Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein found naturally in milk (human and animal) and bodily fluids like tears and saliva. Animal milk, like cow’s milk, contains lactoferrin only in very low concentrations. On the other hand, human milk (especially colostrum a.k.a. the first milk a mother produces immediately after a baby is born) contains lactoferrin in the highest quantities.

Current commercial lactoferrin production methods are incredibly resource intensive and requires a lot of milk. For starters, one liter of milk contains only about 100 mg of lactoferrin (that’s a mere 0.0001%). To put things into perspective, each lactoferrin supplement capsule on the market contains an average of 200 mg of lactoferrin. This means that it takes approximately two liters of milk to make just one lactoferrin supplement capsule. A bottle of lactoferrin supplements contains an average of 60 capsules—which would mean needing an astounding 120 liters of milk to make just two months worth of supplements. Multiply that amount by the countless people taking lactoferrin supplements around the world: The numbers speak volumes.

One of lactoferrin’s most notable benefits is its natural ability to regulate iron metabolism. This is essential for maintaining optimum physical performance, which makes lactoferrin supplements suitable for supporting the health of gamers, athletes, and those who frequently engage in physically demanding activities. Lactoferrin is also able to maintain a healthy gut barrier system—a must for optimal nutrient absorption. Lactoferrin supplements can hence be very useful for supporting good gut health, in turn helping to maintain aspects of mental health like stress regulation.