Thorne Iron Bisglycinate 25 mg

1. Ingredients 25% of the rating 3 of 5

   One active, iron bisglycinate, with leucine, microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide added as fillers and flow agents; no magnesium stearate, colors or sweeteners.

2. Independent testing 35% of the rating 3 of 5

   NSF lists the product with 29 lots, but Thorne publishes no batch results and we found no independent test.

3. Evidence 15% of the rating 4 of 5

   A 25 mg dose of the bisglycinate form fits oral iron for confirmed deficiency, with fewer stomach side effects in a 17-trial review; it is not for anyone who has not tested low.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   Thorne settled a 2014 lead case for $250,000 and has two unresolved 2025 lead notices on other products.

5. Value 15% of the rating 4 of 5

   $16 for 60 capsules is $0.27 a day for 25 mg of iron.

The rating, 3.3 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank vitamins & minerals and our standard.

• Vitacost (opens in a new tab) approx. $16.00. The 60-capsule bottle (UPC 693749003458), in stock on 2026-10-23.
• Target (opens in a new tab) approx. $16.00. The 60-capsule bottle, sold and shipped by Pattern, a third-party seller on Target’s site (the page does not say whether Thorne authorizes it). In stock on 2026-10-23.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Iron (as bisglycinate) 25 mg
2. Leucine
3. Microcrystalline cellulose
4. Silicon dioxide
5. Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule

• Paid certification NSF Certified for Sport

  Lists “Thorne Iron Bisglycinate”: capsules, 60 count, 29 lots, gluten-free claim. Thorne pays for the program. NSF says it verifies label contents, heavy metals and microbes, and 290 banned substances. It publishes no results. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Does Thorne pay influencers and athletes to promote it?

Yes. Thorne’s own ambassador page (opens in a new tab) says ambassadors earn a commission on every new customer who uses their link and receive free products. Its partners page (opens in a new tab) names athletes, a fitness coach and organizations such as the UFC, and states no terms. So a post saying “I use Thorne” may be paid.

Has Thorne had lead or recall problems?

Yes, in the past. Environmental Research Center v. Thorne Research settled in November 2014 for $250,000 over lead in dietary supplements, with warnings or reformulation and testing required (notice 2013-01044 (opens in a new tab)). A second 2014 notice named 13 Thorne products, none of them iron (2014-01211 (opens in a new tab)). In 2025 two new notices named Daily Greens Plus and Daily Electrolytes, with no settlement or judgment recorded (2025-02343 (opens in a new tab), 2025-03196 (opens in a new tab)). FDA records show two Class II recalls in 2014 of Captomer, a product sold as a supplement that FDA treated as an unapproved drug, closed in October 2014. We found no FDA warning letter.

Is it safe to take iron without a test, or to take several capsules a day?

No. Our iron guide says to test ferritin and hemoglobin first. The label says one capsule a day. Several posts on r/Anemic, such as a July 2026 thread (opens in a new tab), ask about taking 3 or 4 a day; that would be 75 to 100 mg, above the 45 mg upper limit (opens in a new tab), so only a clinician should set a dose like that.

Is iron bisglycinate really four times as absorbable as other iron?

Posts on Reddit say so, and that you need only a quarter of the dose. The research is more modest: the 2023 meta-analysis (opens in a new tab) found fewer gastrointestinal side effects and higher hemoglobin in pregnant women, and no clear difference in children. We would not cut a prescribed dose because of the form.

• NSF’s Certified for Sport database lists “Thorne Iron Bisglycinate”: capsules, package size 60, one capsule a serving, with 29 lots shown (the first is 416477).
• The label has one active ingredient with an amount: iron as bisglycinate, 25 mg (Thorne’s FAQ says it is Ferrochel, a patented iron bisglycinate). The other ingredients are leucine, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide and the hypromellose capsule.
• Our iron guide says ferrous bisglycinate raised hemoglobin as well as ferrous sulfate with fewer stomach side effects. A 2023 meta-analysis of 17 trials (opens in a new tab) found fewer gastrointestinal side effects and, in pregnant women, higher hemoglobin; evidence in other adults is thinner.
• At $16 for 60 capsules it costs about $0.27 a day. 25 mg is well under the 45 mg a day upper limit for adults.

• Test before you take it. Our iron guide says to check ferritin and hemoglobin first, because excess iron is hard to excrete and hemochromatosis damages the liver, heart and pancreas.
• Thorne’s warning: accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under six. Keep it out of reach.
• Iron absorption falls with calcium, tea and coffee, and iron can interfere with thyroid medicine. See our timing guide.
• No batch certificate is public. NSF’s listing shows lot numbers, not results, and Thorne’s page, which names NSF Certified for Sport, shows none. We found no independent test.

Third-party tested

Yes

Tested by

NSF (Certified for Sport)

Certificate of analysis

No

1. Thorne Iron Bisglycinate product page. Maker’s page. Price, label, directions and warning as seen 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Vitacost: Thorne Iron Bisglycinate, 60 capsules (25 mg per capsule). Independent source. A store listing (UPC 693749003458) that lists NSF Certified for Sport. $16.00 and in stock on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Target: Thorne Iron Bisglycinate 25 mg, 60 capsules. Independent source. A store listing: iron as Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate 25 mg; other ingredients hypromellose capsule, microcrystalline cellulose, leucine, silicon dioxide. $16.00, in stock, sold and shipped by Pattern on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. NSF Certified for Sport listing: Thorne Iron Bisglycinate. Certifier or regulator listing. 29 lots shown. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. NSF Certified for Sport: what the mark means. Certifier or regulator listing. NSF’s description of what it verifies: 290 banned substances, label contents, no unsafe contaminants, GMP audits. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. The effects of oral ferrous bisglycinate supplementation on hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations (Nutrition Reviews, 2023). Independent source. Meta-analysis of 17 trials: fewer gastrointestinal side effects, and higher hemoglobin in pregnant women; no clear difference in children. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Linus Pauling Institute: iron. Independent source. Source for the 45 mg a day upper limit for adults. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Thorne Ambassadors. Maker’s page. Says ambassadors earn commission on referrals and receive free products. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. Thorne Partners. Maker’s page. Lists athletes, a fitness coach and organizations including the UFC; no terms stated. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2013-01044 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in dietary supplements. Complaint filed 2014-03-17; settlement 2014-11-20, $250,000 in total payments; judgment 2015-01-28. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2014-01211 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead or cadmium in 13 named Thorne products, none of them iron. No complaint or settlement is recorded. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2025-02343 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in Thorne Daily Greens Plus. No complaint, settlement or judgment recorded as of 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2025-03196 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in Thorne Daily Electrolytes Drink Mix, Watermelon. No complaint, settlement or judgment recorded as of 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. openFDA drug enforcement records for Thorne. Certifier or regulator listing. Two Class II recalls begun 2014-06-12 of Captomer, sold as a supplement but made from DMSA, the active ingredient of an approved drug, so FDA treated it as an unapproved drug; both terminated 2014-10-15. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
15. Reddit r/Anemic: Thorne Iron Bisglycinate (July 2026). Independent source. A user asks about taking 3 to 4 capsules a day. We read the post, not the replies. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Get iron from food first Our iron guide covers plant iron with vitamin C and what blocks absorption.
• Nature Made Iron 65 mg tablets (ferrous sulfate) (opens in a new tab) About $11 for 180 on Nature Made’s site, where the page says USP has tested and verified it; we could not open USP’s directory, and sulfate is the form our guide says can upset the stomach.

• Iron Basics: Deficiency, Absorption, and Smart Supplementation Article Why iron deficiency is the world's most common nutritional deficiency, how to absorb it effectively, and when to supplement wisely
• Do Supplements Interfere with Each Other? Article Which vitamins, minerals, coffee and medicines compete for absorption, what the studies measured, and a simple daily schedule that keeps them apart.
• How to Tell if a Supplement Is Pure and Accurate Article What audits found in supplement bottles, which products are riskiest, and what third-party seals, lab certificates and FDA tools can and cannot tell you.