More than 2,200 years ago, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, realized that “all disease begins in the gut”. Today, we are finally realizing the importance of gut health and the role it plays in systemic health. By age three, adult-equivalent gut biodiversity is frequently achieved in the human body. When it is not optimal, one is at increased risk for auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and other auto-immune diseases. 

Those with anxiety, depression, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome are more likely than not to have digestive issues. Optimizing intestinal health is paramount to achieving overall health and wellbeing. Ideally, gut health should first be attained through diet with the consumption of vegetables and foods that have prebiotic and probiotic properties. Frequently, supplements are also needed. In addition to probiotics supplements and L-glutamine, colostrum appears to also benefit gut health. 

Leaky gut, present when one has increased intestinal permeability, is a common problem many face, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. A 2017 study in Nutrients showed that colostrum could help repair this important intestinal barrier, helping to heal a leaky gut membrane. In addition, colostrum may help reduce inflammation in the gut by inhibiting the NF-kappa B pathway, a primary cause of intestinal inflammation.