COLOSTRUM BASICS: WHAT IS IT & WHY IS IT USED AS A SUPPLEMENT (part two)

Colostrum Basics: What Is It & Why Is It Used As A Supplement (part one) ==>

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about colostrum supplements, along with their answers.

Why Do Adults Supplement with Colostrum?

If colostrum is designed specifically for newborns, why would adults want to consume it?

Once we’ve transitioned through puberty, our bodies gradually decrease production of the immune and growth factors that heal damaged tissues and actively defend against disease. Hence, our vulnerability to injury and disease increases. Challenges to our body’s defenses may also be compounded by toxic environments—e.g. pollutants and various man-made allergens—that we may be exposed to.

In such circumstances, offering our human bodies the benefits that colostrum provides—such as support for the immune function, enhancement of fat utilization for fuel, and optimization of cellular reproduction—is a very wise choice!

Are Colostrum Supplements Safe?

Colostrum is a whole food—often referred to as “nature’s perfect food”—and is safe for people of all ages. It can be consumed in any quantity without any contraindications.

What Makes Bovine Colostrum Especially Effective?

Scientific research has shown that the molecular combinations of the immune and growth factors in cow’s colostrum are basically identical to those found in human colostrum—which is why humans can easily use and benefit from bovine colostrum.

As an added bonus, bovine colostrum can actually be as much as 1,000 times more potent than human colostrum: another reason why it’s a great choice.  

What About the Calves?

Now, it’s very reasonable to wonder—and be genuinely concerned—about what happens to the calf, when the mother-cow’s colostrum is collected for use as a supplement. Is the calf left without this life-supporting substance?

As it turns out, there’s more than enough colostrum to go around!

The mother-cows typically produce much more colostrum than is needed to fully satisfy and meet the needs of the calf. It is this extra colostrum—what remains after the calf has had his/her fill—that is then collected and prepared as a supplement for human consumption.

Is Colostrum Vegan/Vegetarian?

Colostrum is a totally unique substance—really in a class of its own. It’s obviously not a plant. And while it does come from an animal, its specialness is demonstrated by the fact that for thousands of years the rishis (spiritual teachers) of India have included it in their vegan diets.

So while each person following a vegan or vegetarian diet will have to decide for themselves, there’s definitely precedent for including colostrum in these kinds of diets.

Can I use Colostrum If I’m Lactose-Intolerant?

The confusion here has to do with equating colostrum with milk—which is understandable since both are secreted via the cow’s mammary glands.

But here’s the thing: pure colostrum is not milk! It contains almost no lactose, so those who are lactose intolerant will likely have no problems with high quality colostrum at its “maintenance” levels. In fact, it’s not unusual for lactose intolerance to resolve, after some time of supplementing with colostrum.

What’s important, however, is to make sure you’re getting true colostrum—collected within the first eight hours after the birth of the calf—rather than so-called “transitional milk/colostrum,” which likely will contain lactose.

What About Casein Sensitivity?

Colostrum does contain a small amount of casein, but it is a different type (known as “A2 casein”) than the type (known as “A1 casein”) that exists in milk. Numerous people have experienced their allergy to A1 casein being resolved, after ingesting colostrum with its small amount of A2 casein.

Does Colostrum Interact with Other Supplements or Prescription Medications?

Colostrum has no known drug interactions per se, but it’s possible that you may experience some side effects from other medications or herbal supplements that you are already using. Why? Because colostrum heals the digestive tract so effectively that all substances taken internally will become more bioavailable to the body. As a result, the dosage of these other medications/supplements may need to be adjusted accordingly.

Can Colostrum Boost Athletic Performance?

Absolutely! Colostrum offers numerous supports for the enhancement of athletic performance. Olympic athletes are beginning to use colostrum as part of their training regimen. Many bodybuilders report that colostrum is the most effective (totally natural and legal) muscle-building agent that they have ever used. So whether you’re a martial artist, a dancer, a recreational athlete, or in serious training as a professional, colostrum can be a great nutritional ally.

In particular, research has shown that colostrum can:

• Increase strength and endurance
• Build lean muscle mass
• Burn body fat
• Shorten recovery time
• Accelerate healing of injuries
• Boost immune function

Can Colostrum Support Longevity?

Yes! As mentioned above, once we’ve moved beyond puberty, our body’s production of growth hormones—a key ingredient for the reproduction of virtually all of our body’s cellular tissue—begins to decrease. As a result, cellular regeneration becomes less and less efficient, and so the body “ages” (i.e. degenerates at the cellular level) more and more rapidly.

Colostrum’s growth factors are exactly the hormones needed to stimulate the normal healthy reproduction of the body’s cellular tissue. According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, the most effective “anti-aging protocol” is simply the replacement of growth hormones at proper levels—in order to slow, and possibly stop or even reverse, the physical aging process. Colostrum contains these exact growth hormones!

Can Colostrum Help Stabilize Mood?

Yes! Colostrum is a natural and healthy means of stimulating the brain to release the “feel-good” chemicals serotonin and dopamine, and to prolong their re-uptake. Colostrum also activates the release of other chemicals in the brain that positively affect alertness and concentration, and ease anxiety/depression.

Can Colostrum Support Physical Healing?

Yes! Colostrum’s immune factors provide an abundance of anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects. This is what makes colostrum helpful in reducing or eliminating infections when you’re recovering from a scrape, cuts, burn, or even a surgical incision.

Colostrum also packs some powerful anti-inflammatory agents, to help reduce swelling and pain. It also contains epithelial growth hormone, which stimulates accelerated healing in skin cells.

All in all, colostrum provides deep support for physical healing, on a number of different levels.   

What Are Some Excellent Colostrum Brands?

Both Immune Tree is an excellent choice, for high-quality colostrum that has been collected within the first 4-6 hours after the birth of the calf—making it maximally potent.

Which Form of Colostrum Supplement Is Best?

Colostrum supplements are available in several different forms: as power, capsules, lozenges, or in a liquid form. It’s really a matter of convenience and taste, as to which you choose to use—since there are advantages as well as disadvantages to each.

What’s most important is to fully assimilate into your body the full range of potent bioactive compounds that colostrum contains. Toward this end, it’s best to take colostrum on an empty stomach, along with plenty of water.

It’s good to take it twice or even three times daily, e.g. once first thing in the morning, once mid-afternoon, and once before bed. That said, colostrum also works almost as well if it is taken with a snack or meal—and just once a day is obviously better than not at all.

To your health and happiness!

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