I posted links about lactoferrin here: Iron: an underrated factor in aging - #231 by adssx
Indeed the lactoferrin form and the iron saturation % seems to matter: Iron: an underrated factor in aging - #237 by adssx
Most products do not mention that information. I contacted some providers and some gave wtf answers. I’m using that one and it seems serious: Iron: an underrated factor in aging - #242 by adssx
I started last week. I’ll report later…
For those in Australia, the authors used Noumi PUREnFERRIN, “prepared directly from fresh Australian cow’s milk whey”: PUREnFERRIN™ | Noumi Limited
The effect on CRP and IL-6 is weird:
Only high dose lactoferrin decreased systemic inflammation in this study, with lower IL-6 and CRP seen in Lf-High compared to Lf-Low, though concentrations were not different to the placebo group. Other trials have shown that lower lactoferrin doses are able to reduce IL- 6, with doses ≤200mg/d or equivalent to the Lf-Low intervention(59; 23; 60; 14; 44; 25), though these studies were mostly conducted in populations with inflammatory diseases or disrupted iron homeostasis. The literature does not show consistent effects of lactoferrin supplementation on circulating CRP. Longer duration trials with doses ≤200mg/d for 12- weeks have reported decreased CRP levels, though other trials with both higher and lower doses than the high dose intervention have shown no effect(59; 61). Plasma TNF-α was not affected by either the Lf-High or Lf-Low intervention in this study. Other studies with doses ≤200mg/d and longer duration (3 months) have shown reductions in plasma TNF-α (59; 61) , while a trial with 1000mg/d for 12 weeks showed no effect on this biomarker(62) . In healthy older adults, a higher dose of lactoferrin may be required to reduce systemic inflammatory biomarkers, though further evidence is required in this population group.
Why would CRP increase with low dose but decrease with high dose? Can the increase just be transient? 
Currently, I have been taking NutriCost lactoferrin, which I assume is bovine-derived, as the supplement says it contains milk. After reading the Rap Admin posts, I think I will start putting the capsules inside an empty enteric-coated capsule. I do this with some other supplements, such as rapamycin and probiotics. When I finish this batch, I am going to switch to Double Wood.
There is a patented form of lactoferrin that some supplement companies, such as Double Wood, use.
It is indeed bovine lactoferrin. There are many companies on Amazon that supply bovine lactoferrin, but Bioferrin seems like the best choice.
Gemini:
Bioferrin is a specific, patented form of bovine lactoferrin, a naturally occurring glycoprotein found in high levels in colostrum (the first milk produced after birth), which helps the body regulate iron absorption and fight infections.
Some brands that contain Bioferrin:
Double Wood Supplements
This brand explicitly states on their packaging that their lactoferrin supplement uses the patented Bioferrin ingredient from Glanbia Nutritionals.
Reviewers on retailer websites like Walmart and Amazon often cite the product’s use of Bioferrin as a key reason for purchase, highlighting its superior iron absorption properties.
bioQuad Life Sciences
MFIT SUPPS
Doctor Life
Doctor Life uses the “unique and strongest” Bioferrin 2000 form developed by Glanbia Nutritionals.strong text
I received this question on X:
How would you compare Lactoferrin to bovine collostrum? Would it work instead of Lactoferrin used in this study?
Based on the pharmacological mechanisms and concentration gradients in the broader literature, no, bovine colostrum would not work similarly to the standardized bovine lactoferrin (bLf) used in mitochondrial dysfunction studies.
While colostrum contains lactoferrin, it is a complex biological fluid driven primarily by immunoglobulins and growth factors, whereas isolated lactoferrin acts as a precision iron-modulator and mitochondrial antioxidant. Substituting them for the specific endpoint of “mitochondrial repair” would likely fail for three specific reasons:
The primary limiting factor is concentration. In the study context you likely referenced (targeting mitochondrial ROS or iron sequestration), the effective human equivalent dose is often 250mg–1000mg of pure lactoferrin.
why not just drink milk>
or use whey powder?
increase protein.
Also, if you want to correct immunity, possibly Thymosin could help. I considered this as a safeguard if another pandemic arises.
According to Chris Masterjohn there are only two brands in the US that are real native lactoferrin: Iron: an underrated factor in aging - #237 by adssx
I’m not in the US so I can’t confirm but I assume he did the research properly.
OK - I’ve updated the list above to only include the brands that MasterJohn suggests are acceptable: Lattoglobina, Double Wood and Lactoferrin Co. (and additionally Life Extension brand).
They are quite expensive on a per day basis at 600mg per day. If people are successful in lowering their inflammaging measures using those supplements, it might be interesting to try some of the lower cost supplements that have been identified by AI, and see if the reductions continue…
RapAdmin is doing our community a fine service with his intriguing series of biohacker analysis on a range of issues.
The latest one, on lactoferrin, has the added virtue of showing results on humans. My IL-6 at 2.0 pg/Ml is border-line. For me it’s a no-brainer to start lactoferrin to try to get it down to under 1.
My CRP, at 0.2, may be less of a target, and anyway the impact of lactoferrin on that is less consistent than it is on IL-6.
Excellent CRP and so-so IL-6 is not uncommon and the higher IL-6 carries independent risk.
Let us know your results; pre and post use of lactoferrin. I’m wondering if it might help me crush my HS-CRP from 0.3 to 0.6, to much lower.
By your measure you might need to drink 20 liters of milk to get the 600mg lactoferrin (in two capsules) that was used in the study. Per day. Go for it 
I think I’d prefer the two capsules.
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it would depend on the milk, but note I also included whey protein.
Anyhow, I wasn’t sure if there was a different form or not.
Are you sure that the lab you go to can measures lower than 0.3 mg/L? Some don’t even measure below 0.5…
Ah,… good point, and there is the issue of the error-bars for these tests at these levels:
Current documentation from Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp indicates the following lower limits of quantitation (LoQ) for their consumer-accessible High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) tests.
| Lab Provider | Lowest Measurable Level (LoQ) | Test Name (Consumer) | Test Code (Clinical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quest Diagnostics | 0.20 mg/L | hs-CRP Test | 91737 (Cardio IQ®) |
| LabCorp | 0.30 mg/L | hs-CRP Test | 120766 |
At the lowest measurable limits (near 0.2–0.3 mg/L), the precision is lower. As you move up to “optimal” ranges (1.0 mg/L), the precision improves significantly.
| Measured hs-CRP Level | Estimated CV% | Error Bar (±1 SD) | Confidence Interval (68%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.20 mg/L (Quest Limit) | ~10% | ±0.02 mg/L | 0.18 – 0.22 mg/L |
| 0.30 mg/L (LabCorp Limit) | ~8–10% | ±0.03 mg/L | 0.27 – 0.33 mg/L |
| 0.50 mg/L | ~5–6% | ±0.03 mg/L | 0.47 – 0.53 mg/L |
| 1.00 mg/L | ~2–4% | ±0.03 mg/L | 0.97 – 1.03 mg/L |
LabCorp extensively utilizes the Roche Cobas platform for their routine chemistry.
Quest (and their subsidiary Cleveland HeartLab) typically utilizes high-throughput Siemens or Beckman analyzers for the “Cardio IQ” panel.
For a user tracking “optimal” inflammation (aiming for <0.5 mg/L):
It’s probably lower than that as I recently got a 0.28 and 0.29 mg/dl from LabCorp.
FWIW I’ve had a reading of hsCRP 0.25 from LabCorp, so it goes that low at least (April 2025).
Alas, from Chris Masterjohn I learned that lactoferrin mainly improves high IL-6 values, not middling ones like my 2.0 pg/ml
Studies point the same way. Lactoferrin is not for optimizing fairly normal values.
From perplexity.ai
Lactoferrin can lower IL‑6 in some human settings, but there is no evidence that it will meaningfully reduce an already low baseline IL‑6 of about 2.0 pg/mL in a healthy older adult.
Citations:
[1] Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation, Immune … - NIH Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation, Immune Function, and Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - PMC
[2] Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation, Immune … Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation, Immune Function, and Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - PubMed
[3] Effect of Lactoferrin Supplementation on Inflammation … https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323000418
[4] Lactoferrin or a Fragment Thereof Inhibits the Endotoxin- … Lactoferrin or a Fragment Thereof Inhibits the Endotoxin-Induced Interleukin-6 Response in Human Monocytic Cells | Pediatric Research
[5] Lactoferrin or a fragment thereof inhibits the endotoxin-induced … Lactoferrin or a fragment thereof inhibits the endotoxin-induced interleukin-6 response in human monocytic cells - PubMed
[6] The immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin and its derived … The immunomodulatory effects of lactoferrin and its derived peptides on NF‐κB signaling pathway: A systematic review and meta‐analysis - PMC
[7] Effect of lactoferrin in oral nutrition supplement (ONS) … Effect of lactoferrin in oral nutrition supplement (ONS) towards IL-6 and IL-10 in failure to thrive children with infection - PMC
[8] Oral lactoferrin reduces systemic inflammation, enhances anti-viral … Oral lactoferrin reduces systemic inflammation, enhances anti-viral responses and modulates immune cell profiles: an RCT in healthy, older adults - PubMed
[9] The Effect of Lactoferrin in High Calorie Formula on IL-6 and IL10 in … ClinicalTrials.gov
[10] [PDF] Effect of lactoferrin in oral nutrition supplement (ONS) towards IL-6 … https://f1000research.com/articles/12-897/v2/pdf?article_uuid=c6ea69de-62c2-4c08-81b6-c61aee6fd71e
[11] Oral lactoferrin as a treatment of pediatrics’ anemia resulted … - Nature Oral lactoferrin as a treatment of pediatrics’ anemia resulted from chronic kidney diseases: a randomized controlled trial | Scientific Reports
[12] Bovine lactoferrin and its potential use as a functional ingredient for … https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214799324000894
[13] Citation 1 change - PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42021232186
[14] The Effect of Lactoferrin in High Calorie Formula on IL-6 … ClinicalTrials.gov
[15] Lactoferrin Supplementation in Preventing and Protecting … Lactoferrin Supplementation in Preventing and Protecting from SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Is There Any Role in General and Special Populations? An Updated Review of Literature - PMC
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major global health challenge, necessitating alternative or adjuvant strategies such as lactoferrin (Lf) and probiotics. Opportunistic bacteria are key drivers of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to their ability to form biofilms and cause persistent infections. Lf, a glycoprotein present in mammalian milk and secretions, exhibits antimicrobial properties as part of innate immunity. Similarly, probiotics—primarily lactic acid bacteria (LAB)—influence pathogen growth and adhesion. This study evaluated the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects of purified bovine Lf (bLf) versus commercial Lf, alone and combined with LAB-derived supernatants, against several opportunistic strains. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we assessed the antimicrobial, anti-adherence, and immunomodulatory activities of bLf (Sigma-Aldrich), commercial Lf (Jarrow Formulas), and LAB supernatants. High-purity bLf demonstrated superior antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects compared to supplement-derived Lf. Furthermore, commercial Lf, combined with LAB metabolites, effectively inhibited biofilm formation, reduced inflammation, and prevented bacterial adhesion to eukaryotic cells. These findings support the potential use of lactoferrin, alone or in synergy with probiotics, as adjuvants or prophylactic agents, particularly for immunocompromised patients, to limit bacterial adherence and prevent chronic infections.
So do you need to combine lactoferrin supplements with probiotics?
I am going to read up more on this topic, so apologies if I’ve missed something already discussed. While I’m all for crushing inflammation (CRP) etc., I’m concerned about increasing iron levels in my body and the potential for polycythemia that may come from that. My initial query to Chat GPT is that lactoferrin can indeed increase iron levels. It is recommended for people with iron deficiency anemia and in pregnancy, particularly those who haven’t tolerated oral iron supplements well. If this is the case, I will look for other ways to reduce inflammation (unless of course I develop iron deficiency anemia which I do not currently have with Hgb. of 15.5).
I asked Grok the same question about excess iron levels due to lactoferrin and it said that it helps iron homeostasis, it’s like increasing a lot of transferrin so there won’t be any iron floating around. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can help us with this question.