If you’ve spent time researching supplements, or have been looking for something to help with occasional stomach issues, you’ve probably heard of bovine colostrum. However, just because you’ve heard of the product doesn’t mean you know what to expect when you take it.

What is Bovine Colostrum?

Bovine colostrum is a fluid produced by cows within the first 72-hours after a calf is born prior to the release of milk. The fluid is nutrient rich and contains a large amount of antibodies to help support immune health and build their immune system. Colostrum is primarily consumed by calfs who need its nutrients and antibodies in order to grow up healthy, establish and improve gut health, and build their immune systems.

Researchers have begun to investigate whether or not bovine colostrum could provide benefits to adult humans as well. As mammals, we receive colostrum while nursing as infants, and much like we can drink bovine milk, we can consume and digest bovine colostrum.

Researchers are hoping to discover whether bovine colostrum can provide adult humans with some of the same benefits that it gives to infant cows.

Commonly Observed Benefits and Effects of Bovine Colostrum

While there is still research underway on the overall effects of bovine colostrum in humans, many people take bovine colostrum supplements and have reported positive experiences. Though much of the evidence is anecdotal, there are many components of colostrum that have been well-studied and are known to produce positive effects in the human body.

The most immediately obvious benefit of bovine colostrum is its high density of nutrients. Bovine colostrum contains significantly more nutrients than regular milk.

Here are some of the primary nutrients and protein compounds contained in bovine colostrum and the known effects of those nutrients.

• Macronutrients: Bovine colostrum is rich in macronutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Each of these nutrients is essential to adult humans, and the right intake of each encourages healthy growth and maintenance of biological systems (homeostasis).
• B Vitamins: This variety of vitamins have been shown to affect everything from cell health and red blood cell growth to good digestion and muscle tone.
• Lactoferrin: A protein found in mammal milk and also present in many bodily fluids, it is commonly used by doctors to aid with stomach issues. Lactoferrin is also used as an antioxidant and to help fight against environmental insults and invaders.
• Antibodies: Antibodies are proteins that the immune system uses to fight against foreign threats to the body. For optimal health, it is better to have a high number of natural antibodies. Bovine colostrum contains a high amount of the antibodies IgM, IgA, and IgG.
• Magnesium: Magnesium is involved in numerous biomechanical processes and has been shown to affect bone health and to improve cardiovascular health.

You may be wondering why research is still being done to determine the benefits of bovine colostrum in humans given all that we know about its nutrients. It’s a fair question, and the answer is that researchers are still uncovering new bioactives hidden within bovine colostrum that may add additional health benefits.