Lactoferrin is a natural protein produced by your body. It is part of your immune system's first line of defence, present in your saliva, your airways, your gut lining, and virtually every surface where your body meets the outside world.
High lactoferrin levels can help your body to stay strong against illness and stress. But here's the thing: your body does not store it in reserve.
It produces lactoferrin continuously, because it uses lactoferrin continuously. And our modern lifestyle means most of us are permanently running low.
Your baseline is under pressure
Illness takes a toll. When your body fights infection, it burns through its available lactoferrin fast. And once that supply is spent, it takes time to replenish.
Stress, too, is a major drain on your lactoferrin levels. When we're under pressure, cortisol rises. Research has shown a direct inverse relationship between cortisol and lactoferrin levels: as one rises, the other falls.
Poor sleep, intense exercise, and ageing all have a similar effect. And as we get older, we need more lactoferrin to bolster our increasingly fragile immune system.
When we're healthy, low lactoferrin levels are manageable. We only notice when it's too late, and something breaks through.
