With all the hype surrounding vitamins, minerals, herbs and supplements, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. The answer is really quite simple -- we start at the beginning -- life. Colostrum is the first food of life! Immune and growth factors in colostrum provide the newborn with the essential nutrients needed to begin a healthy life. Intended to be the first substance a newborn ingests, it is safe for all ages. While it’s relatively new on the market, colostrum has been used for thousands of years to help maintain the health of people worldwide. For adults, supplementing with colostrum can help restore and sustain health.
So . . . Got Colostrum???
We know that cow’s milk provides our bodies with vitamin D and calcium, but our four-legged friends provide an even more powerful substance for our health, -- bovine colostrum. Colostrum is the nutrient-rich, pre-milk fluid that is secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals to nourish their young. Bovine (cow) colostrum is nearly identical to human colostrum but research confirms it is four times richer in immune factors than human colostrum. Best of all, bovine colostrum is beneficial to all mammals – humans -- and pets as well!
Immune factors in colostrum can help balance and support a healthy immune system; which is the key to good health. Growth factors supply the necessary building blocks for the newborn, enhancing the growth of cells, muscles, tissue, bone and cartilage. As we age, our bodies produce less and less of these vital factors, increasing signs of aging, and making it more difficult for us to fight disease.
Pollution, toxins, carcinogens, smoking, alcohol and overuse of antibiotics can lead to a decrease in our immune response, resulting in disease. Colostrum can help restore the body’s ability to function properly in both newborns and adults. It even works great for our pets!
Most experts agree that the majority of disease and illness begins in the gastrointestinal tract. Pathogens (viruses, bacteria, yeast, and fungus) enter the body through our nose, ears, and mouth and can attach themselves to the lining of the bowel, where they grow and multiply, causing a huge variety of diseases. Colostrum helps inhibit the binding of pathogens to the bowel lining, so they are unable to proliferate.
All humans are exposed to these deadly invaders throughout their lives. Unfortunately, these days, they are in the air we breathe and the food we eat. When our bodies are healthy, our immune system fights off these pathogens without needing any help. However, if our immune system is compromised in any way (which is unfortunately true for most of us), colostrum can help our bodies restore proper immune function.
There are over 90 known components in colostrum. The primary components, divided into two classes, are immune factors and growth factors. Colostrum also contains a precise balance of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. All of these factors work together in perfect synergy to restore and maintain health.
Colostrum’s Immune Factors
Immune Factors in colostrum have been shown to help the body fight off harmful invaders such as viruses, bacteria, yeast and fungus. Each factor plays a specific role in our body’s defense against these attackers. In addition, colostrum contains over 20 antibodies to specific pathogens including E coli, salmonella, rotavirus, candida, streptococcus, staphylococcus, H pylori, and cryptosporidia.
In addition to immunoglobulins, medical studies show that PRP in colostrum also supports an under active immune system. PRP also helps balance an overactive immune system present in autoimmune diseases.
Colostrum’s Growth Factors
Growth Factors help build and restore bone, muscle, nerve tissue, connective tissue, skin and cartilage. These factors have also been shown to help increase lean muscle, help the body burn fat for fuel, and assist in wound healing. Growth factors have also been shown to help slow the signs of aging!
Colostrum's growth factors may:
· Affect the brain’s mood regulating chemicals to brighten our moods. (serotonin & dopamine)
· Assist in regeneration and improve normal growth of aged or injured muscle, bone, cartilage, skin collagen and nerve tissue.
· Help burn fat for fuel instead of muscle tissue in times of fasting (diet), and build & retain lean muscle (non-diet).
· Assist the internal regulation of blood glucose levels and "brain chemicals", supporting alertness and better concentration.
· Support healing skin when applied topically
· Repair our body’s precious RNA and DNA.
Other Beneficial Components
Vitamins and Minerals are nutrients that are essential for normal metabolism, growth and development. They act as coenzymes, enabling chemical process to take place throughout the body. Vitamins and minerals are indispensable for the maintenance of health.
Amino Acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are required for growth and development. Amino acids are divided into essential (not produced by the body) and nonessential (can be produced by the body).
How to Select A High Quality Product
With the growth in popularity, many colostrum products have emerged on the market. We find there is a great deal of conflicting information or should we say misinformation, about colostrum supplements. That's why, in the course of our research, we have gone to great lengths to define which elements are the most important when selecting the best colostrum supplement for your own use. With that in mind, use the following guidelines:
What constitutes quality
processing?
Bottom line: Choose a product that has been processed carefully, but not
“OVER-PROCESSED.”
We say repeatedly that nature created a perfect food in colostrum. Of course it
isn’t practical to get colostrum fresh from the cow, so how do we find colostrum
that remains as close as possible to it’s “perfect” state? Look for colostrum
that has has been minimally processed at the lowest temperature possible. High
temperatures can destroy some of colostrum’s vital components and denature the
product. Colostrum that has been flash pasteurized and freeze-dried or
spray-dried using low temperatures is the best choice. This is the simplest,
most effective way of preserving all of colostrum’s vital components without
over-processing it.
A note on freeze-drying: In general, colostrum is usually frozen for storage. Dairies have used frozen colostrum to supplement newborn calves for years. Freezing colostrum isn't actually the problem- thawing is. Colostrum must be thawed at very low temperatures to avoid any bacterial growth and maintain all of the biological components that benefit health. Therefore, companies that freeze colostrum would either have to spend an unreasonable amount of money in monitoring and regulating the thawing process, or find a better way to preserve colostrum’s vital components. This just isn’t probable for a company that mass produces colostrum from a milk production plant. A process like this could only be done by a company devoted to natural products that specializes in colostrum manufacturing*. To produce the highest quality product requires a state of the art process that takes the colostrum straight from freezing to freeze-drying; so the product is never subjected to the thawing process and therefore retains all of its valuable benefits. Freeze-drying is an effective process used for many components supplied to the medical industry. This technique allows the colostrum to be processed with minimal heat, keeping it as close to the way nature intended it as possible.
New Zealand or U.S.?
Bottom Line: New
Zealand purity wins
by a hoof.
Bovine Colostrum is effective for humans-
whether it comes from New Zealand or the United States. What makes high-quality colostrum is high-quality cattle
and high-quality processing. We favor New
Zealand colostrum because of its dairies
stringent standards of quality. Also, New
Zealand colostrum comes from cows mostly
pasture-fed or even 100% pasture fed, which may create a broader spectrum of
immune factors in the colostrum. Colostrum from certified New Zealand Dairies
an even better choice.
What's all the fuss about Immunoglobulins?
Bottom line: Important to calves, but much over-emphasized for humans.
While immunoglobulin (IG) level has been
the most common measurement used to determine colostrum quality for calves, it
is often over-emphasized as the measurement of quality for humans. Nature
created a perfect food in colostrum and all colostrum contains the same basic
components including IG, lactoferrin and growth factors. For calves, IG may be the
most important factor as it is their sole source of immune protection at birth.
For humans who choose colostrum as a supplement however, superiority in
collection and processing should be the benchmarks of quality. The true quality
of colostrum for human use can be determined by choosing a product that has
been:
First, milking, second milking, or what milking?
Bottom line: The calves' needs MUST be
met first!
The first colostrum that comes from the cow
must be given to the calf- it is essential to the health and vitality of the
newborn and the preservation of the entire herd. Ideally, the calf will be
given 3 quarts of first milking colostrum within the first 6 hours and then 2
quarts within the next 12 hours. Companies that claim "6-hour" or
"First milking" colostrum products are simply not telling the truth.
While a cow produces a substantial amount of colostrum, the initial colostrum
or "first milking" contains a significant amount of fat and proteins
that must be received by the calf right away for proper absorption. These
factors are most beneficial to the newborn calf, but not necessarily as
important to humans. Colostrum collected after the first 6 hours still contains
all of the beneficial factors that we value. After about 48 hours, the colostrum
becomes transitional milk and finally full milk at about 72 hours.
Good fat, bad
fat, or no fat?
Bottom line: Mother nature has it right .
Lipids (fats) help colostrum disperse and
dissolve, and are therefore an important component in colostrum. The problem is
that fats also become rancid quickly. So colostrum with its full fat content
intact will spoil quicker.
Defatted colostrum has the advantage of having a much longer shelf life.
However, there's nothing to indicate that defatted colostrum is missing any
vital components as some manufacturers of american colostrum have suggested.
Check with the manufacturer to find out what you are getting and how long it
sits on the shelf. The ideal colostrum is one that is processed with the fat
left intact, and delivered quickly to you. Colostrum from certified New Zealand
Dairies generally have the fat left intact.
Pasture-fed or
"Lot-fed"?
Bottom Line: Pasture fed.
It stands to reason that pasture-fed cattle
are more natural cattle. At the same time, practicality dictates that cattle
are not always pasture-fed. We do know that New
Zealand cattle can be pasture-fed nearly
year-round because the weather is so temperate. Some New Zealand dairy cattle
are actually 100% pasture-fed. Pasture feeding exposes cows to the live enzymes
and nutrients found in the soil. When cows are pasture fed, they produce
more antibodies to disease-causing pathogens in their colostrum, which can help
support our immune system when taken as a supplement. Cows that are lot-fed may
be exposed to something called offal (ironically pronounced "awful").
Offal is the one of the "lot feed" products that's fed to livestock
along with corn and other grains. Offal is made from animal parts left over
after slaughter, including the bones and spines. Now that's awful. We favor pasture-feeding.
Encapsulation ,
gelatin or vegetable?
Bottom-line: Vegetable capsules are superior
Unlike standard gelatin capsules, vegetable
capsules have a very low moisture content. This can provide better protection
and will not compromise the integrity of the delicate, bio-active, components
found in colostrum. Although vegetable caps are about twice the cost of gelatin
caps, the additional cost will be well worth the investment in terms of the
freshness and purity, not to mention the fact that you won't be ingesting
bovine and pig hoofs as part of your health regime, which is what gelatin
capsules are from.
Tested for
safety?
Bottom Line: Accept no foreign agents or pathogens.
Colostrum should be tested by a certified
laboratory to be free of pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and disease-causing
pathogens. Use of antibiotics and hormones like rBST with cattle is illegal
in New Zealand.
Please Note: New Zealand is the only country with a major dairy industry that has never
had a recorded case of scrapie or mad cow disease in their cattle herds
or other livestock.
Scandinavian countries have been making colostrum pudding topped with honey for hundreds of years to celebrate the birth of calves and good health. And, until penicillin and other antibiotics were discovered, it was used in the U.S. as an early antibiotic.
But it wasn't until about 20 years ago that Western medical scientists began to study colostrum's phenomenal health benefits. Today, over 2,000 scientific and clinical studies have been published by some of the world's most-respected doctors and medical researchers.
When I first heard the claims
about colostrum I dismissed them. Now, after seeing the research, and seeing
patients’ results for myself, I’m a believer.
—Dr. Donald Henderson MD
"Colostrum is valuable to
me both personally and within my practice. I consider colostrum an important
therapeutic aid for all my patients who have chronic infections, including
bacterial, viral, or fungal … Patients who gain the most from nutritional
supplement are those with chronic fatigue syndrome, infectious diarrhea,
sinusitis and Fibromyalgia."
-Nikki-Marie Welch, MD, Sedona, AZ Townsend
Letter for Doctor & Patients
"It is the growth factor
content of colostrum which is truly exciting for the adult patient. The growth
factors present in colostrum are numerous and of a character that provides
great hope for biotechnology."
-Daniel S. Bricker, B.S.,
"Colostrum: Implications for Accelerated Recovery in Damaged Muscle and
Cartilage, Prevention of Some Pathogenic Disease," The American
Chiropractor
"Completely healthy individuals
can supplement with colostrum just to maintain their vitality and good health. Colostrum
stimulates lean muscle growth and increases endurance…It also promoted the
burning of excessive body fat [and] may even help reverse many signs of
aging."
-Zoltan Rona, M.D.
"Bovine Colostrum, Immunity and the Aging Process," Nature's Impact
"It is now well-known that
a wide range of antiviral factors are present in colostrum."
-Dr. E.L Palmer, Atlanta, GA Center for
Disease Control
"Colostrum contains nonspecific
inhibitors that inhibit a wide range of respiratory illness, notably influenza
viruses. Colostrum is specifically cited for its unique effectiveness against
potentially deadly outbreaks of Asian Flu viruses that emerge from animal/human
mutations."
-Dr. Shortridge, et. al, Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
"Glycoproteins, in bovine colostrum,
inhibit the attachment of the Helicobactor pylori bacteria that cause stomach
ulcers. Colostrum contains significant amounts of Interlukin-10 (a strong
inflammation inhibitory agent), found significant in reducing inflammation in
arthritic joints and injury areas."
-Dr. Olle Hernell, University
of Ulmea, Sweden, Science
"Colostrum and breast milk
(from cows and humans) stimulates the newborn's immune system as yet, unidentified
proteins speed the maturation of cultured B Lymphocytes (type of white blood
cell) and primes them for production of antibodies."
-Dr. Michael Julius, McGill University, Montreal; Science News
"Studies with human volunteers found that the preservation of the
biological activity of IgG (immunoglobulin), in the digestive secretions of
adults receiving bovine colostrum orally, indicates passive enteral
(intestinal) immunization for the prevention and treatment of acute intestinal
diseases."
-Dr. L.B. Khazenson, Microbial & Epidemial Immunobiology
"Immunoglobulin from bovine
colostrum effectively reduces and prevents viral and bacterial infections in
immune deficient subjects: Bone marrow recipients, premature babies, AIDS,
etc."
-New England Journal of Medicine
"PRP, in bovine colostrum,
has the same ability to regulate activity of the immune system as hormones of
the thymus gland. It activates an under active immune system, helping it move
into action against disease-causing organisms. PRP also suppresses an
overactive immune system, such as is often seen in the autoimmune diseases. PRP
is highly anti-inflammatory and also appears to act on T-cell precursors to
produce helper T-cells and suppressers T-cells."
-Dr. Staroscik, et. al., Molecular Immunology
"Bovine colostrum contains TgF-B
which has an important suppressive effect on cytoxic substances
(anti-inflammatory). Inhibits cell growth of human osteosarcoma (cancer) cells
(75% inhibition). Mediator of fibrosis and angiogenesis (healing of heart muscle
and blood vessels), (Roberts et. al., 1986), accelerates wound healing (sporn
et. al., 1983) and bone formation (Centrella et.al., 1987).
-Drs. Tokuyama and Tokuyama, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazaw University, Japan
Growth factors in bovine colostrum
were found to be very effective in promoting wound healing. Recommended for
trauma and surgical healing. External and internal applications."
-Dr. Spron, et. al., Science
"Cartilage inducing
Factor-A, found in colostrum, stimulates cartilage repair."
-Drs. Seyedin, Thompson, Bentz, et. al.; Journal of Biological Chemistry
"Colostrum is found to contain numerous powerful, naturally-occurring
antioxidants."
-Pediatric Research (Vol.24, No.1, pp. 14-19)
"Why is [colostrum] so
important: Because it contains substances that provide temporary immunity
against diseases and afflictions until the baby's own immune system 'turns on.'
It contains substances that destroy viruses. It also starts proper bowel
movements … stimulates physical growth and initiates many other body functions.
One researcher has estimated that colostrum triggers at least 50 processes and
functions in the newborn that provide lasting benefits, some lifelong. More
recently, we have found that colostrum has great health benefits for
adults."
-Dr. Bernard Jensen, Ph.D. Colostrum: Life's First Food
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