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Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
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Whey Protein and Reduced Interleukin-6 Levels

Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 2 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 2 reported beneficial small-sized effects on reducing interleukin-6 levels, while 2 found neutral effects. The median study duration was 73 days, suggesting effects may require 8–12 weeks. The most-studied dose range is 20–25 g/day in older clinical populations, particularly those with sarcopenia or frailty and hemodialysis patients.

  • Effective dose range: 20–25 g/day
  • Studied populations: older adults with sarcopenia or frailty, and hemodialysis patients

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. The effect is small and inconsistent across studies; two studies found no significant reduction. Dose and form were not consistently reported. Most studies focused on clinical populations — generalizability to healthy adults is unclear.

Generated Jul 12, 2026
Doses used in studies
  • g/day: 20–25 (median 22.5, IQR 21.25–23.75) — 2 studies
Time to effect
Median: 10.4 weeks · IQR 9.2 weeks–11.6 weeks · Range 8 weeks–3 months — Reported in 2 of 4 studies
4 of 4 papers
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