It’s probably lower than that as I recently got a 0.28 and 0.29 mg/dl from LabCorp.
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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.
What trials show
- A systematic review of 25 human studies found that in adults, bovine lactoferrin reduced IL‑6 in several trials, particularly in people with inflammatory conditions (e.g., anemia of inflammation, diabetes, pregnancy‑related inflammation), but effects were inconsistent on CRP and other markers.[1][2][3]
- A meta‑analysis quantified this as a mean IL‑6 reduction of about 25 pg/mL in adults, but those trials mostly involved patients with clearly elevated IL‑6, far above healthy baseline levels.[1][3]
Mechanism and context
- In vitro and ex vivo work shows lactoferrin can suppress LPS‑induced IL‑6 production by human immune and epithelial cells, sometimes cutting IL‑6 release by 40–80% under strong inflammatory stimulation.[4][5][6]
- Clinical trials where lactoferrin lowered IL‑6 typically involved infection, chronic disease, or malnutrition; data in already healthy, low‑inflammation subjects are limited and show smaller or no changes.[1][7]
What this implies for IL‑6 ≈ 2.0
- Your IL‑6 is already in or near the healthy median range, not in the pathologic ranges seen in those trials, so the “room to drop” is small and any reduction from lactoferrin is likely modest or not detectable on standard assays.[1][3]
- Lactoferrin might still have niche benefits (antimicrobial, mucosal, iron‑modulating), but using it specifically to push IL‑6 below ~2.0 is not supported by strong human evidence and is unlikely to change risk meaningfully compared with your current profile.
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
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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?
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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.
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Lots of discussion on this topic (iron levels / lactoferrin) here: Iron: an underrated factor in aging - #231 by adssx
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Jarrow Formulas lactoferrin advert https://jarrow.com/products/lactoferrin-250-mg-capsules mentions: “Digestion of lactoferrin by gastric pepsin liberates the immune supporting peptide lactoferricin B”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactoferricin
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My husband’s CRP is 3.5! (It’s been running high lately, so this is not a fluke)
Also, his ferritin is 18.
If I’m understanding this thread correctly, it seems lactoferrin might be good to tackle both of his issues, correct?
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Might be yes. Let us know if he tries it. Use one of the brands mentioned above with iron saturation between 5 and 20%.
@adssx thanks, I’ll get the Lactoferrin Co for him because it’s one pill 300mg vs Double Wood 2 pills 250mg.
I’ll start him at one pill daily unless I hear otherwise.
I’ll come back and share the results after his next labs. I’ll assume he should be on it for at least 2 months before we re-check…
EDIT:
Fyi, for anyone wanting to get a discount from Lactoferrin Co, I accidentally just got a great deal.
I had one loaded in my cart, and upon realizing I didn’t choose the right bottle, I deleted it, and then got a pop up window offering me the 120 pill sized bottle for 98. No tax and no shipping.
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