Colostrum

Why Bovine (Cow's) Colostrum?

Specific research, conducted in the last decade in major medical reasearch centers and universities throughout the world , has shown that the combinaion of the immune and growth factors in cow's colostrum are virtually identical to those in human colostrum. Research has also shown that bovine colostrum is not speeies-specificspecific and can work effectively in humans as well as "lower" mammals.

Why do I need Colostrum as an adult?

Research has shown that once puberty has passed, our bodies gradually produce less of the immune and growth factors that help us fight off disease and heal damaged body tissue. With the loss of these vital components, we age until we eventually die. Colostrum is the only natural source of these life giving components...the actural immune factors and all of our body's growth factors (hormones) in perfect combination as nature intended. Synthesized and isolated hormones throw the other hormones out of balance and have been shown to have signigicant side effects. Research has shown that colostrum has the demonstrated ability to kill bacteria and viral invaders, stimulate tissue repair (particularly that of that of the bowel lining). As far as we know, no other substance on the planet can provide all of these marvelous benefits.

In addition, many of us were not breast-fed, so we missed the natural "seeding" of our immune and digestive systems that colostrum gives all new-born mammals - and that nature intended for us to have. Research by the CDC and NIH has shown that children who are breast-fed have far fewer childhood diseases than those who are formulated. So those of us who missed out on the natural benefits of breast-feeding all have immune and digestive systems to optimum function, no matter how old we are.

How safe is colostrum?

Colostrum is a natural food. It can be consumed in any quantitiy without side effects or drug interactions.

Why can't I just get raw colostrum from the local dairy farmer?

You can. It needs to be refrigerated and consumed within a reasonable period of time. Raw colostrum differs from processed colostrum because it contains immune factors from just one parent. Processed colostrum is beneficial because it is pooled from hundreds and sometimes thousands of cows. This provides a very broad base of immune factors. There are very few producers of colostrum in the world that have the ability to accomplish this.

Are colostrum tablets as effective as capsules?

It takes tremendous pressure (which creates high temperatures) to form a tablet. When you apply this heat to colostrum, you destroy the biological activity of its immune and growth factors. Some manufacturers choose this route either because they lack knowledge about colostrum or because it is so much less costly. The goal is to have colostrum reach the small intestine intact where it does its work. To do this, it must be protected from destruction by saliva and stamach acids. It is very important to take colostrum on an empty stomach with lots of water to aid its transit into the upper intestine. Putting colostrum in a bovine felatin capsule helps guard against its digestion by stomach acids long enough for it to reach the small intestine. It has been found that less expensive capsules sometimes will not dissolve and just pass on through the bowel. To encapsulate 100% powdered colostrum in a bovine gel cap is not only very tricky but expensive.

What else should I be aware of when selecting a brand of colostrum?

Colostrum should be collected during the first 24 hours after birth when it contains its highest concentration of immune and growth factors and digestive inhibitors. Normal drying processes, conventional pasteurization and the heating of frozen colostrum to thaw it, all compromise colostrum's biological capability. Optimum processing of colostrum requires regrigeration but most produsers freeze the colostrum for ease in transportation and defatting. During cooling, the colostrum needs to be kept in continuous motion with mechanical stirring or it will gel and become impossible to air-dry it or need additional animal fats in our diet and colostrum's important immune and growth factors are not contained in the fat.
Consumers should also make sure that products labeled colostrum are 100% colostrum and not colostrum whey or concentrates of milk whey. Whey isa by-product of milk, colostrum or cheese and is usually processed with hydrochloric acid and heat. Colostrum mixed with other supplements or herbs and additives will provide little benefit.

What if I'm Lactose-Intolerant?

True colostrum contains almost no lactose, so those that are lactose-intolerant should have no problems with high quality colostrum.

How does colostrum interact with other supplements or prescription medications?

Although colostrum has no drug interactions, you may experience side effects from other supplements, herbs or medications you take that you never experienced before. Colostrum helps heal the bowel. This means you are better utilizing the nutrients from the food you eat, in addtion to more efficiently assimilation anything else you put in your body. You may want to cut back on, or even rethink your use of other herbal and nutritional supplements while taking colostrum. Medications may need to be re-evaluated for dose and need by your medical professional.

How is colostrum different from herbal remedies?

Herbs are plant-based nutrients that may nourish or stimulate the body to produce that which is needed. Colostrum not only stimulates the body to produce its own life-giving immune and growth factors but actually supplements and replaces them, as well.

How much should I take, and when?

Every person is unique with regard to the amount of colostrum that is best for them. Many natural health proctitioners suggest that, for best results, colostrum should be "front loaded", that is, taken in larger doses initially, with lower doses after the desired results are obtained. If the benefits you have experienced diminish when you decrease dosage, go back to your initial intake.
For best results, begin with 4-5 capsules (2 to 2,500mg.) taken twice daily. Take colostrum first thing in the morning when your stomach is empty and then again a couple of hours after lunch.

What if I start to feel worse when I start taking colostrum?

Some people may experience a healing incident as the body releases toxins. Symptoms could be digestive problems, skin eruptions, rashes or flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually disappear in a couple of days. It's interesting that if you listen to your body, you become aware of where colostrum has gone in your body to do its work. Colostrum's growth factors may create initial pain in areas of old wounds or injuries as they heal. If this becomes uncomfortable, you may want to cut back on the colostrum for a few days and then resume at a lower quantity, increasing your intake slowly as you reach optimum levels.

What if I'm pregnant or nursing?

Ask your doctor or medical professional prior to taking any prescription drugs, over the counter medicines, herbal and nutritional supplements. This includes colostrum.

Can I give my children colostrum?

The immune factors in colostrum may be very beneficial to your children-especially in circumstances such as lingering or recurring viral and bacterial infections, etc. We suggest that your consult with your health care provider.

Can colostrum help my nutritional supplements work better?

Yes. Colostrum can restore homeostasis in the bowel by killing harmful bacteria and viruses, restoring levels of beneficial bacteria and healing the bowel lining. When this takes place, all nutirients (including vitamins, minerals, herbal and other supplements) and oral pharmaceutical medications are utilized more effectively. This can reduce or even eliminate the need for many additional supplements and medications. If you experience increase side effeects from medications and supplements, consult with your hearthcare provider for advice and a re-evaluation of your supplements or medication needs.

How does colostrum have an anti-aging effect?

After puberty, our body begins slowing down prodction of growth hormones. These hormones are necessary for the reproduction of virtually all of our body's cellular tissue. It has been shown that by age 80, we are producing virtually no growth hormone and so, from this point on, we rapidly age and die. Colostrum's growth factors are the actual formones that stimulate the normal reproduction of cellular tissue. Normal reproduction means just that - not aged, cancerous, wrinkled or weakened. A few years ago, The New England Journal of Medicine stated that the most effective anti-aging remedy would be simply the replacement of growth hormones at proper levels to slow, possibley stop or even reverse the aging processes. Does it work? Just try and take colostrum away from someone who's used it for a while - their reaction will tell you a lot.

Does colostrum help with cuts and burns? What about after surgery or accidents?

Colostrum's immune factors contain highly effective anti-bacterial agents which help reduce and eliminate infections in external injuries (cuts, burns, abrasions and surgical wounds). Colostrum also contains epithelial (skin) growth hormone, which, along with its other growth hormones, stimulates accelerated healing. The powerful anti-inflammatory agents in colostrum can also help reduce or eliminate swelling and pain. For topical application, open the capsule and mix the powder with sterile water or a saline solution to form a paste. This can be applied directly to the affected area. Bandage if needed. Reapply two to three times daily until healing is complete.

Does colostrum help with gingivitis (gum disease)?

Colostrum's powerful antibacterial factors have been shown to help prevent and treat Gingivitis. Apply colostrum directly to the gums just before sleep. Reapply nightly until the condition improves. Colostrum has also been shown to help control any pain before or after dental work.

What about "Mad cow disease"?

No case of Mad Cow Disease has been reported in the US to date. No transmission of this disease has ever been connected with the dairy industry, either here or abroad. Unlike many measts, US dairy foods are considered a model of consumer safety.

How can I afford colostrum?

The next time you visit your neighborhood drug store and pharmacy, take a look at how many products and drugs exist only to treat symptoms, not the underlying causes. When people are ill, they often spend a fortune on these pharmaceutical products (whether prescription or over-the-counter). And many of these remedies will suppress symptoms, but ultimately weaken the whole organism. A cow gives birth only once a year. High quality colostrum is taken only during the first 24 hours after birth and only from cows which are free of hormones, pesticide and antibiotics. It then must be processed without excessive heat to keep its components biologically active and encapsulated in a capsule that will dissolove in the small intestine. This processing is very expensive. With so many different qualities of colostrum on the market, the expression, "you get what you pay for", is true of this supplement, as it is for so many other products.
Most importantly, with colostrum's many health benefits and the fact that it can help you replace or reduce your intake of many different supplements and remedies, perhaps the question should rather be "how can you not afford to take colostrum?".

I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat animal foods. Isn't colostrum an animal food?

Strictly speaking, colostrum is an animal (dairy) food. The strict vegan diet of India's Hindu Rishis, (spiritual leaders) however, has included colostrum for thousands of years. In present-day India, the milkman delivers colostrum to the wealthy. It's interesting that cows have been made sacred in India, a country where vegetarianism is more prevalent than in any other. If you are a strict vegetarian, the decision whether or not to take colostrum is a decision only you can make for yourself. Even vegetarian, however, are "designed" to be breastfed at birth and are naturally meant to have all the benefits that this remarkable substance can provide.