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 provides newborns with a high dose of antibodies, nutrients, growth factors, protein, and other essential compounds to prepare them for life outside the womb. Today, many health supplements are made from bovine colostrum^[ii] to support 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 referred to bovine colostrum as “a multifunctional food that offers a myriad of benefits for human health” because it is a rich source of important nutrients. Examples of these nutrients include:^[iii]

• Bioactive proteins
• Vitamins and minerals, including high levels of vitamins A, D, E, 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 crucial for digestive health

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

Supports Your Body's Natural Defenses

Your body produces antibodies known as immunoglobulins when exposed to bacteria and viruses.^[iv] Colostrum is one of the richest sources of these antibodies, and research shows that it effectively maintains healthy immune function and boosts your immune system when you're feeling under the weather.^[v]

Strengthens Your Gut and Maintains Normal Balance of Healthy Gut Flora

Whether you're concerned 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 developing healthy tissue, muscle, and even joint cells. Mammals produce colostrum rich in growth factors to help their newborns grow, so it may offer 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

Before taking colostrum, consult your doctor 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 are 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 purchase 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 alter its structure.^[xiii]
• Bacterial contamination: If the supplement manufacturer doesn’t adhere to industry best practices, colostrum may become contaminated with bacteria and other pathogens^[xiv] during the collection and processing of colostrum.
• Impure colostrum: The manner in which the cows were raised can affect the purity of colostrum — if they were exposed to substances like herbicides, pesticides, or antibiotics, these contaminants may be present in 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 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, with its complex array of nutrients and enzymes, 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 is derived 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 on how it affects infants of mothers who are breastfeeding
• Have a lactose intolerance, although some colostrum supplements have been processed to remove the lactose

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

BubbForest 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.

BubbForest

*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 and applicable to everyday lives. This is evidenced by a robust writing career, which includes a cookbook on heart health and support for 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.