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COLOSTRUM A TO Z

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What is Colostrum

Colostrum is a milk-like substance that comes from the breasts of mammals for the first few days following birth. It is sometimes referred to as first milk or ““life’s first food”, as it comes before true milk appears and is high in fat for energy, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. However, it is the protein molecules that hold a special function. Some of these proteins are antibodies that fight disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses, which a newborn is exposed to as soon as it enters the environment outside of its mother. These provide the newborn with passive immunity; basically kick-starting the immune system development.

 

Antibody levels in colostrum can be 100 times higher than levels in regular milk. Anti-microbial factors are also contained within colostrum, adding to the protective nature of this substance. Another important component of colostrum is the range of growth factors; these stimulate the development of the gut. Colostrum also contains proline-rich peptides (PRPs) which are other special protein molecules. PRPs are the ‘messenger’ molecules that modulate the immune system, acting as a kind of volume switch, turning up when needed and turning down when things are quieter.

Why would I choose to take Colostrum?

​Colostrum not only contains all the goodness of milk but also contains significant levels of growth-promoting and disease-fighting substances commonly referred to as growth factors, immune factors and immunoglobulins. These substances are also present in milk but at negligible levels. Further, colostrum has a much higher protein, vitamin, mineral content and is lower in lactose.

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  • Can help lower LDL cholesterol (and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease).

  • Play a role in reversing heart disease through immune system support.

  • Assist immunity for everyday wellness.

  • Support gut health and digestive comfort.

  • Support healthy ageing.

  • Support healthy tissues and muscles including heart muscle.

  • Support for your body’s healing and repair processes: mucosal cell lining, heart tissue, blood vessels.

 

As always, if you are on any medications or suffer from chronic health conditions, speak with a health care professional before consuming any dietary or nutritional supplements.

Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum antibodies were used to treat illness and infection prior to the development of modern day antibiotics. In fact, the first oral vaccine for polio was developed from antibodies found in bovine colostrum. Today, interest and research into the anti-pathogenic properties of colostrum is ramping up, due to the increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens. These can lead to serious and sometimes fatal infections.

 

Cows produce far more colostrum than their calves require, so the excess is harvested and used in research as well as being sold for human consumption.

 

Research has shown that the immune and growth factors in cow’s Colostrum are nearly identical to those in human Colostrum. Since bovine Colostrum is not species-specific, it works effectively in humans as well as mammals.
Because claves are born without any immunity to airborne, disease causing organisms, their mothers’ colostrum must contain a very large amount of immune and health factors. As a result, bovine colostrum has 10-21 times the factors of human colostrum, making it the richest source of colostrum available.

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