Supplements at Midlife
What supplements are actually worth taking during midlife—and which ones are all hype?
On this episode of HERology, co-hosts Medical Director of the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness, for a practical conversation about navigating today's booming supplement industry with confidence.
From vitamin D and magnesium to omega-3s, creatine, collagen, melatonin, and black cohosh, the panel explores what the evidence shows, how to identify high-quality products, and why supplements should complement—not replace—a healthy lifestyle. They also discuss common nutritional deficiencies, the importance of individualized care, and how women can avoid misleading health claims while making informed decisions during perimenopause and menopause.
Whether you're wondering which supplements deserve a place in your routine or simply trying to separate science from social media, this episode offers thoughtful, evidence-based guidance from Mount Sinai experts.
Anna Barbieri: What do you think are your biggest pet peeves when it comes to supplements?
Francesco Callipari: Um, I think you touched upon them a little bit. I think this level of marketing that really just obfuscates exactly what's going on or this over-hyping of what they can do. And the other part is that believing that a supplement is gonna cure everything that ails you.
Mm. Those are big ones, right? Again, you need to be rational in your approach, systematic, curious, and I think you need just to follow the evidence and not be, um, and not looking at all the shiny things up here looking for a quick fix.
Anna Barbieri: Welcome to Horology, the new podcast from the Mount Sinai Health System, advancing women's health through cutting-edge science and compassionate care. Our show is brought to you by the Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness here at Mount Sinai. I'm your co-host, Dr. Anna Barbieri. Today, we're unpacking the essential supplements for women's health during midlife.
[00:01:00] What are the must-have supplements, and what supplements are just empty promises? We're cutting through the menowashing to find out what actually works. To walk us through, I'm joined by my co-host, Dr. Joanne Stone, who leads the Department of OBGYN as chair here at Mount Sinai, and Dr. Francesca Jalapari, the Medical Director of the Rowan Women's Health Center and an expert in women's integrative health.
Welcome to the show. Supplements, that's the topic for today, and it's a giant one, right? I mean, I hear about supplements every day. I get asked about supplements. I walk down that CVS aisle. I'm intimidated by supplements sometimes. So it really comes up a lot, and I think traditionally in medicine, on the medical school side in residency, we really don't know so much about supplements.