{
  "dataset": "lactoferrin-cost-by-brand",
  "title": "Lactoferrin Supplements Compared — cost per mg and cost per day, bovine lactoferrin vs apolactoferrin",
  "sourcePage": "https://verifiedsupplementdata.com/lactoferrin/best-overall/",
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Verified Supplement Data (2026), Lactoferrin Cost Comparison",
  "dateModified": "2026-07-19",
  "methodology": "All five tracked products disclose the actual lactoferrin mg per serving directly on the label, so costPerMg = price / (servings x disclosed mg) is a real, honest unit — unlike wheat-germ-extract-style label traps in other categories. The real buying gap in this category is FORM disclosure, not dose disclosure: only one tracked product (Vitamatic) names the apolactoferrin (iron-depleted) form on-label, the form used in most immune-focused trials; the other four are standard bovine lactoferrin with no stated iron-saturation level. AOR Lactoferrin 250mg (ASIN B07VQHNNCN) is a real, title-verified, Health-Canada-regulated product referenced editorially but excluded from this dataset because it has no live Amazon buy-box price as of 2026-07-19. ⚠️ RETRACTION NOTE: two of the largest, most-cited pregnancy/anemia lactoferrin RCTs — Rezk et al. 2016 (PMID 26037728) and Darwish et al. 2019 (PMID 29338568), both in J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med — were formally RETRACTED in December 2023 (retraction notices PMID 37466255 and PMID 36658737). Neither retracted trial is used as evidence anywhere in this dataset or on this site; they are referenced only in the retraction-disclosure context. The surviving primary pregnancy-anemia trial is Nappi 2009 (PMID 19639462, n=97, not retracted): bovine lactoferrin matched ferrous sulfate on hemoglobin/ferritin restoration with fewer GI side effects. Two surviving meta-analyses (PMID 29059584, published one year after the now-retracted Rezk 2016 in the same narrow niche and very likely pooling it; PMID 38291525, I²=95.8% heterogeneity) are treated as compromised/noisy signals, not clean evidence. The two dedicated COVID-19 RCTs in this evidence base — Navarro 2023 (PMID 36474100, prevention, 600mg/day) and Matino 2023 (PMID 36904283, hospitalized patients, 800mg/day) — both missed their primary endpoints; any \"lactoferrin prevents/treats COVID\" claim is directly contradicted by this site's own best evidence. Trial dose context: iron/anemia trials used roughly 100-250mg/day (Christofi 2024 pooled range); the most current general-immune RCT (Berthon 2026, PMID 41634901) used 200mg (low) and 600mg (high) arms with surrogate immune/inflammatory-marker endpoints, not a clinical infection-reduction outcome. This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA; these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.",
  "headline": {
    "productsCompared": 5,
    "apolactoferrinDisclosedCount": 1,
    "standardBovineCount": 4,
    "cheapestPerDay": 0.28,
    "cheapestPerDayBrand": "Piping Rock",
    "apolactoferrinBrand": "Vitamatic",
    "bestKnownBrand": "Jarrow Formulas",
    "note": "Ranked by cost per day at the label dose (250-300mg/day, 1 capsule/day) — all five sit within the trial-studied 100-300mg range. Never ranked by commissions."
  },
  "columns": [
    "brand",
    "product",
    "slug",
    "form",
    "mgPerServing",
    "servings",
    "price",
    "costPerServing",
    "costPerMg",
    "costPerDay",
    "formTier",
    "thirdParty"
  ],
  "units": {
    "mgPerServing": "mg lactoferrin (disclosed)",
    "price": "USD",
    "costPerServing": "USD/serving",
    "costPerMg": "USD per mg of lactoferrin",
    "costPerDay": "USD/day"
  },
  "citations": [
    {
      "claim": "RETRACTED Dec 2023 — DO NOT CITE AS EVIDENCE. \"Lactoferrin versus ferrous sulphate for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy: a randomized clinical trial.\" Retraction notice for the original 2016 trial.",
      "source": "Rezk M, et al. 2016 (retracted); retraction notice 2023",
      "pmid": "26037728",
      "retractionPmid": "37466255"
    },
    {
      "claim": "RETRACTED Dec 2023 — DO NOT CITE AS EVIDENCE. \"Lactoferrin plus health education versus total dose infusion (TDI) of low-molecular weight (LMW) iron dextran for treating iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnancy.\" Retraction notice for the original 2019 trial.",
      "source": "Darwish AM, et al. 2019 (retracted); retraction notice 2023",
      "pmid": "29338568",
      "retractionPmid": "36658737"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Prospective RCT, n=97 pregnant women, 30 days, NOT retracted: bovine lactoferrin matched ferrous sulfate on hemoglobin/ferritin restoration (primary endpoint met in both arms), with significantly fewer GI side effects (abdominal pain, constipation) than ferrous sulfate.",
      "source": "Nappi RE, et al. 2009, Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand",
      "pmid": "19639462"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Randomized crossover, n=20 healthy young US women: iron absorption from recombinant human lactoferrin (rice-expressed, NOT bovine/retail) did not differ significantly from ferrous sulfate (20.4% vs 18.8%).",
      "source": "Lönnerdal B, Bryant J. 2006, Am J Clin Nutr",
      "pmid": "16469988"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Meta-analysis, 4 RCTs/600 women: hemoglobin change favored lactoferrin (MD 0.77 g/dL, p=0.04). Published one year after the now-retracted Rezk 2016 in the identical niche — likely pools that trial; treat with real caution.",
      "source": "Abu Hashim H, et al. 2017, Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol",
      "pmid": "29059584"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Systematic review + meta-analysis, 19 trials: hemoglobin SMD -0.81 favoring lactoferrin, but I²=95.8% (very high heterogeneity) — a real red flag; abstract does not visibly address the Rezk/Darwish retractions. Not a clean, settled number.",
      "source": "Christofi C, et al. 2024, BMC Nutrition",
      "pmid": "38291525"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Meta-analysis, 6 RCTs pooled/n=1,194: respiratory tract infection risk reduced (OR 0.57), but dominated by infant-formula-fortification trials, not adult supplement users.",
      "source": "Ali AS, et al. 2021, Clinical Nutrition ESPEN",
      "pmid": "34620326"
    },
    {
      "claim": "RCT, n=103 healthy adults ≥50y, 4 weeks, 200mg vs 600mg vs placebo: high-dose reduced IL-6/CRP and blunted rhinovirus-challenge IL-6 response — surrogate/lab-marker endpoints, not a clinical \"fewer infections\" outcome.",
      "source": "Berthon BS, et al. 2026, British Journal of Nutrition",
      "pmid": "41634901"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Double-blind RCT, n=209 healthcare workers, 600mg/day, 90 days: SARS-CoV-2 prevention primary endpoint NOT MET (10.6% vs 8.6% infection, p=0.64) — a clean null.",
      "source": "Navarro G, et al. 2023, Biometals",
      "pmid": "36474100"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Double-blind RCT, n=218 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 800mg/day: death/ICU and discharge/recovery primary endpoints NEITHER MET. Authors' conclusion: findings \"do not support its use.\"",
      "source": "Matino E, et al. 2023, Nutrients",
      "pmid": "36904283"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Meta-analysis, 5 RCTs/n=682: H. pylori eradication rate improved (OR 2.22) — companion RCT confirms this is an ADJUNCT to standard antibiotic therapy, never standalone treatment.",
      "source": "Sachdeva A, Nagpal J. 2009, Aliment Pharmacol Ther",
      "pmid": "19183156"
    },
    {
      "claim": "Network meta-analysis, 106 trials/25,840 preterm infants: lactoferrin ALONE showed no significant mortality/NEC benefit; only lactoferrin + probiotics reduced sepsis. NICU/preterm clinical context — zero relevance to adult retail use.",
      "source": "Wang Y, et al. 2023, JAMA Pediatrics",
      "pmid": "37782505"
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "brand": "Piping Rock",
      "product": "Lactoferrin 300mg",
      "slug": "piping-rock-lactoferrin-300mg",
      "form": "Capsule, bovine lactoferrin",
      "mgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 90,
      "price": 24.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.28,
      "costPerMg": 0.0009,
      "costPerDay": 0.28,
      "formTier": "standard-bovine",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Vitamatic",
      "product": "Apolactoferrin 250mg",
      "slug": "vitamatic-apolactoferrin-250mg",
      "form": "Capsule, bovine apolactoferrin (iron-depleted)",
      "mgPerServing": 250,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 19.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.33,
      "costPerMg": 0.0013,
      "costPerDay": 0.33,
      "formTier": "apolactoferrin-disclosed",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Best Naturals",
      "product": "Lactoferrin 250mg",
      "slug": "best-naturals-lactoferrin-250mg",
      "form": "Veggie capsule, bovine lactoferrin",
      "mgPerServing": 250,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 21.5,
      "costPerServing": 0.36,
      "costPerMg": 0.0014,
      "costPerDay": 0.36,
      "formTier": "standard-bovine",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Nutricost",
      "product": "Lactoferrin 300mg",
      "slug": "nutricost-lactoferrin-300mg",
      "form": "Capsule, bovine lactoferrin",
      "mgPerServing": 300,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 29.95,
      "costPerServing": 0.5,
      "costPerMg": 0.0017,
      "costPerDay": 0.5,
      "formTier": "standard-bovine",
      "thirdParty": "Third-party tested per label (brand claim)"
    },
    {
      "brand": "Jarrow Formulas",
      "product": "Lactoferrin 250mg",
      "slug": "jarrow-lactoferrin-250mg",
      "form": "Capsule, bovine lactoferrin (freeze-dried)",
      "mgPerServing": 250,
      "servings": 60,
      "price": 42.99,
      "costPerServing": 0.72,
      "costPerMg": 0.0029,
      "costPerDay": 0.72,
      "formTier": "standard-bovine",
      "thirdParty": "None claimed"
    }
  ]
}