The Research Behind Our Formula

We talk about our ingredients being clinically studied a lot. Here is exactly what we mean by that, and why we hold ourselves to it.

When we set out to build Palisade, we made one rule for ourselves. Every active in the formula had to be studied in people, in completed human clinical trials. Not just a promising result in a test tube. Not just animal research. Real adults, in real studies, with published results anyone can read.

There’s a reason we chose this standard. Women’s health has been under-researched and over-marketed for a very long time, and we didn’t want to add to that pile. Holding our ingredients to real human research is how we make sure we’re offering support we can actually stand behind.

How to use this page

Everything below describes what researchers observed in the people they studied. It’s research on the ingredients themselves, and on lactoferrin as a protein. It is not a promise about what you will personally experience. Bodies are different, and a study group is not you. We’re sharing it so you can see the evidence and decide what you think.

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Lactoferrin, the protein

Before we get to our specific ingredient, it helps to understand lactoferrin itself, because it’s one of the most researched proteins in human milk.

Lactoferrin is a protein your body uses to bind and move iron. It also plays a role in the gut barrier and in the immune system. It’s naturally most abundant in colostrum, the very first milk. Researchers have studied it for decades, and a good deal of that work has looked at what it does for iron.

One thing worth knowing up front. Most published lactoferrin research to date used lactoferrin sourced from cow’s milk, because for a long time that was the only form available at scale. That research shows what the protein can do. Our ingredient, which we’ll come to next, is the human, bioidentical form of that same protein (a big leap forward!).

A couple of examples of the research on lactoferrin and iron:

Oral lactoferrin compared with a standard iron supplement in pregnant women with iron deficiency

In a randomized, double-blind study, pregnant women with iron deficiency took either lactoferrin or a standard iron supplement. Both improved iron measures, including hemoglobin, ferritin, and serum iron. The women taking lactoferrin reported significantly fewer stomach side effects, such as abdominal pain and constipation. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19639462

Lactoferrin compared with a standard iron supplement in non-pregnant women with iron deficiency

A more recent randomized trial in non-pregnant women with iron-deficiency anemia compared lactoferrin against a standard iron supplement over several weeks, looking at both iron status and how well each was tolerated. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316626003214

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effera® Bioidentical Lactoferrin

This is our hero ingredient. It’s the human, bioidentical form of lactoferrin, made through precision fermentation instead of taken from cows. It’s the same protein your body has recognized since birth.*

Peterson et al., 2025. Safety and immune response, head-to-head against cow-sourced lactoferrin.

Healthy adults took either effera® bioidentical lactoferrin or cow-sourced lactoferrin. The people taking the bioidentical form developed no antibodies against the protein, meaning their bodies recognized it as their own. The people taking the cow-sourced version did develop antibodies. It was also well tolerated. doi.org/10.1177/10915818241293723

Peterson et al., 2026. Effect on the gut microbiome.

In healthy adults, effera® supported beneficial gut bacteria, including Faecalibacterium and Lachnospira, and raised a helpful short-chain fatty acid, without disrupting the overall diversity of the gut microbiome. doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.31.25343278

Evans et al., 2026. Iron status in active women with persistently low iron. A published case series.

This one is a case series, which means researchers documented what happened in a defined group of real women, rather than running a placebo-controlled trial. In active women whose iron had stayed stubbornly low, effera® bioidentical lactoferrin was associated with raised ferritin and serum iron, with no GI side effects reported. doi.org/10.7759/cureus.107451

There’s also a gut barrier study in adults currently underway. We don’t count it in our total yet, and we’ll add it here once it’s published. clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07035964

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AstraGin®

AstraGin® is a plant-based compound that works alongside lactoferrin as an absorption helper. It supports the nutrient transporters in the gut wall and helps the gut lining stay healthy.*

Lin et al., 2023. Gut barrier and microbiome.

In adults with stressed gut linings, three months of AstraGin® was associated with improved gut barrier integrity and a large increase in a beneficial gut bacterium, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. doi.org/10.35841/aabb-6.2.138

Lin et al., 2023. Amino acid absorption.

In healthy adults, AstraGin® increased the bioavailability of the amino acid arginine and improved a related ratio tied to healthy blood vessel function. ffhdj.com/index.php/ffhd/article/view/1104

Zhuang et al., 2026. Nutrient absorption, gut lining, and muscle function.

In adults, AstraGin® was associated with increased absorption of certain amino acids, reduced intestinal permeability (a measure of gut lining integrity), and improvements in grip strength and muscle mass. doi.org/10.3390/nu18030504

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Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2®

This is our probiotic strain, and it’s one of the most studied strains of its kind in the world. It’s spore-forming, which means it’s naturally sturdy. It survives stomach acid and stays stable without refrigeration, which is why it works so well in a gummy. It has several completed adult human clinical trials supporting it across digestion, regularity, women’s health, immunity, and more.*

Madempudi et al., 2019. Adults with ongoing digestive discomfort.

In adults with ongoing digestive discomfort, Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2® was associated with reduced abdominal pain, bloating, urgency, straining, and gas, along with better stool consistency. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48554-x

Madempudi et al., 2020. Adults with sluggish, infrequent digestion.

In adults dealing with sluggish, infrequent digestion, the strain was associated with more complete bowel movements and improved stool consistency. doi.org/10.1007/s12602-019-09542-9

LeMoire et al., 2025. Regularity in healthy adults.

In healthy adults with infrequent bowel movements and no diagnosis required, the strain improved stool form and frequency. doi.org/10.1163/18762891-bja00072

Sudha & Bhonagiri, 2012. Acute digestive upset in adults.

In adults experiencing acute diarrhea, the strain was associated with far fewer daily episodes and improved stool consistency. researchgate.net/publication/282188545

Venkataraman et al., 2023. Regularity, alongside a standard remedy.

In adults with sluggish, infrequent digestion, adding Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2® to a standard remedy shortened the time to relief compared with the standard remedy on its own. This was studied as a combination. doi.org/10.1007/s12602-021-09855-8

Bamola et al., 2022. A chronic inflammatory gut condition, alongside standard care.

In adults managing a chronic inflammatory gut condition on their standard treatment, the strain was associated with reduced symptom severity and better physical and psychological wellbeing scores. medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.18.21260556

Ratna Sudha et al., 2012. Vaginal microbial balance, alongside standard treatment.

In women being treated for a vaginal bacterial imbalance, adding the strain to standard treatment was associated with a higher rate of resolution. doi.org/10.1007/s12088-011-0233-z

Jariyal et al., 2022. Protein absorption and muscle strength.

In resistance-trained adults, the strain was associated with higher plasma amino acid levels and improved muscle strength. doi.org/10.1007/s00394-022-02844-9

Sapra et al., 2025. Bone health in postmenopausal adults.

In postmenopausal adults, the strain was associated with reduced inflammation-driven bone loss, working through the connection between the gut, the immune system, and bone. doi.org/10.1080/19490976.2025.2492378

Ratna Sudha et al., 2011. Cholesterol and metabolic health.

In adults with elevated cholesterol, the strain was associated with improved lipid profiles.

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This is the evidence we build on. We’ll keep this page current as new research is published, including the effera® gut barrier study that’s underway now.