If you scroll through social media, it doesn’t take long to come across bovine colostrum supplements. It’s the latest nutrition trend that makes big claims but leaves us with even bigger questions.
This fluid, made from a milk-like substance secreted during late pregnancy and the first few days of lactation, is usually reserved for baby mammals such as infants and calves, but is now mostly available to adults. It is touted as a miracle drug. Companies claim a wide range of health benefits, from improving skin to regulating digestion, and some even claim it boosts immunity and speeds recovery after a workout. Sounds great, but does the research hold up? We asked nutrition and lactation experts to break it down.
What exactly is bovine colostrum? Why are people paying so much attention to it now?
If you’re stuck on the fact that colostrum is a precursor to breast milk, let’s clear something up. Everything you see in the store is made from cows, not humans. Mammals of all types produce colostrum to meet the nutritional and developmental needs of their offspring, Jennifer T. Smilowitz, Ph.D., lactation education counselor and assistant professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, tells SELF. . It is most often sold in dry capsule form rather than liquid.
Colostrum is thicker and more concentrated than the milk that comes later. Dr. Smilowitz says it’s particularly rich in nutrients such as prebiotics, which reduce the risk of infection and enteritis in newborns, as well as enzymes and proteins with antibacterial and antiviral properties, such as lysozyme and lactoferrin. This is important. This is because infant intestines (both human and bovine) are slightly permeable at birth, which can increase the risk of infection and inflammation. “So colostrum given in the first few days of life helps strengthen the intestines,” she says.
More specifically, bovine colostrum contains the same beneficial nutrients as milk and other products, Herbstreit says. This includes fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E, as well as important minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Some are present in high concentrations in colostrum, such as IGF-1, which supports normal bone and tissue development.
The fact that it’s great for gut health (albeit for young children) is a big part of why it’s become such a wellness favorite, says Carla Herbstreit, MS, RD, of Street Smart Nutrition, SELF told. Scroll through social media or walk down the pharmacy aisle and you’ll see that there’s more focus than ever on improving digestion and regular living. Combine this with other claims like training and improving the immune system (two other big topics that are currently garnering a lot of people’s attention) and you’ll see why interest in this supplement is skyrocketing. It’s not difficult to understand.
There you will find the following: Do bovine colostrum supplements actually work?
There are actually two important questions here. One question is: Do bovine colostrum supplements on the market contain all of the beneficial elements, such as: actual Cow colostrum? And second, do the benefits of colostrum extend beyond its target audience (i.e., literal infants)?
