical hormone therapy can be achieved using conventionally licensed products, without resorting to unregulated compounded varieties.
The NHS is equally clear that compounded bioidentical hormones are not recommended because it is not known how well they work or how safe they are. Regulated bioidentical hormones are, however, available on the NHS.
The key advice for pharmacy customers who ask about bioidentical HRT is that ‘natural’ and ‘bioidentical’ are marketing terms – they are not safety guarantees.
Always signpost customers to their GP or a BMS-accredited menopause specialist rather than an unregulated online source of hormone therapy products.
