Bovine Colostrum: Questions & Answers
On this page we have compiled the most frequently asked questions about Bovine Colostrum and answered them in a concise and scientifically well-founded manner.
Bovine Colostrum: Questions & Answers
On this page we have compiled the most frequently asked questions about Bovine Colostrum and answered them in a concise and scientifically well-founded manner.
Who should take Colostrum?
For whom the intake of colostrum as a food supplement is suitable and what restrictions may apply, read here.
Not all doctors are open-minded enough to suggest naturopathic methods in the treatment of their patients as part of their practice. However, more and more doctors are now using bovine colostrum as an adjunct to therapy and recommend the natural product for prevention or prophylaxis, as well as to benefit physical well-being in general.
Due to minimal processing and the resulting higher degree of naturalness, many people opt for the somewhat more efficient, liquid variant. That being said, bovine colostrum in capsule form is also produced by extremely gentle processing using microfiltration and freeze-drying. It’s characterised by more practical handling and a significantly longer shelf life. Liquid bovine colostrum, on the other hand, should be refrigerated after opening and consumed within 14 days. For both forms, experts recommend that the raw material be obtained from controlled organic animal husbandry (organic) in order to completely exclude contamination with antibiotics or hormones. So the answer to this question is ultimately up to each individual person.
Many of the vital substances contained are extremely sensitive to temperature and can be damaged or even become ineffective from a heat development of >42 °C. However, the acidity of fruit juices does not affect the ingredients – so liquid bovine colostrum may be mixed with a glass of water, milk or fruit juice and be taken without any problems.
Bovine colostrum products are best taken on an empty stomach before a meal, but there is nothing to be said against taking them throughout the day. It’s important not to take bovine colostrum together with hot food or drinks to avoid damaging the sensitive proteins (immunoglobulins).
Since bovine colostrum is an approved foodstuff and not a medicine, the consumer does not have to worry about overdosing. However, the amount taken should be based on body weight or the respective area of application. Furthermore, it does make a difference whether the bovine colostrum is in liquid or dry form (capsules, powder, etc.). For liquid bovine colostrum, a daily amount of 1 tablespoon per 30 kg body weight is recommended. When taken regularly for prophylactic purposes, many experts recommend one capsule daily per 25 kg of body weight.
Bovine colostrum is an approved foodstuff in Germany and can therefore also be taken on a long-term basis. If you take bovine colostrum over the long term, you should make sure the products you take are also of high quality. It’s best to use products that consist of 100% colostrum and do not contain any additives. This is why when deciding on a colostrum product, be sure to check the list of ingredients and the origin – the safest products here are those obtained from certified organic animal husbandry (organic).
How does Colostrum work?
Find out here in which areas colostrum is beneficial for your health and whether there can also be side effects.
Colostrum is special precisely because it naturally contains many times more immunoglobulins than human breast milk, for example. High-quality products made from colostrum are processed gently and contain at least 50 % immunoglobulins as dry powder and at least 45 g immunoglobulins per litre as liquid extract. This applies to products where the raw material was obtained from the first two milkings after calving. Colostrum products with lower immunoglobulin levels, on the other hand, are obtained from later milkings. The subsequent addition of immunoglobulins from other sources is not advised for the reasons mentioned.
No, because even bovine colostrum cannot melt body fat without exercise – however, the ingredients do lead to increased fat burning during physical exertion or sport. Bovine colostrum can also support fasting regimes by preventing diet-related deficiencies with its balanced combination of nutrients.
No, even when bovine colostrum is taken over the long term, no restriction of the body’s immune functions has been observed so far.
Bovine colostrum supports the immune system and the body’s natural powers of healing. In a study conducted by the University of Cologne with corresponding cell cultures, no promotion of tumour cell growth was found. The primary reason behind this is the complex of relevant transfer factors in bovine colostrum.
Yes, competitive athletes in particular can take advantage of the positive properties that bovine colostrum has on the body’s ability to regenerate cells. The growth factors stimulate cell growth, accelerate the repair of aged or injured muscles, as well as skin, bone and cartilage. These growth factors also stimulate fat burning. Many competitive athletes rely on the performance-enhancing benefits of bovine colostrum – ideally from controlled organic animal husbandry.
Yes, bovine colostrum can have a positive influence on the symptoms of neurodermatitis, as immunological factors also play a major role in this clinical picture. And this is where bovine colostrum comes in – since it modulates the excessive immune reaction that triggers the neurodermatitis symptoms. Additionally, it can help speed up the healing of inflamed skin areas. In the case of neurodermatitis, internal and external application complement each other.
As with many natural remedies, such as therapeutic fasting, a so-called healing crisis occurs in rare cases during the first few days of use, i.e. an initial worsening of symptoms, some of which are undesirable. This phenomenon can also occur with bovine colostrum, however, it is known from practical experience that after stopping the intake for one to two days and then consuming bovine colostrum again, no more symptoms occur.
Yes, because the growth factors it contains promote regeneration and healing processes at the cellular level. Bovine olostrum has the highest concentration of the important growth factor IGF 1 found in nature. This growth factor ensures efficient nutrient uptake, cell proliferation and corresponding muscle growth.
Side effects from taking bovine colostrum are not known. The ingredients of the first milk that are not needed are simply excreted by the body, as most of them are water-soluble.
Bovine colostrum can have a supportive effect on concentration and mental performance, as it also serves to develop and stabilise brain functions in its function as an initial food. The ingredients also have a positive influence on the growth of nerve cells and on the central nervous system. This is how they also counteract stress and mental exhaustion.
As indicated on the packaging of food supplements, they are not a substitute for a balanced diet. Vitamin/mineral tablets have their place, of course. The great advantage of colostrum, however, is the extensive nutrient complex that covers a large part of the vital substance spectrum and has been put together by nature in a unique way. The ingredients are essential for cell maintenance and the immune system.
As a natural food supplement, bovine colostrum can have a positive effect on numerous complaints that are dominated by the two major areas of “immune system” and “cell renewal” – from infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi to the regeneration of skin, muscles or nerve cells and metabolic processes. This is why people take bovine colostrum to increase the general well-being and the physical or mental performance, or to have a supporting or therapy-accompanying effect in various indications.
The balanced nutrient mix that consists of immunoglobulins (antibodies), growth factors, vitamins, amino acids, lactoferrin and much more has a wealth of positive effects thanks to its diverse composition. The immune system is modulated in a harmonising way and cell growth is stimulated, so that various regeneration and repair processes are also effectively accelerated in humans.
How is colostrum taken?
What should be considered when taking colostrum in liquid or capsule form, we have summarised in the following answers.
Yes, bovine colostrum is of course approved as a foodstuff and is therefore also excellently suited for regular consumption over a longer period of time.
Yes, of course, bovine colostrum is particularly suitable for older people, because the mix of vital substances it contains offers an optimal supplement to the daily diet, which is generally no longer fully metabolised in old age. The body benefits from the valuable immunoglobulins, growth factors, vitamins, etc., which are present in the natural product bovine colostrum in a uniquely effective form and can no longer be produced by the body to the same extent in old age.
Yes, there are no contra-indications to taking bovine colostrum during pregnancy. Bovine colostrum has been found to have a positive effect on pregnant women again and again, especially in counteracting numerous infections.
Yes, but only if the lactose in the corresponding bovine colostrum products has been reduced or almost completely removed beforehand. This is why experts primarily recommend the liquid dosage form for lactose intolerance. That being said, the tolerance should be tested in small quantities at the beginning.
Yes, because there is nothing to suggest otherwise, but there’s a lot in favour of taking bovine colostrum for type 2 diabetes. Bovine colostrum can lower blood sugar levels and naturally regulate blood values such as cholesterol, triglycerides or ketones. Energy is produced with bovine colostrum as a pure food supplement for increased fat burning instead of relying on the body’s own muscle tissue. Wound healing, which is often slow or limited in diabetes, and the general ability to regenerate cells are also positively influenced by taking bovine colostrum. Cell renewal, cell structure and the body’s resilience are also increased, thereby reducing diabetes-related consequential damage. However, when taking colostrum, blood glucose levels should be monitored during the first few days and insulin intake adjusted accordingly, as colostrum can lead to improved insulin uptake.
Yes, of course bovine colostrum is also very suitable for children and adolescents. How much bovine colostrum children should take depends on their body weight. Here, quality should be in the foreground – 100 percent pure bovine colostrum from controlled organic animal husbandry is the best choice.
How is colostrum processed?
The most important questions about the extraction and gentle processing of bovine colostrum are answered in detail here.
BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), also called mad cow disease, cannot be transmitted via milk or bovine colostrum according to scientific findings. Additionally, the very high quality standards of farms with controlled organic animal husbandry create the highest possible safety here as well – there has never been a case of BSE in any organic cattle herd.
In freeze-drying, the moisture is removed from the bovine colostrum in a frozen state under extreme negative pressure and in an extremely dry environment – the water evaporates directly from the ice without first liquefying. Freeze-drying is the gentlest processing method, as the raw material is not exposed to any heat or air. However, it’s also a very lengthy and costly procedure that takes hours to days. The spray-drying process is much faster – it takes only a few seconds. In this technique for drying solutions, suspensions or emulsions, the raw material is finely atomised and injected into a stream of hot gas (usually air). Due to the enormously increased total surface area of the raw material, it is dried to a fine powder in a very short time.
After the calf has been satisfied and the surplus bovine colostrum has been collected, the sensitive raw material is deep-frozen on site and transported in this perfectly preserved state to the collection points (or directly to the laboratory), where it is gently prepared in further processing steps.
Bovine colostrum is significantly more expensive than normal milk because the amount available is simply much smaller – only a few litres of surplus milk can be used to make products for humans for each bovine pregnancy. And the complex processing as well as the further reduction of the raw material (decaseinisation and defatting) also contribute to considerable costs for the later colostrum end products. As a result, the price of a high-quality bovine colostrum product is significantly higher than that of normal milk.
The lipids contained in raw colostrum are only found in a reduced form in bovine colostrum products, as they are difficult for humans to digest and also have a relatively strong impact on the shelf life of the product. Although they have a certain protective function for immune factors, bind various ingredients and ensure good dissolution and distribution, the defatting doesn’t have much of an effect on the vital substances. For these reasons, defatted bovine colostrum is preferable for the finished end product.
With the age of the pharmaceutical industry and revolutionary medicines such as antibiotics, bovine colostrum slowly fell into oblivion after being used by people in a wide variety of cultures since ancient times. Since the middle of the last century, however, this valuable natural product has been experiencing an astonishing renaissance, being intensively researched and tested anew in medical practice.
Yes, of course. As the bovine colostrum is essential for the health and survival of the calf, strict care is naturally taken to ensure that it receives more than enough colostrum. The cow actually produces much more first milk than the calf actually drinks – about five to seven litres are needed by the calf, but the cow produces about 15 to 25 litres of colostrum in total. In the past, the surplus was often poured away, but today it can be made usable for humans thanks to professional processing.
Bovine colostrum is already formed during the pregnancy of the mother animal. Within the first twelve hours after calving, more than 80 % of the ingredients are already transferred to the calf – after about 72 hours, the bovine colostrum is finally converted into normal milk. The first milk from the very first hours after the birth of the calf therefore contains the most vital substances.
Bovine colostrum has the great advantage in that it contains more than 4 times the amount of immune factors compared to human first milk. The reason for this is that the mother cow cannot pass on all the important ingredients to her young via the placenta in the womb, but that immunisation only happens via the first milk. On top of this, the ingredients are not species-specific for cattle, but can also be very beneficial to humans. Furthermore, the composition of human and bovine first milk is 99 % identical – ideal for use as a “food of a special kind”.
