Roll Call

“Lactoferrin?”Here!

Animal-derived

Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.

As a supplement

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.

An iron-binding protein naturally found in milk, especially colostrum, and in other body fluids like tears and saliva. Supplement forms are typically purified from cow's milk.

Why it’s used

Taken by some for immune support or to support iron status, based on its natural role in binding and helping regulate iron.

What the evidence says

Human research on lactoferrin supplementation is limited in scale, often involving small or short trials in specific groups such as infants or people with iron-deficiency anemia. There is no NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on lactoferrin, and the overall body of evidence is not large or consistent enough to draw firm conclusions about any particular effect.

Where we looked

There was no paper to cite here, so this is the search instead — run it yourself and see what we saw.

  • PubMed: 1907 records · searched September 2026"Lactoferrin"[Title/Abstract] AND (review[pt] OR "safety assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR "risk assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR toxicology[Title/Abstract] OR toxicity[Title/Abstract] OR characterization[Title/Abstract] OR characterisation[Title/Abstract])
  • PubMed: 136 records · searched September 2026"Lactoferrin"[Title/Abstract] AND ("dietary supplements"[MeSH] OR supplementation[Title/Abstract] OR supplement[Title/Abstract] OR supplements[Title/Abstract] OR "oral administration"[Title/Abstract]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND humans[MeSH]
  • PubMed: 10269 records · searched September 2026"Lactoferrin"[Title/Abstract]

This says what this database holds under these terms. It is not a finding that no research exists.

Context

Studies vary widely in dose, form, and population studied, which limits how well findings generalize.

Insufficient dataToo little has been studied to say either way.

Rumors

  1. Lactoferrin supplements strengthen and support the immune system.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: healthy adult males.

    Measured as a biomarker.

    Who’s saying this

    • Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
      How we know who this is
      • “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)

  2. Lactoferrin supplements can cause diarrhea.

    Does not support — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: adults undergoing Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy co-administered bovine lactoferrin (200mg twice daily) with antibiotic regimens.

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

    • RxList — a publisher: drug information resource; owned by WebMD
      How we know who this is
      • “RxList is an online medical resource dedicated to offering detailed and current pharmaceutical information on brand and generic drugs.” (their page)
      • “RxList.com - Owned and Operated by WebMD and part of the WebMD network.” (their page)

  3. Lactoferrin kills or fights bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: patients with H. pylori infection undergoing antibiotic eradication therapy.

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

    • Chris Kresser — an individual: launched Adapt Naturals supplement line
      How we know who this is
      • “Chris Kresser, M.S., L.Ac., is a leader in Functional Medicine and ancestral health.” (their page)
      • “Chris recently launched Adapt Naturals , a supplement line designed to add back in what the modern world has crowded out and help people feel and perform their best.” (their page)

  4. Lactoferrin supplements improve iron absorption and balance iron levels.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: patients with low hemoglobin/iron deficiency anemia (pregnant women, children, and chronically ill patients).

    Measured as a biomarker.

    Who’s saying this

    • Life Extension — a brand: sells its own vitamins and supplements
      How we know who this is
      • “Life Extension is a privately owned vitamin and supplement company.” (their page)

  5. Lactoferrin promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reduces gut inflammation.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Measured as a biomarker.

    Who’s saying this

    • Chris Kresser — an individual: launched Adapt Naturals supplement line
      How we know who this is
      • “Chris Kresser, M.S., L.Ac., is a leader in Functional Medicine and ancestral health.” (their page)
      • “Chris recently launched Adapt Naturals , a supplement line designed to add back in what the modern world has crowded out and help people feel and perform their best.” (their page)