What is Colostrum?

What is Colostrum and What Is It Good For?

All female mammals, including humans, produce a nutrient-rich liquid called colostrum after giving birth.^[i] While it’s not milk, this milky fluid gives newborns a high dose of antibodies, nutrients, growth factors, protein and other essential compounds to prepare them for life outside the womb. Today, there are many health supplements made from bovine colostrum^[ii] to maintain healthy immune function and provide antioxidant protection.

Colostrum Benefits: What Is Colostrum and Why Is It Important?

If you’re wondering what bovine colostrum is good for or whether adults should take colostrum since it’s originally intended for infants, read on.

Rich Source of Nutrients

One study went so far as to call bovine colostrum “a multifunctional food that offers a myriad of benefits for human health” because it’s a rich source of important nutrients. Example nutrients include:^[iii]

• Bioactive proteins
• Vitamins and minerals, including high levels of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium and zinc
• Hormones that stimulate growth, specifically insulin-like growth factors 1 (IGF-1) and 2 (IGF-2)
• Antibodies, including an array of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM)
• Healthy fats
• Oligosaccharides and lactoferrin, which act as prebiotics and are important compounds for digestive health

It’s no wonder that colostrum is often referred to as “liquid gold,” with each of these compounds foundational for overall health and wellness.

Supports Your Body's Natural Defenses

Your body produces antibodies known as immunoglobulins when it's exposed to bacteria and viruses.^[iv] Colostrum is one of the richest sources of these antibodies, and research shows that it's effective at maintaining healthy immune function and giving your immune system what it needs to bounce back if you're feeling under the weather.^[v]

Strengthens Your Gut and Maintains Normal Balance of Healthy Gut Flora

Whether you're worried about an occasional upset stomach, want to ease mild, occasional constipation, or simply want to strengthen your gut and support digestive health, some studies suggest colostrum may help.^[vi],^[vii] It’s high in lactoferrin and oligosaccharides, which “feed” the beneficial bacteria in your gut, keeping your gut flora balanced. 

Helps Maintain Cellular Health and Replenish Youthful Vitality

As their names suggest, growth factors like beta-lactoglobulin (β-lg) and alpha-lactalbumin (α-la) play a key role in growing healthy tissue, muscle and even joint cells. Mammals produce colostrum high in growth factors to help their newborns grow, so it may have similar growth benefits even into adulthood. For instance, some studies have found it may help with occasional discomfort associated with exercise and everyday movement^[viii] and support healthy cellular growth.^[ix][x][xi]

Enhances Your Antioxidant Intake

Not only is colostrum high in antioxidants, but its enzymes, proteins and peptides also play a role in activating antioxidant enzymes to protect against the damage caused by free radicals.^[xii] Oxidative stress and free radicals are linked with a wide array of health concerns, and colostrum may help to protect and nourish your cells while reducing damage on a cellular level.

Colostrum Side Effects

Talk to your doctor before taking colostrum, as some people experience occasional side effects when they first start using colostrum supplements. Gastrointestinal discomfort is the most common side effect, including occasional:

• Nausea
• Gas
• Bloating
• Cramping

This is especially true if you’re sensitive to milk or lactose.

What Are the Other Considerations or Health Concerns of Taking Colostrum?

There may also be occasional unforeseen side effects or secondary concerns if you’re buying colostrum supplements from an unreputable source:

• Poor processing: There are many ways that colostrum is processed for human consumption, and some manufacturers use high heat and other techniques that degrade the health benefits of colostrum or change its structure.^[xiii]
• Bacterial contamination: If the supplement manufacturer doesn’t follow industry best practices, colostrum may become contaminated with bacteria and other pathogens^[xiv] during the collection and processing of colostrum.
• Impure colostrum: It all comes down to how the cows were raised — if they were exposed to substances like herbicides, pesticides or antibiotics, these contaminants may make their way into the colostrum.

Some people may be more at risk for these side effects or secondary concerns. Always purchase your colostrum supplements from a trusted source — reputable colostrum supplements are tested to ensure the colostrum’s nutrients haven’t been compromised and that the supplement hasn’t been contaminated with bacteria, pesticides or other contaminants — and know whether you should or shouldn’t take colostrum.

Who Should Take Colostrum?

Colostrum has such a wide array of complex nutrients and enzymes, this antioxidant-rich biological fluid is ideal if you want to:

• Protect your cellular health
• Maintain your body's natural immune defenses
• Support your physical routine and workouts
• Increase your antioxidant intake
• Revitalize your body for optimal wellness

However, you should avoid colostrum if you are vegan — it’s made from animal products — or have a milk allergy. You may also want to exercise caution if you:

• Are pregnant, as there has not been enough research on the effects of colostrum supplements on pregnant women
• Are breastfeeding, as there have not been enough studies looking into how it affects infants of mothers who are breastfeeding
• Have a lactose intolerance, although some colostrum supplements have been processed to remove the lactose in it

Your doctor can advise you on other concerns you have, such as any pre-existing medical conditions that may be affected by taking colostrum, or whether colostrum interacts with medications you’ve been prescribed.                    

Get Revitalized with Reliable Colostrum Supplements

Swanson Health offers a wide variety of best-selling colostrum supplements. If you want to explore how colostrum can help you feel revitalized, you can get started quickly with our collection of high-quality colostrum supplements.

You be well, now.

Swanson

 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

About Justine Hays, RD

Justine Hays has been a registered dietitian for nine years. She has a remarkable ability to communicate high level scientific information in a way that is tangible for all people to understand and apply to their everyday lives. This is evidenced by a robust writing career, which includes a cookbook on heart health and supporting other health and wellness entities in their public facing communications. Her list of publications is available in her resume and on her website. Additionally, she is a skilled facilitator in community nutrition, which includes public programming and hands on cooking programs through the SNAP-Ed program.

 

^[i] Colostrum and its benefits: a review. Missouri State College of Health and Human Services. Read source.

^[ii] Production of Bovine Colostrum for Human Consumption to Improve Health. University of Nebraska's Faculty Publications in Food Science and Technology. Read source.

^[iii] Production of Bovine Colostrum for Human Consumption to Improve Health. University of Nebraska's Faculty Publications in Food Science and Technology. Read source.

^[iv] Immunoglobulin A Deficiency. University of Rochester Medical Center. Read source.

^[v] Diverse Immune Effects of Bovine Colostrum and Benefits in Human Health and Disease. Nutrients. Read source.

^[vi] Colostrum Therapy for Human Gastrointestinal Health and Disease. Nutrients. Read source.

^[vii] A Systematic Review of the Influence of Bovine Colostrum Supplementation on Leaky Gut Syndrome in Athletes: Diagnostic Biomarkers and Future Directions. Nutrients. Read source.

^[viii] The Use of Bovine Colostrum in Sport and Exercise. Nutrients. Read source.

^[ix] Colostrum and its benefits: a review. Missouri State College of Health and Human Services. Read source.

^[x] Harnessing the Natural Healing Power of Colostrum: Bovine Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles from Colostrum Facilitating the Transition from Inflammation to Tissue Regeneration for Accelerating Cutaneous Wound Healing. Adv Healthc Mater. Read source.

^[xi] Bovine Colostrum Applications in Sick and Healthy People: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. Read source.

^[xii] Antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic activities of bovine milk proteins and their hydrolysates - A review. International Dairy Journal. Read source.

^[xiii] Production of Bovine Colostrum for Human Consumption to Improve Health. University of Nebraska's Faculty Publications in Food Science and Technology. Read source.

^[xiv] Production of Bovine Colostrum for Human Consumption to Improve Health. University of Nebraska's Faculty Publications in Food Science and Technology. Read source.