Aspirin, ibuprofen, diclofenac, piroxicam, and naproxen. Painkillers such as these are known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These are the most commonly used drugs worldwide to treat pain and inflammation.

The use of NSAIDs is routine therapy for arthritis and many other musculoskeletal disorders, as well as many other inflammatory conditions such as sinusitis, prostatitis and cystitis. Most NSAIDs can be safely used for two to three days, and many are sold as OTC drugs with reduced recommended dosages. Obviously, instances occur when the use of these drugs is the best course of action. No one is calling into question their value in appropriate situations. However, using these drugs instead of and without trying our alternatives is due to lack of healing insight; although these drugs are anti-inflammatories; they do not stimulate healing.

When these drugs are used for longer periods, virtually all patients suffer some complications, which can range from micro-bleeding and ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract to liver or kidney toxicity. In a sense “the cat has been let out of the bag.” More than 20,000 Americans per year die from complications resulting from NSAID therapy. This is particularly true for the elderly, and for anyone with a history of peptic ulcers. In any given year, it’s estimated that six percent of patients taking NSAIDs will get into serious trouble, requiring hospitalization.

This fact was underscored again in December 1998 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new arthritis pain-killer, Celebrex, the first in a long-awaited new type of painkiller for millions of arthritis sufferers that is said to be safe on the stomach. Initial sales reports on Celebrex show it surpassed Viagra in sales during its first month.

Yet, amidst all of the hype, the FDA cautioned its stomachsafe benefits may have been overplayed. Celebrex will bear the same warning about side-effects as many of today’s standard painkillers. Indeed, most recently Celebrex was linked to 10 deaths and 11 cases of gastrointestinal hemorrhage in its first three months on the market, according to a recent report in The Associated Press. Half of the 10 people who died suffered from gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcers, according to reports submitted to the FDA that were obtained by The Wall Street Journal under the Freedom of Information Act. Two other deaths were attributed to heart attacks, one to drug interaction, one to a kidney disorder and one with no cause of death listed. Another related painkiller is rofecoxib (Vioxx).

The Anovite Colostrum Option Becauseirritation to the stomach lining is commonly associated with this broad family of drugs many informed doctors now recommend that consumers also take Anovite Colostrum.

Two important recent studies demonstrate how highly beneficial supplemental bovine colostrum can be for anyone using NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and other similar medications. In an experimental study to examine whether colostrum could reduce gastrointestinal injury caused by indomethacin, researchers administered the NSAID indomethacin together with colostrum. As noted in the May 1999 issue of the journal Gut, pretreatment with colostrum reduced gastric injury by 30 to 60 percent.

Addition of colostrum to drinking water also prevented villi shortening in the mouse model of small intestinal injury. (Damage to villi, which are minute fingershaped projections of the mucous membrane of the small intestine that serve in the absorption of nutrients, is an early sign of NSAID damage.) “Bovine colostrum could provide a novel, inexpensive approach for the prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of NSAIDs on the gut and may also be of value for the treatment of other ulcerative conditions of the bowel,” they note.

In a more recent study, researchers examined whether bovine colostrum could reduce the rise in gut permeability (a non-invasive marker of intestinal injury) caused by NSAIDs in volunteers and patients taking NSAIDs for clinical reasons. Seven healthy male volunteers participated in a randomized crossover trial comparing changes in gut permeability before and after five days of 50 mg of indomethacin three times daily together with colostrum or a placebo. In volunteers, indomethacin caused a three-fold increase in gut permeability in the placebo group, whereas no significant increase in permeability was seen when colostrum was co-administered. This study provides “preliminary evidence that bovine colostrum, which is already currently available as an overthe-counter preparation, may provide a novel approach to the prevention of NSAID-induced gastrointestinal damage in humans,” say the researchers

Anovite Colostrum is a rich source of a wide rang of growth factors that aid in maintaining the integrity of thegastrointestinal tract

Growth Hormone (GH) is the single most abundant hormone produced by the body, affecting almost every cell. GH levels are highest during teenage years and they fall rapidly thereafter. GH increases metabolism, reduces fat and increases muscle mass. It is involved in the regeneration of heart, lung and liver tissue, as well as many other organs and tissues throughout the body. It stimulates protein synthesis, which is critical for the renewal of skin, bones and the internal tissues of the body. Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) I and II belong to a whole family of hormones contained in colostrum, called the IGF super family.

IGF-1 is considered to be the most potent. It functions like the captain of a ship, triggering the events that activate cell growth and reproduction, protein synthesis, and the release of energy (glucose metabolism). Because it is involved in so many major functions, it is found in association with almost all the cells in the body. It improves the function of GH to build muscle and burn fat. It is also recognized for its ability to regenerate and repair cartilage and other internal bodily tissues. As we age, the cells in our body do not reproduce themselves as well and since IGF-1 is a primary factor in the ability of cells to grow and reproduce, it is highly desirable for its many anti-aging and regenerative effects.

Transforming growth factors A and B are helpful in healing wounds and in the synthesis and repair of RNA and DNA. Fibroblast growth factor, among other things, stimulates the growth of new blood vessels and contributes to tissue development and wound healing. Platelet-derived growth factor is involved in the healing of vascular wounds. It is released in conjunction with blood clotting during the healing process.

Importance of First-Milking Colostrum It is worth noting that researchers who use colostrum in clinical trials usually seek first milking colostrum because they recognize that potency and quality are diminished with time. To expect similar results with transitional milk being marketed as colostrum would be unfair to those producers of true first-milking colostrum. Bovine (cow) colostrum is produced before birth, and can only be collected for a short period of time without being diluted by the subsequent production of milk.

At the time of birth, potency is at its peak. The active elements such as immune factors, growth factors, antioxidants and antiinflammatory agents are at their highest concentrations. However, in less than 12 hours, the concentration of these components is only half of what it was at the time of birth. This makes colostrum a limited commodity and yet, because of the extensive dairy industry, sufficient quantities are available for human use as a dietary supplement. Since colostrum is such a limited commodity, it is easy to see why anyone would want to stretch the collection of this valuable substance.

This is why many widelyadvertised colostrum products on the market today are obtained from the first 5 milkings—as far as 72 hours, and definitely not complete colostrum. Volume 6, Number 1 / The Doctors’ Prescription for Healthy Living  How Anovite Helps Anovite Colostrum is a rich source of a wide rang of growth factors that aid in maintaining the integrity of thegastrointestinal tract. It is difficult to determine where to draw the line between true colostrum and what has been called transitional milk.

At what point in time is colostrum no longer pure colostrum? According to Dr. Donald H. Lein, Chairmanof Population Genetics and Diagnostic Sciences at theCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, “Bovinecolostrum is produced during the few weeks prior to birthof the calf and, due to hormonal changes in the mother, itsproduction stops at birth. Secretions collected at the firstmilking during the first 6-hour period after birth containcomplete colostrum with all of the beneficial componentsintact. Removal of even some of the colostrum results inthe release of a different material, known as transitionalmilk, that dilutes any colostrum still present and changesits composition.”