Bovine Colostrum and the Many Benefits of Colostrum

It just makes sense that something that’s the first food of many mammals is also good for us at any time throughout our lifespans. Many people are seeking out bovine colostrum and raw colostrum powder for just this reason. And, the health benefits of colostrum are many: it is a bona-fide superfood that does much to stimulate overall good health, like greatly improving gut health and quelling many intestinal diseases.

If you are concerned, and want to get all the benefits of raw colostrum, but believe that your intolerance to cow milk or allergic reactions to milk may prevent this — please read on. We’ll just say for right now that if humans were meant to be intolerant to raw milk and bovine colostrum, babies and calves would retch and turn red, coughing and spewing at their first taste of this leader of Mother Nature’s superfoods.

Moreover, those who are “lactose intolerant,” or who experience anaphylactic or allergic reactions when drinking cow’s milk are likely nothing more than pasteurization intolerant (or, it is a separate issue from being able to consume raw milk). That’s right. You probably had too many glasses of probiotic-destroyed, healthy gut flora-ruined “pasteurized and homogenized” milk product. And so now, when you attempt to drink ANY milk — raw or otherwise — your body puts up this immune response, which has effectively conditioned you away from milk altogether.

Which is a shame, really, because in our natural state our bodies openly receive “first mother’s milk,” and make use of the many benefits of colostrum.

General Information on Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum is a milky fluid that comes from the breasts of humans, cows, and other mammals the first few days after giving birth, before true milk appears. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and proteins (antibodies) that fight disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses. Antibody levels in colostrums can be 100 times higher than levels in regular cow’s milk.

People originally got interested in bovine colostrum because of the high antibody levels. They thought that the antibodies might prevent intestinal infections in people, but they seem to be wrong.

Some athletes use bovine colostrum to burn fat, build lean muscle, increase stamina and vitality, and improve athletic performance. Bovine colostrum is not on the banned drug list of the International Olympic Committee.

Bovine colostrum is also used for boosting the immune system, healing injuries, repairing nervous system damage, improving mood and sense of well being, slowing and reversing aging, and as an agent for killing bacteria and fungus.

Bovine colostrum is used in the rectum to treat inflammation of the colon (colitis).

Researchers have created a special type of bovine colostrum called “hyperimune bovine colostrum.” This special colostrum is produced by cows that have received vaccinations against specific disease-causing organisms. The vaccinations cause the cows to develop antibodies to fight those specific organisms. The antibodies pass into the colostrum. Hyperimmune bovine colostrum has been used in clinical trials for treating AIDS-related diarrhea, diarrhea associated with graft versus host disease following bone marrow transplant, and rotavirus diarrhea in children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted hyperimmune bovine colostrum “orphan drug status.” Under the Orphan Drug Law, drug makers who invest in the development of treatments for rare conditions enjoy special market advantages; for example, permission to sell the drug without competition for 7 years. If these special incentives were not in place, pharmaceutical companies might not develop drugs for rare conditions because the potential market is so small.

Hmmm…interesting food for thought, eh?

How Raw Bovine Colostrum Works

Colostrum is collected from cows that have been vaccinated to produce antibodies that fight the bacteria that cause diarrheal disease. These antibodies appear in the colostrum that is collected as medicine. Though the hope is that these cow antibodies will help fight human disease, the cow antibodies do not seem to be very active in humans.

Improves Gut Health

Your gut (also known as your intestinal tract) is responsible for the breakdown and absorption of food, as well as the elimination of waste products. It also detoxifies your body, and about 80% of your immune activity happens in your gut. Basically, your intestines are two of the most important organs in your entire body.

There is an immunoglobulin protein called sIgA (secretory IgA) that plays a central role in your overall health. Low sIgA levels has been linked to:

• Chronic intestinal problems
• Autism
• IBS
• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Candidiasis

People suffering from these diseases tend to have low levels of this important protein. In many cases, it’s due to not being able to absorb GcMAF, due to having elevated levels of nagalase and suppressed vitamin D3 absorption.

However, taking colostrum is one of the best ways to increase sIgA levels in your body. Colostrum will help to balance your immune system, reduce inflammatory cytokines in your intestines, and even repair the damage that has already been done to your gut by the disorders listed above.