SuppScore · Prepared by Whirlwind

Evidence research: the test on 8 forms

For each form, we found published studies, checked that every one is real, and drafted a written reason and a benefit list from them. Nothing here goes on the site until someone at SuppScore approves it. This page explains everything you need to review it.

8forms researched
32references, every one checked
4with strong evidence
3with moderate evidence
1with thin evidence

Background

Why this research exists

SuppScore's database holds a grade for each ingredient form, such as magnesium citrate. A form only gets its own page on the site when people search for it and the database has real evidence about it: its own written reason for the grade, at least one reference, and its own list of benefits.

Many forms that people search for are missing that evidence. Some have no references. Others have a reason or benefit list copied from another form. This research fills the gap, so those forms can earn their page.

These 8 forms are a test, chosen to cover different kinds of form: minerals, a vitamin form, a mushroom, a plant, a probiotic and a CoQ10 form. They are shown with the thinnest evidence first.

How it was done

What we checked

What to do

Five steps for each form

  1. Read the evidence strength first.It tells you how much weight the studies can carry.
  2. Read the draft written reason and benefit list.Check they are fair to the studies and suit SuppScore's tone.
  3. Open two or three of the references.Each one links to PubMed. Check the summary under "What it found" matches.
  4. Read the notes.They point out problems we found in the current database for that form.
  5. Record your decision.Open research-review-decisions.csv, choose one of the three options below for each form, and send it back to Saumil at Whirlwind.
ApproveThe references, reason and benefits go into SuppScore's database as written. The form is then checked against the publishing rules again, and with this evidence most forms get their own visible page.
Approve with changesWrite what should change. We update the draft and send it back for a final yes. Then it goes in as above.
Not enough evidenceNothing is added. The form stays where the rules put it now. Each form says below what that means for it. Use this for any form where the studies do not convince you.

How strong is the evidence? Strong: several controlled human studies or a review of trials, and they agree. Moderate: some controlled human studies, but small, mixed, or not about the form on its own. Thin: one or two small studies, or no clear result.

Worth knowing

What the research turned up in the current database

The 8 forms

Thinnest evidence first

Magnesium LactateThinLion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus)ModerateUbiquinolModerateL. rhamnosus GR-1®ModerateSaffronStrongMagnesium CitrateStrongL-MethylfolateStrongFerrous BisglycinateStrong

Magnesium Lactate

Thin evidence

Ingredient in the database: Magnesium · Step 7 · 320 searches a month

Why "Thin": Only one small study compares it with other forms, and the one performance study found no effect.
Missing from the database today: no written reason; benefit list is copied onto 1 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Human research on magnesium lactate is thin. In healthy volunteers it was absorbed about as well as magnesium chloride and aspartate, and much better than magnesium oxide (Firoz 2001). An extended-release magnesium lactate tablet was reasonably absorbed, and food lowered the rise in blood magnesium but not the amount reaching the urine (Dogterom 2018). Taken with calcium lactate, it did not improve cycling performance (Peveler 2012).

Draft benefit list

  • Better absorbed than magnesium oxide (Firoz 2001)
  • Absorbed about as well as magnesium chloride (Firoz 2001)

References (3)

  1. Firoz M (2001). Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparations. Magnesium research.What it found: In healthy volunteers, magnesium lactate was absorbed about as well as magnesium chloride and aspartate, and much better than magnesium oxide.PubMed 11794633
  2. Dogterom P (2018). The absolute bioavailability and the effect of food on a new magnesium lactate dihydrate extended-release caplet in healthy subjects. Drug development and industrial pharmacy.What it found: In healthy adults, an extended-release magnesium lactate tablet was reasonably absorbed. Taking it with food lowered the rise in blood magnesium, but not the amount reaching the urine.PubMed 29638147 · DOI
  3. Peveler WW (2012). Effect of magnesium lactate dihydrate and calcium lactate monohydrate on 20-km cycling time trial performance. Journal of strength and conditioning research.What it found: In 9 cyclists, magnesium lactate taken with calcium lactate did not improve 20 km time-trial performance.PubMed 22398820 · DOI

Notes for you

  • Only one study compares magnesium lactate with other forms. SuppScore may decide this is not enough for a visible page, which would keep it as a row.
  • SuppScore's benefit list says muscles and energy. The only performance study we found showed no effect, so those are not in the draft.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it stays a row in the forms table on its ingredient page.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus)

Moderate evidence

Ingredient in the database: Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) · Step 6 · 74,000 searches a month

Why "Moderate": A few placebo-controlled trials point the same way, but they are all small.
Missing from the database today: no references; benefit list is copied onto 5 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Tier B fits: a few small human trials, using the dried mushroom or its fruiting body. In older adults with mild memory and thinking problems, 16 weeks raised thinking-test scores compared with placebo, and scores fell after stopping (Mori 2009). A 12-week trial found a gain on one of three thinking tests (Saitsu 2019). In healthy young adults, one dose made people quicker on a focus task, but 28 days showed only a trend towards less stress (Docherty 2023). The trials are small, so the evidence is promising but not strong.

Draft benefit list

  • Memory and thinking (Mori 2009; Saitsu 2019)
  • Mental speed and focus (Docherty 2023)
  • Mood and feelings of stress (early evidence only) (Nagano 2010; Docherty 2023)

References (4)

  1. Mori K (2009). Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytotherapy research : PTR.What it found: In 30 older adults with mild memory and thinking problems, 16 weeks of dried Lion's Mane powder raised thinking-test scores compared with placebo. Scores fell again 4 weeks after stopping.PubMed 18844328 · DOI
  2. Saitsu Y (2019). Improvement of cognitive functions by oral intake of Hericium erinaceus. Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan).What it found: In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial, adults taking Lion's Mane fruiting body improved on one of three thinking tests.PubMed 31413233 · DOI
  3. Docherty S (2023). The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study. Nutrients.What it found: In 41 healthy young adults, a single dose made people quicker on a focus task. After 28 days there was only a trend towards less stress. Small pilot study.PubMed 38004235 · DOI
  4. Nagano M (2010). Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake. Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan).What it found: In 30 women, 4 weeks of cookies containing Lion's Mane lowered scores on mood and general-complaint questionnaires compared with before the study. Small study.PubMed 20834180 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's own written reason already names Mori 2009 and Saitsu 2019. These are those two studies, so they can fill the empty references box directly.
  • SuppScore's benefit list includes nerve health and immune support. We found no human trials for those, so they are not in the draft.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it keeps its hidden page, which Google is told not to show.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

Ubiquinol

Moderate evidence

Ingredient in the database: Coenzyme Q10, Ubiquinol & Ubiquinone · Step 7 · 880 searches a month

Why "Moderate": It clearly raises CoQ10 levels, but the trials are small and the exercise results are mixed.
Missing from the database today: no references; benefit list is copied onto 9 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Ubiquinol is the reduced, antioxidant form of coenzyme Q10. In healthy volunteers it was well absorbed and caused no safety concerns at up to 300 mg a day (Hosoe 2007). In a small trial in older men, ubiquinol raised total blood CoQ10 significantly, while the same dose of ubiquinone did not (Zhang 2018). In trained adults it more than doubled blood CoQ10 but did not improve exercise performance (Bloomer 2012), while a larger trial found lower markers of oxidative stress after hard exercise (Sarmiento 2016).

Draft benefit list

  • Raises blood CoQ10 levels (Hosoe 2007; Zhang 2018; Bloomer 2012)
  • Raised blood CoQ10 more than ubiquinone in older men (Zhang 2018)
  • Antioxidant support around hard exercise (mixed evidence) (Sarmiento 2016; Bloomer 2012)

References (4)

  1. Hosoe K (2007). Study on safety and bioavailability of ubiquinol (Kaneka QH) after single and 4-week multiple oral administration to healthy volunteers. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP.What it found: In healthy volunteers, ubiquinol was well absorbed and caused no safety concerns at doses up to 300 mg a day for 4 weeks.PubMed 16919858 · DOI
  2. Zhang Y (2018). Ubiquinol is superior to ubiquinone to enhance Coenzyme Q10 status in older men. Food & function.What it found: In a small crossover trial in 10 older men, 200 mg a day of ubiquinol for 2 weeks raised total blood CoQ10 significantly, while the same dose of ubiquinone did not.PubMed 30302465 · DOI
  3. Bloomer RJ (2012). Impact of oral ubiquinol on blood oxidative stress and exercise performance. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity.What it found: In 15 trained adults, 300 mg a day of ubiquinol for 4 weeks more than doubled blood CoQ10, but did not improve exercise performance or oxidative stress.PubMed 22966414 · DOI
  4. Sarmiento A (2016). Short-term ubiquinol supplementation reduces oxidative stress associated with strenuous exercise in healthy adults: A randomized trial. BioFactors (Oxford, England).What it found: In 100 trained adults, 200 mg a day of ubiquinol for 2 weeks lowered markers of oxidative stress after hard exercise compared with placebo.PubMed 27193497 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's written reason names Hosoe 2007 and Miles 2002 for "2x+ bioavailability vs ubiquinone". Hosoe 2007 (included here) is a safety and absorption study and did not compare ubiquinol with ubiquinone. We could not find a matching Miles 2002 study in PubMed. Zhang 2018 is the direct comparison we found.
  • SuppScore's benefit list (skin firmness, tissue repair, structural support) is not supported by any study we found, so it is not in the draft.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it stays a row in the forms table on its ingredient page.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

L. rhamnosus GR-1®

Moderate evidence

Ingredient in the database: L-Arginine · Step 7 · 170 searches a month

Why "Moderate": Placebo-controlled trials in healthy women agree, but GR-1 was always given together with a second strain.
Missing from the database today: no references; benefit list is copied onto 1 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Every human trial we found gave GR-1 together with a second strain, L. reuteri RC-14 (earlier called L. fermentum RC-14), so the evidence is for the pair, not GR-1 alone. In healthy women, taking the pair by mouth for 60 days led to more women having a normal, lactobacillus-rich vaginal flora than placebo, with no side effects (Reid 2003), and more than 100 million live bacteria a day were needed (Reid 2001). In postmenopausal women, 14 days improved vaginal flora scores compared with placebo (Petricevic 2008). A very small trial found no change in urinary bacteria (Wolff 2019).

Draft benefit list

  • Supports a normal, lactobacillus-rich vaginal flora, when taken with L. reuteri RC-14 (Reid 2001; Reid 2003; Petricevic 2008)
  • Well tolerated in trials in healthy women (Reid 2003)

References (4)

  1. Reid G (2001). Probiotic Lactobacillus dose required to restore and maintain a normal vaginal flora. FEMS immunology and medical microbiology.What it found: In 42 healthy women, GR-1 taken with L. fermentum RC-14 by mouth for 28 days was linked to a healthy vaginal flora in up to 90% of women. More than 100 million live bacteria a day were needed. A different strain, L. rhamnosus GG, had no effect.PubMed 11750220 · DOI
  2. Reid G (2003). Oral use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14 significantly alters vaginal flora: randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 64 healthy women. FEMS immunology and medical microbiology.What it found: In 64 healthy women, GR-1 with RC-14 by mouth for 60 days led to more women having a normal, lactobacillus-rich vaginal flora than placebo (37% against 13%), with no side effects.PubMed 12628548 · DOI
  3. Petricevic L (2008). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of oral lactobacilli to improve the vaginal flora of postmenopausal women. European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology.What it found: In 72 postmenopausal women, GR-1 with L. reuteri RC-14 by mouth for 14 days improved vaginal flora scores in 60% of women, against 16% on placebo.PubMed 18701205 · DOI
  4. Wolff BJ (2019). Oral probiotics and the female urinary microbiome: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial. International urology and nephrology.What it found: In 7 healthy young women, GR-1 with RC-14 did not change the balance of bacteria in urine.PubMed 31535332 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's written reason names Reid 2001, which is included here.
  • SuppScore's benefit list includes urinary tract support, gut microbiome balance and immune support. The one urinary study found no effect, and we found no gut or immune trials of this strain in healthy people.
  • Many other GR-1 trials are in women being treated for infections. We left those out so the draft makes no claim about treating an illness.
  • This form's ingredient is recorded as L-Arginine in the database, which is wrong. It needs fixing before it can get a page address.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it stays a row in the forms table on its ingredient page.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

Saffron

Strong evidence

Ingredient in the database: Saffron (generic) · Step 6 · 60,500 searches a month

Why "Strong": Three placebo-controlled trials in adults without a diagnosis, plus a review of trials, point the same way, though the effects are small to moderate.
Missing from the database today: written reason is copied onto 1 other form(s); no references; benefit list is copied onto 2 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Most human trials use a standardised extract of saffron stigmas, usually 28 mg a day. In adults with low mood but no medical diagnosis, 28 mg a day for 4 weeks improved mood more than placebo, but 22 mg did not (Kell 2017). A 12-week trial in 202 adults with low mood found a small benefit on the main mood score (Lopresti 2025). For sleep, a 28-day trial in adults with poor sleep (Lopresti 2020) and a review of trials (Lian 2022) found better sleep quality than placebo. No serious side effects were reported in these trials.

Draft benefit list

  • Mood and emotional balance (Kell 2017; Lopresti 2025)
  • Sleep quality (Lopresti 2020; Lian 2022)
  • Feelings of stress (Kell 2017)

References (4)

  1. Kell G (2017). affron(®) a novel saffron extract (Crocus sativus L.) improves mood in healthy adults over 4 weeks in a double-blind, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Complementary therapies in medicine.What it found: In 128 adults with low mood but no depression diagnosis, 28 mg a day of a saffron stigma extract for 4 weeks improved mood and lowered stress and anxiety scores more than placebo. 22 mg a day did not.PubMed 28735826 · DOI
  2. Lopresti AL (2025). An Examination into the Effects of a Saffron Extract (Affron) on Mood and General Wellbeing in Adults Experiencing Low Mood: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition.What it found: In 202 adults with low mood, 28 mg a day of saffron extract for 12 weeks gave a small improvement on the main mood score compared with placebo. Other measures showed no difference.PubMed 40414301 · DOI
  3. Lopresti AL (2020). Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.What it found: In 63 healthy adults with poor sleep, saffron extract (14 mg twice a day) for 28 days improved sleep quality scores more than placebo, with no side effects reported.PubMed 32056539 · DOI
  4. Lian J (2022). Effects of saffron supplementation on improving sleep quality: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sleep medicine.What it found: A review that pooled randomised trials found saffron improved sleep quality scores compared with placebo, with no serious side effects.PubMed 35325766 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's current written reason says "Root + leaf extract; Raut 2012". That does not fit saffron: supplements use the stigmas, and Raut 2012 (PubMed 23125505) is a study of ashwagandha. It looks copied from an ashwagandha row.
  • Many saffron trials are in people diagnosed with depression. We left those out so the benefit list makes no claim about treating an illness.
  • Most trials used one branded extract (affron). SuppScore may want to say that on the page.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it keeps its hidden page, which Google is told not to show.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

Magnesium Citrate

Strong evidence

Ingredient in the database: Magnesium · Step 6 · 33,100 searches a month

Why "Strong": Four human studies over 30 years agree it is better absorbed than magnesium oxide.
Missing from the database today: no references; benefit list is copied onto 3 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Magnesium citrate dissolves well, even with little stomach acid, and is absorbed better than magnesium oxide. In volunteers it raised urine magnesium far more than oxide (Lindberg 1990). In a 60-day randomised trial it gave the highest blood magnesium of the forms tested, including an amino acid chelate (Walker 2003), and a 2019 trial again found it better absorbed than oxide (Werner 2019). A 24-week trial confirmed it raises blood magnesium, but found no effect on artery stiffness or blood pressure (Schutten 2022).

Draft benefit list

  • Dissolves easily, even with low stomach acid (Lindberg 1990)
  • Better absorbed than magnesium oxide (Lindberg 1990; Walker 2003; Werner 2019)
  • Raises blood magnesium with daily use (Walker 2003; Schutten 2022)

References (4)

  1. Lindberg JS (1990). Magnesium bioavailability from magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide. Journal of the American College of Nutrition.What it found: Magnesium citrate dissolved well even with little stomach acid, and raised urine magnesium in volunteers much more than magnesium oxide.PubMed 2407766 · DOI
  2. Walker AF (2003). Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnesium research.What it found: In a 60-day randomised trial in 46 healthy people, magnesium citrate gave the highest blood magnesium of the forms tested (citrate, amino acid chelate and oxide).PubMed 14596323
  3. Werner T (2019). Assessment of bioavailability of Mg from Mg citrate and Mg oxide by measuring urinary excretion in Mg-saturated subjects. Magnesium research.What it found: In 14 healthy men, a single dose of magnesium citrate raised urine and blood magnesium more than magnesium oxide.PubMed 32162607
  4. Schutten JC (2022). Effects of Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, and Magnesium Sulfate Supplementation on Arterial Stiffness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association.What it found: In a 24-week trial in 164 overweight adults, magnesium citrate raised blood and urine magnesium, but did not change artery stiffness or blood pressure.PubMed 35253448 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's written reason names Lindberg 1990, which is included here. It also names Firoz 2001, but that study (PubMed 11794633) tested magnesium oxide, chloride, lactate and aspartate. It did not test magnesium citrate, so that citation should be removed from this form.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it keeps its hidden page, which Google is told not to show.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

L-Methylfolate

Strong evidence

Ingredient in the database: Folate / Vitamin B9 · Step 6 · 2,400 searches a month

Why "Strong": Four randomised trials agree it raises blood folate at least as well as folic acid.
Missing from the database today: written reason is copied onto 2 other form(s); no references; benefit list is copied onto 9 other form(s)

Draft written reason

L-methylfolate (also called 5-MTHF) is the main form of folate found in the blood. In trials it raised blood folate at least as well as folic acid: equally after a single dose (Pentieva 2004), and more in two other trials, including in women with the MTHFR gene variant (Prinz-Langenohl 2009; Henderson 2018). It lowered homocysteine about as well as folic acid (Henderson 2018; Sicińska 2018), and unused folic acid rarely appeared in the blood after taking it (Prinz-Langenohl 2009).

Draft benefit list

  • Raises blood folate at least as well as folic acid (Pentieva 2004; Prinz-Langenohl 2009; Henderson 2018)
  • Raises blood folate in people with or without the common MTHFR gene variant (Prinz-Langenohl 2009)
  • Supports normal homocysteine levels, as folic acid does (Henderson 2018; Sicińska 2018)
  • Leaves little unused folic acid in the blood (Prinz-Langenohl 2009)

References (4)

  1. Pentieva K (2004). The short-term bioavailabilities of [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate and folic acid are equivalent in men. The Journal of nutrition.What it found: In 13 men, a single dose of L-methylfolate raised blood folate as much as the same dose of folic acid.PubMed 14988450 · DOI
  2. Prinz-Langenohl R (2009). [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate increases plasma folate more effectively than folic acid in women with the homozygous or wild-type 677C-->T polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. British journal of pharmacology.What it found: In 24 healthy women, L-methylfolate raised blood folate more, and faster, than folic acid, both in women with and without the MTHFR 677TT gene variant. Unused folic acid rarely appeared in the blood after L-methylfolate.PubMed 19917061 · DOI
  3. Henderson AM (2018). l-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate Supplementation Increases Blood Folate Concentrations to a Greater Extent than Folic Acid Supplementation in Malaysian Women. The Journal of nutrition.What it found: In a 12-week trial in 142 women, L-methylfolate raised red blood cell and plasma folate more than folic acid. Both lowered homocysteine by a similar amount.PubMed 29878267 · DOI
  4. Sicińska E (2018). Supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate or folic acid equally reduces serum homocysteine concentrations in older adults. International journal of food sciences and nutrition.What it found: In 40 healthy adults aged 50 to 65, 4 weeks of L-methylfolate lowered homocysteine about as well as folic acid.PubMed 28460586 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's current written reason is filler ("Same active compound; A-tier evidence"), so this draft replaces it.
  • Methylfolate, L-Methylfolate, 5-MTHF and L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate are separate rows in the database but are the same substance. This research applies to all four.
  • EFSA has published opinions on calcium L-methylfolate (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2004.135) and on the glucosamine salt of 5-MTHF (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3358). Their pages were behind a "checking your browser" wall, so we could not read them and did not use them.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it keeps its hidden page, which Google is told not to show.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.

Ferrous Bisglycinate

Strong evidence

Ingredient in the database: Iron · Step 6 · 1,900 searches a month

Why "Strong": Absorption studies, a review of 17 trials and a large trial, including one result where it did worse.
Missing from the database today: no references; benefit list is copied onto 17 other form(s)

Draft written reason

Iron bound to glycine is well absorbed. Absorption from a bisglycinate-enriched breakfast was about twice that from ferrous sulfate (Layrisse 2000), and four times higher from maize porridge, while still being controlled by the body's iron status (Bovell-Benjamin 2000). A review of 17 trials found it raised haemoglobin more than other iron supplements in pregnant women, with fewer stomach side effects (Fischer 2023 review). In pregnancy, 25 mg of iron as bisglycinate did as well as 50 mg as ferrous sulfate (Milman 2014). But in women with good iron levels, a low 18 mg dose raised iron stores less than 60 mg of ferrous sulfate (Fischer 2023 trial).

Draft benefit list

  • Well absorbed from meals, and less affected by phytates in grains (Layrisse 2000; Bovell-Benjamin 2000)
  • Gentler on the stomach than iron salts (Fischer 2023 review; Milman 2014)
  • Supports normal haemoglobin at a lower iron dose in pregnancy (Fischer 2023 review; Milman 2014)
  • Absorption adjusts to the body's iron needs (Bovell-Benjamin 2000)

References (5)

  1. Layrisse M (2000). Iron bioavailability in humans from breakfasts enriched with iron bis-glycine chelate, phytates and polyphenols. The Journal of nutrition.What it found: In 74 people, iron from bisglycinate added to breakfast breads was absorbed about twice as well as ferrous sulfate, and was partly protected from phytates. Tea and espresso still halved absorption.PubMed 10958812 · DOI
  2. Bovell-Benjamin AC (2000). Iron absorption from ferrous bisglycinate and ferric trisglycinate in whole maize is regulated by iron status. The American journal of clinical nutrition.What it found: In maize porridge, iron from ferrous bisglycinate was absorbed about four times better than ferrous sulfate, and absorption still adjusted to each person's iron status.PubMed 10837299 · DOI
  3. Fischer JAJ (2023). The effects of oral ferrous bisglycinate supplementation on hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition reviews.What it found: A review of 17 randomised trials found ferrous bisglycinate raised haemoglobin more than other iron supplements in pregnant women, with fewer stomach side effects. No difference was found in children.PubMed 36728680 · DOI
  4. Milman N (2014). Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy in a randomized trial. Journal of perinatal medicine.What it found: In 80 pregnant women, 25 mg of iron a day as bisglycinate kept iron levels up as well as 50 mg as ferrous sulfate, with fewer stomach complaints.PubMed 24152889 · DOI
  5. Fischer JAJ (2023). Is a Lower Dose of More Bioavailable Iron (18-mg Ferrous Bisglycinate) Noninferior to 60-mg Ferrous Sulfate in Increasing Ferritin Concentrations While Reducing Gut Inflammation and Enteropathogen Detection in Cambodian Women? A Randomized Controlled Noninferiority Trial. The Journal of nutrition.What it found: In 480 non-pregnant women who mostly had good iron levels, 18 mg of iron as bisglycinate raised ferritin less than 60 mg as ferrous sulfate.PubMed 37271416 · DOI

Notes for you

  • SuppScore's written reason names Layrisse 2000 and Bovell-Benjamin 2000. These are those two studies.
  • "Iron Bisglycinate" and "Ferrous Bisglycinate" are separate rows in the database but are the same substance. This research applies to both.
  • EFSA has an opinion on ferrous bisglycinate as a source of iron (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2006.299). Its page was behind a "checking your browser" wall, so we did not use it.

If you choose "Not enough evidence", nothing is added to the database and it keeps its hidden page, which Google is told not to show.

Found and drafted by AI research. Needs review and approval by the SuppScore team.