Understory™ Daily Micronutrient & Digestive Protocol
Built for the digestive and nutrient side of GLP‑1 treatment — semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide, injectable or oral.
- ✓ Iron as ferrous bisglycinate, folate as L‑5‑MTHF, B12 as methylcobalamin — forms chosen on purpose, with the studies to show why
- ✓ LactoSpore® probiotic (6 billion CFU) plus ginger, peppermint & digestive enzymes for day-to-day digestive comfort
- ✓ B12, B6, iron & folate to help support normal energy metabolism
- ✓ Built for the specific intake gap a GLP‑1 creates — not a general-purpose multivitamin
- ✓ Formulated to be taken alongside your GLP‑1, with timing guidance included
- ✓ Third-party tested, with a Certificate of Analysis for every batch
- ✓ Branded ingredients: LactoSpore®, DigeZyme® and BioPerine®
The standard advice for sulfur burps is to cut cruciferous vegetables, alliums, eggs and red meat. That works for the burps — and it also cuts some of the easiest everyday sources of folate, B12, iron and zinc, at exactly the moment a reduced intake is already running short on them.
Most drugstore multivitamins use ferrous sulfate for iron, because it's cheap. Across 43 trials, ferrous sulfate significantly increased GI side effects compared with placebo — and in two randomized trials, it caused black stools in 31% of women, versus 8% on ferrous bisglycinate. Bisglycinate is the form Understory uses.
Two capsules, one formula with two halves. The comfort half: the Digestive Comfort & Soothing Blend (ginger root extract, peppermint leaf, bromelain and DigeZyme® enzymes, 325 mg total), plus LactoSpore® probiotic at 6 billion CFU on its own line.
The nutrient half: B12, B6, folate, iron, zinc, vitamin D3, magnesium and biotin, each at a listed dose, plus BioPerine® for absorption. Two smaller blends round it out — the Energy & Vitality Complex (126 mg, including ashwagandha) and the Nutrient Replenishment Matrix (22 mg). Full breakdown, ingredient by ingredient, is below — and the studies behind each one are on the research page.
Weeks 1–4: this is usually when GI symptoms are newest and least familiar, especially around dose changes. Every escalation tends to re-spike nausea before it settles again around week six on a stable dose. Constipation, when it shows up, typically runs a six-to-ten-week window.
Month three is usually the hardest stretch — it's also where most people who discontinue their medication do so. That's why this is built as a daily protocol rather than something you reach for once things are already bad.
By month six, the nutrient side tends to become more noticeable than the digestive side, and deficiency diagnoses keep climbing — 22.4% by month twelve. This formula covers both from day one rather than switching products partway through.
Adults currently on a GLP‑1 medication — semaglutide, tirzepatide or liraglutide, injectable or oral — who want the nutrient and digestive-comfort side of treatment covered without assembling it themselves from a dozen separate purchases and forum threads.
It's not a weight-loss product. It's not intended for anyone who isn't on this class of medication, or for anyone who is pregnant, nursing or under 18.
Orders typically arrive within 7 business days of being placed. You'll get a tracking link by email as soon as your order ships.
Sixty days is roughly a full titration cycle — long enough to actually judge whether this is doing anything for you, rather than a week that catches you mid dose-change. If it isn't for you, email us within 60 days of delivery and send the bottle back — even a partly used one — and we'll refund you. You don't have to finish it, and you don't have to explain yourself.
What's Inside — And Why
Two capsules, four jobs. Every single-nutrient dose is printed on the panel, and the three blends list their totals. Where an ingredient has a matched study — same form, same strain — it's in the drawer below it. Where it doesn't, we say so.
Supports Comfort as Food Moves Through More Slowly
Ginger root extract (standardized to 5% gingerols) and peppermint leaf, two traditional stomach-settlers, sit alongside DigeZyme®, a multi-enzyme blend, and bromelain (2,400 GDU/g), which help break down the protein, carbs and fats sitting in a slower system longer than they used to. All four are in the 325 mg Digestive Comfort & Soothing Blend.
What the research does and doesn't cover
The honest version: the strongest ginger studies use 1–1.2 grams a day, far more than a 325 mg blend can hold, and most of the good peppermint data is peppermint combined with caraway rather than peppermint alone. So we don't borrow either set of results. These four are here as traditional digestive-comfort ingredients, listed for what they are.
A Probiotic Built to Survive the Trip
LactoSpore® (Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856, 166 mg, 6 billion CFU) is a spore-forming probiotic, which means it survives stomach acid and doesn't need refrigerating. It's listed at its own dose rather than tucked inside a blend.
The research
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 70 adults with gas and bloating, 2 billion spores a day of this exact strain for four weeks significantly improved indigestion symptom scores compared with placebo, with secondary improvements in stool consistency.
Dose match: same strain, and each serving here contains 6 billion — more than the studied daily amount. We cite the study for the strain; we don't claim more is better.
Source: Majeed M et al. Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 in functional gas and bloating, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Medicine, 2023.Support for Normal Energy Metabolism
B12 (methylcobalamin, 525 mcg), B6 (P5P, 26 mg) and folate (L‑5‑MTHF, 400 mcg DFE) support normal energy metabolism — relevant when overall intake, and what rides along with it, is down. The Energy & Vitality Complex (126 mg) also contains ashwagandha, an herb traditionally used for everyday stress. Skip it if you're pregnant or nursing, and check with your provider first if you have a thyroid or liver condition.
The research
Folate as L‑5‑MTHF
Between a third and a half of people carry a variant in the MTHFR gene. People with two copies of the most-studied variant (C677T) keep only about 30% of normal enzyme activity for converting folic acid into the form the body uses. L‑5‑MTHF is already that form, so the conversion step is skipped entirely.
B12 as methylcobalamin — the honest counterweight
Absorption is a wash: at a 1 mcg dose, about 49% of cyanocobalamin is absorbed versus 44% of methylcobalamin. Where the methyl form comes out ahead is retention — roughly three times more cyanocobalamin is lost in urine, which points to more of the methyl form staying in the body.
Sources: Frosst P et al., Nat Genet, 1995; Ulrich CM et al., 2000 · Vitamin B12: natural vs. synthetic forms, review (PMC12681447).Replacing What Reduced Intake Stops Delivering
Iron (ferrous bisglycinate chelate, 18 mg), zinc (bisglycinate chelate, 20 mg), vitamin D3 (50 mcg), magnesium (200 mg) and biotin (5 mcg) — nutrients that commonly run short when food intake drops. BioPerine® (5 mg) supports absorption of nutrients taken alongside it.
The research
Iron as ferrous bisglycinate
In two randomized studies of 482 women, black stools were reported by 8% of those taking ferrous bisglycinate versus 31% on ferrous sulfate, with significantly fewer GI complaints overall. (The studies were run in pregnant women, comparing 25 mg bisglycinate with 50 mg sulfate.) Separately, a meta-analysis of 43 trials found ferrous sulfate — the form in most multivitamins — significantly increases GI side effects compared with placebo.
Zinc as bisglycinate
In a randomized crossover study of 12 women, zinc bisglycinate was 43.4% more bioavailable than zinc gluconate at the same 15 mg dose.
BioPerine®
When vitamin B6 was taken with BioPerine®, peak blood levels of B6 were about 2.5 times higher at two hours than without it. B6, as P5P, is in this formula.
Sources: Milman N et al., two randomized studies, n=482 · Tolkien Z et al., PLoS One, 2015 · Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 2007;77(4):243–8 (PMID 18271278) · Badmaev V, Majeed M et al., BioPerine® bioavailability studies.
2 Capsules — With Dinner. That's It.
No 30-minutes-before timing, no three-bottle system. Serving size is two capsules; 60 capsules per bottle, 30 servings.
Take with your evening meal. Food makes iron easier on the stomach, and dinner keeps it well clear of oral semaglutide, which is taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
A few sips of water is enough. No need to force down a full glass on a stomach that fills up fast.
Keep taking it through each dose increase. That's when nausea tends to reset, so consistency matters more then, not less.
Give it the full 60 days. Nutrient stores rebuild gradually — this is a protocol, not a one-time fix, and the guarantee is sized to match.
Understory vs. What You've Probably Already Tried
No 3-bottle "system." Two capsules, built for the specific physiology of a GLP‑1.
| UNDERSTORY | DRUGSTORE MULTIVITAMIN |
CUTTING SULFUR FOODS |
DOING NOTHING |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for GLP‑1‑slowed digestion | ✓ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Gentler iron form (bisglycinate) | ✓ | ✗ (typically ferrous sulfate) | n/a | n/a |
| Active B12 & folate forms | ✓ | ~ (often cyanocobalamin & folic acid) | n/a | n/a |
| Supports digestive comfort directly | ✓ | ✗ | ~ (helps burps, not comfort broadly) | ✗ |
| Addresses the nutrient gap, not just the symptom | ✓ | ~ (often cheaper forms) | ✗ (cuts eggs & red meat) | ✗ |
| Branded ingredients (LactoSpore®, DigeZyme®, BioPerine®) | ✓ (3) | ✗ (usually commodity) | n/a | n/a |
| Built to be taken alongside your medication | ✓ | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Third-party tested, COA for every batch | ✓ | ~ varies | n/a | n/a |
Questions From People on GLP‑1 Medications
Honest answers. No hype.
It's the right question, and the answer starts with your medication's own label. The prescribing information for semaglutide and tirzepatide says these drugs slow stomach emptying and can affect how other things taken by mouth are absorbed. In the drug-interaction studies on those labels, the effects measured weren't clinically meaningful for most of the medications tested.
There are exceptions worth knowing. Tirzepatide's label warns that birth control pills may work less well after starting and after each dose increase, and medications where small absorption changes matter need closer watching. Those labels don't study supplements specifically — which is exactly why we give you timing: two capsules with your evening meal. If you take anything where timing matters, check with your prescriber.
In the evening, with dinner. Oral semaglutide is taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, with no more than 4 ounces of plain water, and nothing else by mouth for at least 30 minutes afterward. Taking Understory with dinner keeps it well clear of that window. If your own prescription instructions differ, follow those.
Usually, but check two things. Iron: if you already take an iron supplement or a multivitamin with iron, another 18 mg may be more than you need — ask your provider. Timing-sensitive medications: iron, zinc and magnesium can reduce how well some prescriptions are absorbed if they're taken at the same time. Thyroid medication is a common example. If you take anything like that, space them apart and check with your prescriber or pharmacist.
Honestly — part of it is. The difference is the forms, and each one has a number behind it. Iron: bisglycinate instead of sulfate — black stools in 8% of women versus 31% in two randomized trials. Folate: L‑5‑MTHF, because between a third and a half of people carry a gene variant that slows folic acid conversion. Zinc: bisglycinate, 43% more bioavailable than gluconate in a crossover study.
Then there's the digestive-comfort half and a spore-forming probiotic at a disclosed dose, which no standard multivitamin attempts at all.
It's the right question to ask, and it's why the form matters. Most iron supplements use ferrous sulfate, the form behind iron's reputation for GI misery — across 43 trials it significantly increased GI side effects versus placebo. This uses ferrous bisglycinate chelate, which in two randomized trials caused black stools in 8% of women versus 31% on sulfate, with fewer GI complaints overall. Taking it with dinner helps too.
Worth naming plainly: at 18 mg, this is a full day's iron. If you're a man, or postmenopausal, or already supplementing iron separately, that's a conversation to have with your provider before adding it — not because it's unsafe, but because iron is one of the nutrients where more isn't better and your own bloodwork should drive the decision.
It can be. A 2026 systematic review linked hair shedding on GLP‑1 medications to rapid weight loss and shortfalls in protein, iron and zinc. It typically starts two to four months after the trigger, peaks around three to six months, and is generally temporary.
This formula contains iron (18 mg) and zinc (20 mg), two of the nutrients that review names. But it isn't a hair-loss treatment, and we don't claim it prevents or reverses shedding. If you're noticing it, ask your provider about checking your iron, zinc and protein intake.
Fair — the medication itself already costs plenty. On subscription this works out to about $1.60 a day. If you'd rather not subscribe at all, the one-time bottle is $60.00, and the 3-month supply is a single charge — $150.00 with free shipping — with no subscription attached. Subscriptions cancel from your account, with no phone call.
Yes — and where there isn't a matched study, we say so. Each pillar above has a drawer with the study that matches that ingredient's actual form or strain, written in plain language. The full list, with links, lives on one page so you can read it yourself or bring it to your provider.
What you won't find: research on ingredient forms we don't use, or results from doses our blends can't hold. Some of the most quotable supplement studies are run on different forms or much larger amounts, and we've left those out rather than borrow credibility we haven't earned.
Skip it if you're pregnant, nursing, or under 18. Check with your provider first if you have a thyroid or liver condition (the formula contains ashwagandha), if you already take iron, or if you have any medical condition that affects how you handle supplements.
Warning: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.
No. This doesn't replicate, replace, or mimic what your medication does, and isn't intended to. It's built to be taken alongside it.
Yes — any time, from your account, with no phone call. You can also skip or pause a shipment instead of cancelling.
No. Fake supplements are the largest single category of GLP‑1 fraud the FTC has named, and the FDA sent five warning letters to knockoff makers on a single day in December 2024. We're not claiming any activation of GLP‑1 receptors or any weight-loss mechanism. This addresses the nutrient and digestive side of being on the medication — nothing more, stated plainly.
It's made by a vetted third-party contract manufacturer that meets FDA guidelines for safety and quality. Every batch is third-party tested and comes with a Certificate of Analysis, so what's on the label is what's in the bottle.
As with any supplement, check with your provider before starting — especially if you're pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition.
Customer Reviews
Dinner stopped being the worst part of my day
Month four was rough — everything I ate sat like a rock and I was dragging by 3pm every afternoon. A few weeks in and evenings are genuinely comfortable again. Two capsules with dinner, easy to remember.
Works, but the capsules are big
Digestion is calmer and things are more predictable than they were. Taking a star off because the capsules are on the larger side — I take them one at a time with food and that's fine, but if you struggle swallowing pills, know that going in.
My doctor looked at the label and said go ahead
I brought the bottle to my appointment because I was nervous about mixing anything with my shot. She read the panel and had no issues with it. Four months in I feel steadier day to day than I did before I started.
Didn't do anything for me
I wanted this to work. Took it every day for about six weeks and honestly can't point to a single thing that changed. No side effects either way, it just didn't do much. Refund went through without any back and forth, which I did appreciate.
Good, wish it were cheaper
The iron doesn't tear my stomach up the way the drugstore one did, which was the main reason I switched. Energy is better too. It's not cheap on top of everything else I'm already paying for, but I've resubscribed twice now.
Finally something made for this specific situation
I'd been piecing together a magnesium, a probiotic and a B-complex from three different brands and still felt off. This replaced all of it. Took about three weeks before I noticed, so give it time.
Two capsules with dinner, for the digestive and nutrient side of GLP‑1 treatment.