Mice Live Longer When Their IL-11 is Inhibited. Here’s How I’m Inhibiting Mine
- Copyright © Nils Osmar. May 28, 2025
- This post is not intended as, and should not be taken as, medical advice.
- See full Medical Disclaimer
Want to live longer in much better health? There’s evidence that a compound found in egg yolks and dark leafy greens — and available as an inexpensive supplement — might help us to do so.
Suppressing an Inflammatory Protein
A 2024 study published in Nature found that inhibiting an inflammatory protein correlated with an increase in the lifespan of mice by up to 25%. See study: “Mice live longer when inflammation-boosting protein is blocked“
In the study, mice that were injected with an an IL-inhibitor starting around 75 weeks of age (which would be considered late middle age in mice), and continued the injections until death, lived an average of 155 weeks, compared to 120 weeks for untreated mice.
A Range of Benefits
IL-11 is a protein that increases in the body as we get older and is involved in processes that drive inflammation, tissue scarring, and cellular aging. So suppressing it has a range of benefits.
The injected mice had fewer tumors and showed improvements in muscle strength, body mass, metabolic markers, and fur quality, relative to the control animals.
Lutein Suppresses IL-11
A 2021 study, “Lutein attenuates angiotensin II- induced cardiac remodeling by inhibiting AP-1/IL-11 signaling” found that Lutein is effective in suppressing IL-11 in lab animals. From the study:
The aim of this study was to determine whether lutein is involved in cardiac remodeling and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
In vitro experiments with isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) revealed that lutein significantly attenuated Ang II-induced collagen expression in CFs, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
The Ang II-induced increases in superoxide generation, inflammation and apoptosis in cultured CFs were strikingly prevented by lutein. In vivo, fibrosis, hypertrophic cardiomyocyte and superoxide generation were analyzed, and lutein was demonstrated to confer resistance to Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling in mice.
Mechanistically, RNA sequencing revealed that interleukin-11 (IL-11) expression was significantly upregulated in mouse hearts in response to Ang II infusion and was significantly suppressed in the hearts of lutein-treated mice. Furthermore, IL-11 overexpression blocked the effects of lutein on fibrosis and oxidative stress in CFs and impaired the protective effect of lutein on cardiac remodeling.
Notably, we discovered that lutein could reduce Ang II-induced IL-11 expression, at least partly through the regulation of activator protein (AP)-1 expression and activity.
Lutein has potential as a treatment for cardiac remodeling and heart failure via the suppression of IL-11 expression.
Other Benefits of lutein
Lutein and a related compound, zeathanthin, are also known for improving blood flow to the brain and protecting against age-related macular degeneration.
From the study:
Supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin augmented MPOD significantly in active treatment groups (all p<0.05). N1P1 response densities showed significant increases in ring 1 and ring 2 after 48 weeks of supplementation, while no significant changes were seen in rings 3-6. Significant increases in MRS were detected after supplementation with either 10 or 20 mg lutein, whereas no such increases were seen in the placebo arm.
Conclusions: Supplementation with lutein and/or zeaxanthin increases MPOD, and supplemental lutein enhances retinal sensitivity, in patients with early AMD.
- Lutein and zeathanthin have also been found to improve athletic performance. See article….
- … and to activate AMPK, the longevity pathway: See study
- Lutein has also been shown to inhibit other proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and IFN-γ, both in vivo and in vitro.
Best Food Sources
- Lutein is available in many foods, and also as a supplement.
- Egg yolks are one of the richest and most bioavailable sources of both lutein and zeathanthin.
- Dark leafy greens are another good source.
- See study
Is it Safe to Suppress IL-11 in Humans?
All in all, IL-11 inhibition strikes me as a promising new approach to slowing aging and preventing age-related diseases in humans.
Human aging is more complex than the process that occurs in mice, and it would be helpful to have long term safety studies, since it’s possible that too much IL-11 suppression might have side effects such as affecting bone health or blood sugar. I hope there are human studies soon.
In the meantime, eating foods high in lutein appear to be a safe way of somewhat inhibiting it. I find it promising enough myself that I’m eating foods rich in lutein and taking a lutein/zeaxanthin supplement.
What I’m Doing
- I usually eat 3 to 5 eggs a day, and include arugula (a low-oxalate leafy green) in my diet.
- I also take a lutein/zeaxathin supplement. (I take 3 capsules a day; each contains 40. mg of lutein.)
Not medical advice
This article is not intended as, and should not be taken as, medical advice. I’m not advising that people eat any particular diet or take any particular supplement(s), just reporting on what I’m doing. Supplements, like medications and other interventions, can have side effects; I would encourage people to research both possible benefits and side effects before starting on any supplementation regimen, and consult with a medical professional about any issues which might have a medical component. See full Medical Disclaimer
Other resources
- My Youtube channel Pathways to Longevity
- My Facebook group: Anti-Aging and Life Extension,
