Millennial and Gen X women represent one of the most strategically important consumer segments in the US health and wellness industry. With more than 87 million individuals in this demographic, they carry both purchasing power and a growing set of wellness priorities. While their interest spans everything from sleep to focus to stress, one emerging area stands out: hormonal balance. The transition into perimenopause is a major life-stage shift, and it is quickly gaining traction among consumers and brands alike. Despite rising awareness, few products are formulated to meet the specific needs of this shift, creating a timely opportunity for innovation in both supplements and functional foods.

Perimenopause is the New Front Line of Women’s Health

The topic of perimenopause is gaining significant traction. Google Trend data suggests that the demand for perimenopause-related information is growing four times faster than for menopause. In fact, over the last year, it outpaced heart health as a top search topic for women’s health. The growing interest in this topic corresponds with social media conversations around women’s health as well. Over the last five years, across more than 70 million social posts captured from Instagram, TikTok, and X, more than 5 million mentions of women’s health have been captured. Of those, 231K are perimenopause-related, with the strongest indications surrounding hormonal balance. Perimenopause now has a 5% share of voice on social media. For perspective, this now surpasses conversions on obesity/weight loss [i].

The surge in interest in perimenopause is driven by an increased awareness due to several factors:

• Millennials and Gen X’ers are aging into perimenopause
• Significant increase in attention on the subject of perimenopause
• Women are experiencing perimenopause earlier in life
• More noticeable symptoms related to perimenopause

When it comes to perimenopause, women report experiencing the broadest range of health-related symptoms compared to other life stages. These include disrupted sleep, brain fog, low energy, mood fluctuations, digestive issues, and changes to skin, hair, and nails. While many products attempt to address these concerns one symptom at a time, consumers are beginning to look for more holistic, hormone-focused solutions. This shift signals a growing demand for supplements that do more than relieve discomfort but instead support the underlying hormonal transition itself. To understand how to meet that need, it’s important to first explore what’s actually happening in the body during perimenopause.

The Hormonal Shift and The Age of Xenoestrogens

Hormone fluctuations are a natural part of aging. But, for women approaching their 40s and beyond, there is a big life shift where the body naturally wants to change its predominant form of estrogen from estradiol, used during reproductive years, to estrone, a more stable, long-term form of estrogen. However, for many women, this transition does not feel as graceful as it should due to a condition called estrogen dominance, where excess levels of estradiol create an imbalance that sets this natural shift off course [ii].

Complicating things further, we are exposed to additional estrogen intake through diet, medications, and environment. For example, certain medications can introduce synthetic estrogens to the body [iii]. In other cases, many foods contain phytoestrogens that have a similar chemical structure to estradiol [iv]. Lastly, pesticides, preservatives, and microplastics lead to the absorption of xenoestrogens. These chemicals mimic estrogens (specifically estradiol) in the body and may be the largest contributor to the body’s imbalance [v]. In order to maintain a healthy hormone balance, these various forms of estrogen need to be effectively metabolized and removed from the body to avoid accumulation that can contribute to estrogen dominance.

What about Men?

Often overlooked in hormone conversations are men who also produce a small amount of estrogen through the conversion of testosterone. But when estrogen levels in men get too high, especially with the intake of xenoestrogens, it can disrupt hormonal balance and even suppress natural testosterone production [vi].

CelluThrive™: A Science-Backed Ingredient for Hormone Balance

While many products aim to address these symptoms individually, CelluThrive™ offers a more holistic approach to help address hormonal imbalances at the root of the problem. CelluThrive™ works by enhancing the body’s natural detox pathways responsible for metabolizing and deactivating excess estrogens and xenoestrogens [vii]. Backed by over two decades of research and a robust safety profile, CelluThrive™ has been clinically shown to drop estradiol levels by 56% compared to the placebo [viii]. Additional research showed a 50% reduction in β-glucuronidase enzyme activity, a specific gut bacteria that contributes to the recirculation of estrogen and other toxins back into the body. The added effect reduces estradiol concentration in the blood by 23% [ix]. Crucially, this indicates the effective removal of excess estrogen that could have otherwise been reabsorbed and reactivated back into the bloodstream. Furthermore, CelluThrive™ aids in the removal of toxic compounds, including microplastics, PFUAs, and food additives, which are key sources of xenoestrogen intake [x,xi]. Meaning CelluThrive™ is not only a powerful hormone support ingredient, but also provides additional liver support that women are seeking.

CelluThrive™ is a GRAS-affirmed ingredient that is easy to work with in various delivery systems. The recommended effective serving size for CelluThrive™ is 500mg-1 gram for daily hormone support.

• CelluThrive™ CDG (Calcium D-Glucarate): The slow-release form ideal for capsules and tablets.
• CelluThrive™ PHG (Potassium Hydrogen Glucarate): The 100% water-soluble form perfect for powdered beverages, shots, and RTDs.

For over 20 years, Applied Food Sciences (AFS) has brought inspiration and innovation to functional ingredients. CelluThrive™ is a perfect example of a science-backed health ingredient supported by years of clinical studies and multiple patents. Manufacturers looking to make an innovative wellness product can inquire and request samples of CelluThrive on the AFS website.

The Takeaway: Formulate for Balance

Women are rewriting the wellness narrative, and brands have an opportunity to lead the way. By addressing hormone health at the root, not just the symptoms, products formulated with CelluThrive™ are considered a trusted hormonal support system for life’s biggest transitions.

Ready to create what women are really asking for?
Visit appliedfoods.com/ingredients/celluthrive to request a sample or talk to our formulation team.

Citations:

1. Brightfield Group; Wellness Social Listening & Quarterly Survey; March 2025
2. Tolu Oyelowo DC, in Mosby’s Guide to Women’s Health, 2007
3. Archer DF, Nakajima ST, Sawyer AT, Wentworth J, Trupin S, Koltun WD, Gilbert RD, Ellman H. Norethindrone acetate 1.0 milligram and ethinyl estradiol 10 micrograms as an ultra low-dose oral contraceptive. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Sep;122(3):601-7. [PubMed] [Reference list]
4. Sarfaroj Khan, BHMS, PGD Health Operations. What are phytoestrogens, and what are they used for?. 2022
5. Cleveland Clinic. Overview: What is estrogen? 2022
6. Hayes, F. J., DeCruz, S., Seminara, S. B., Boepple, P. A., & Crowley, W. F. (2001). Differential regulation of gonadotropin secretion by testosterone in the human male: absence of a negative feedback effect of estradiol. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 86(2), 530–536. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.86.2.7251
7. Brandenberger AW, Tee MK, Lee JY, Chao V, Jaffe RB. Tissue distribution of Estrogen Receptors Alpha (ER-alpha) and Beta (ER-alpha) mRNA in the midgestational human fetus. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82(10):3509–3512. doi: 10.1210/jc.82.10.3509.
8. G Tramontano. A Multi Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Within Subject Crossover Study to Explore the Safety and Efficacy of D-Glucarate 1000 mg Versus Placebo on Vasomotor, Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms in Symptomatic Perimenopausal Women, Exoden Research Center, 2012.
9. Abou-Issa, H., Dwivedi, C., Curley, R. W., Kirkpatrick, R., Coolemans- Beynen, A., Engineer, F. N., Humphries, K. A., El-Masry, W., and Webb, T. E. (1993). Basis for the antitumor and chemopreventive activities of glucarate and the glucarate–retinoid combination. Anticancer Res. 13, 395–399
10. Hanausek, M., Walaszek, Z., and Slaga, T. (2003). Detoxifying cancer causing agents to prevent cancer. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 2(2), 139-144.
11. Cline, J.C. (2015). Nutritional aspects of detoxification in clinical practice. Alternative Therapies, 21, 54-62.