Bovine Colostrum Is Universal Donor of Colostrum to Human’ Historically colostrum has been used for various illnesses in India as well as abroad for thousands of years. Ayurvedic physicians of India have used bovine colostrum for both medicinal and spiritual purposes since cows were first domesticated. By the late 18th century, Western medicine started to take an interest in colostrum and study it for its potential health benefits. As a consequence, it was prescribed for many conditions, including immune system enhancement5 . Interestingly, until the development of penicillin and other artificial antibiotics in the 20th century, colostrum was commonly used for fighting bacterial infections.

In the early 20th century it was noted that antibody levels in the first milk produced after birth were much higher than levels found in the milk that was produced 72 hours later.There are now over 2000 published scientific articles that document the safety and efficacy of using colostrum. This seemingly perfect food has been shown to be non-species specific 5 . In 2005, it was reported that is safe and effective in repair of tissues as well as for enhancing immunity6 . Bovine colostrum (BC), which can be obtained in large quantities, has been found to be almost identical to human colostrum in terms of its beneficial components. It has also been found to be equally useful for many mammal species, and produces no side-effects. The use of bovine colostrum as dietary supplement has increased substantially over the past decades.Bovine colostrum is harvested within first few hours of calving from dairy animals.

The herds of cows are kept under close supervision in good state of hygiene without exposure to antibodies, pesticides and anthelmintic. They are monitored according to FDA criteria. The colostrum collected within 24 hours contains maximum substances but less in amounts, colostrum collected later will be more but contain less immunoglobins

Colostrum An Ancient Food for Modern Times Exercise performance and body composition Colostrum could be the most important natural substance to help athletes (from weekend warriors to professional athletes) achieves their desired results. Research shows that colostrum can help to increase strength and endurance, build lean muscle mass, burn body fat, boost immune function, which typically dips after strenuous exercise, shorten recovery time and accelerate healing of injuries.

Colostrum contains the growth factors that help build lean muscle, including insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I & IGF-II) and growth hormone (GH). IGF-I, which is found naturally in colostrum, is the only natural hormone capable of promoting muscle growth by itself. The IGFs in humans and cows are identical, but bovine colostrum actually contains a greater concentration of IGF-I than human colostrum.

This fact makes bovine colostrum attractive to bodybuilders, athletes and others seeking to gain muscle mass. According to a study conducted in Finland, IGF-1 induces protein synthesis, which leads to an increase in lean muscle mass without a corresponding rise in adipose (fat) tissue. The growth factors in colostrum “shift fuel utilization from carbohydrate to fat. It mean that body will burn more fat, including fat made from the carbohydrate and protein that are consumed, producing fuel more efficiently.