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Nutrition Reviews

Head to head · Vitamins & Minerals

Thorne Iron Bisglycinate vs Tru Niagen Nicotinamide Riboside 300 mg

Thorne scores higher overall (8.6 vs 6.6 out of 10) and leads on all five factors we score.

Updated November 2026 from our full reviews · How we score

Higher score
Front of Thorne Iron Bisglycinate 60-capsule bottle
ThorneIron Bisglycinate
8.6
Excellent

25 mg of chelated iron (Ferrochel bisglycinate) in a small, NSF Certified for Sport capsule; gentler than iron salts for most, but only for people who need iron.

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Front of the Tru Niagen 300 mg bottle of 30 vegetarian capsules
Tru NiagenNicotinamide Riboside 300 mg
6.6
Mixed

A rigorously tested nicotinamide riboside capsule that reliably raises NAD+, though trials in healthy adults show few clear health benefits for $1.63 a day.

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The short answer

Choose Thorne if…

  • People with low ferritin who get stomach upset from ferrous sulfate
  • Menstruating women and athletes who need iron under medical guidance
  • Vegetarians with confirmed low iron
  • You care most about efficacy, quality & purity, value, experience, transparency

Choose Tru Niagen if…

  • Adults who want the most-studied, NSF-certified form of nicotinamide riboside
  • People curious about NAD+ who accept that the benefits are unproven
  • Drug-tested athletes who need a certified product

Key differences

Biggest scoring gap
Value: Thorne 7.6, Tru Niagen 4.5. This factor covers cost per effective serving compared with category peers.
Independent testing
Both carry NSF Certified for Sport.
Formula
Of the key ingredients in our reviews, only Thorne lists iron, and only Tru Niagen lists magnesium.
Format
Thorne: capsule, 60 servings per container; Tru Niagen: capsule, 30 servings per container.
Dietary labels
Only Thorne is labeled dairy-free and soy-free. Only Tru Niagen is labeled vegetarian.

Side by side

Iron BisglycinateNicotinamide Riboside 300 mg
Our score8.6 / 106.6 / 10
Efficacy (30%)8.55.5
Quality & Purity (25%)9.39.0
Value (20%)7.64.5
Experience (15%)8.67.5
Transparency (10%)9.06.5
FormCapsuleCapsule
Serving1 capsule60 servings per container1 vegetarian capsule30 servings per container
Price per servingSee retailer$1.63
Testing & certifications
NSF Certified for Sport
NSF Certified for SportKosherHalalcGMP facility
DietaryGluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-freeVegetarian, Gluten-free
Key ingredients
  • Iron (as Ferrochel ferrous bisglycinate chelate)25 mg
  • Niagen (nicotinamide riboside chloride)300 mg
  • Microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose capsule, vegetable magnesium stearateNot disclosed
Flavors——
Creator video reviews54

Pros and cons

Iron Bisglycinate

  • Iron amino-acid chelate, a form NIH says may cause fewer GI side effects
  • NSF Certified for Sport
  • 25 mg dose sits below the 45 mg upper limit
  • About $0.27 per day, more than generic ferrous sulfate
  • Some users still report nausea on an empty stomach
All 8 pros and cons

Nicotinamide Riboside 300 mg

  • NSF Certified for Sport and third-party tested by Alkemist Labs
  • 300 mg raised blood NAD+ about 51% in a controlled trial
  • Single patented ingredient with an FDA GRAS letter and two NDI notifications
  • Trials in healthy adults show few consistent health benefits
  • Marketing leans on a six-person NMN comparison and broad "cellular energy" language
All 8 pros and cons

Our verdict: Thorne vs Tru Niagen

Thorne is the stronger product overall, 8.6 to 6.6 in our scoring, ahead on all five factors we score. Each full review shows the evidence, testing and buyer feedback behind these scores.

Full Iron Bisglycinate review Full Nicotinamide Riboside 300 mg review

What creators say

Questions people ask

Is Thorne better than Tru Niagen?
In our scoring, Thorne Iron Bisglycinate rates higher overall (8.6 vs 6.6 out of 10). Thorne leads on efficacy, quality & purity, value, experience and transparency. Scores weigh efficacy, quality, value, experience and transparency.
Are Thorne and Tru Niagen third-party tested?
Thorne carries NSF Certified for Sport; Tru Niagen carries NSF Certified for Sport. Sport-level certifications screen for banned substances, which matters for drug-tested athletes.
Who should choose Thorne over Tru Niagen?
Our reviews suggest Thorne is best for people with low ferritin who get stomach upset from ferrous sulfate, menstruating women and athletes who need iron under medical guidance and vegetarians with confirmed low iron, while Tru Niagen is best for adults who want the most-studied, NSF-certified form of nicotinamide riboside, people curious about NAD+ who accept that the benefits are unproven and drug-tested athletes who need a certified product.
What is the difference between Thorne and Tru Niagen?
Both carry NSF Certified for Sport. Of the key ingredients in our reviews, only Thorne lists iron, and only Tru Niagen lists magnesium. Thorne: capsule, 60 servings per container; Tru Niagen: capsule, 30 servings per container.

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