In 1950, Dr. Albert Sabin, who developed the polio vaccine, found that bovine colostrum contained antibodies against polio virus and recommended it for children at risk for contracting polio. The same intelligent peptides and growth factors that enable newborns and babies to thrive also confer anti-aging effects to adults who consume BC regularly.

A traditional anti-aging food in Ayurveda, bovine colostrum, also known as “first milk,” is the rich golden fluid that sustains the life of all newborn mammals. BC is a source of growth and immune factors, complex polysaccharides, and smart peptides. And it just happens to be absolutely unique when compared to any other food you might consume.

There is emerging evidence that bovine colostrum (BC) may be one of the promising nutraceuticals, which can prevent or mitigate various diseases in newborns and adults,” says Leo J. Philip Tharappel, writing in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine.

“Research has also shown that colostrum constituents from bovine (cow and buffalo) sources are 100-fold to 1,000-fold more potent than that of human colostrum. This means that even human infants can rely on cow or buffalo colostrum to gain health benefits.”

Here are 10 reasons why you want to make BC part of your daily anti-aging regimen and how it will help you to resist aging diseases, lose weight, strengthen your muscles and renew your skin.

Disease Resistance. Immunity-related disorders are one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. BC is rich in immunity, growth and antimicrobial factors. Daily use of BC prevents and reduces incidence and severity of some of our most frequent infectious diseases such as colds, flu, food poisoning, stomach upset, and childhood diarrhea. A clinical study found BC’s flu prevention powers equivalent to vaccinations.

Immune Balance. BC supplies smart peptides and immune factors. I use “smart” because of their prior education from the mother’s body where they’ve been exposed to her pathogens; thus, they already have an innate, built-in knowledge base that is transferred or communicated to the rest of the newborns’s cells.

Because they are smart, BC’s peptides have a balancing effect on the immune system. BC boosts immunity when a pathogen penetrates the initial barriers of the body. But BC tamps down the white blood cell attack when the threat is eliminated. On the other hand, if the immune system is overactive, in the case of autoimmune conditions, BC normalizes inflammation by balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory messenger cells called cytokines. That is why patients with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis find BC one of their dietary staples.

Protects Against Memory Loss. The smart peptides in BC have many uses. Researchers have found that proline-rich polypeptide, found in BC, reduces overall inflammation including in the brain, keeping amyloid plaque at bay. First milk may be an Alzheimer’s preventive at our finger tips.

Muscle and Tissue Repair. Whether one is an elite athlete or simply a hard training senior, muscles, tendons, and ligaments need BC’s high amounts of growth factors, especially insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I). The body requires these growth factors for tissue repair, which aids in post-exercise recovery. BC also raises blood levels of IGF-I to carry nutrients into the muscle cells. Clinical studies show athletes perform better and can train longer with BC supplementation.

Healthy Gut. When the gastrointestinal lining gets damaged, especially from medical drugs such as aspirin or bacterial infections, food particles and toxins can pass into the bloodstream and cause bowel disease or leaky gut syndrome. BC’s abundant growth factors repair the stomach lining including ulcers. Beneficial bacteria increase their populations too.

Lowers Blood Sugar. Colostrum enhances the body’s insulin sensitivity and prevents diabetes. Patients ingesting five grams of BC on an empty stomach every morning and night for four weeks experienced decreased blood glucose levels as well as lower cholesterol and triglycerides (TG). “These results suggest that BC can decrease levels of blood glucose and ketones, as well as reduce cholesterol and TGs, all of which may cause complications in Type 2 diabetic patients,” say researchers.

Weight Loss. Leptin, a constituent of BC, has been studied clinically for weight loss. In published peer-reviewed results, weight-loss researchers found a dose-response relationship with weight and fat loss. “Based on this study, administration of exogenous leptin appears to induce weight loss in some obese subjects with elevated endogenous serum leptin concentrations.”

Builds Lean Muscle. As we get older, it’s important to keep the musculature from declining. Colostrum supplements “improved upper body strength, muscle thickness, lean tissue mass, and cognitive function,” says a report from the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Keeps Heart and Arteries Healthy. Have you heard of C-reactive protein (CRP)? This marker of body inflammation predicts heart disease risk. In a Greek study of soccer players, their levels of CRP were reduced with BC supplementation. In addition, levels of the bad forms of cholesterol and TG, both heart disease risk factors, were lowered.

The growth factors in BC aid the repair of the muscles and tissues of our veins and arteries. An angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, such as enalapril, is the commonly used synthetic drug for treating high blood pressure but may cause side effects like kidney toxicity or diarrhea. Therefore, there exists a need for alternative therapy. Like ACE inhibitors, BC “seems to have beneficial cardio-protective effects…” say researchers.

Renews Skin. Colostrum is a source of epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor. Its peptides improved the growth of human skin cells in culture and wound healing.

While some folks buy colostrum still in capsules, those who are using it for anti-aging eat it like a delicious whey or blend in smoothies instead of milk. Colostrum can also be found in skin lotions.