The immunoglobulins in colostrum contribute to its ability to neutralize or kill

many bacteria, viruses, fungi and even protozoan parasites. The list of pathogens against which colostrum has been shown to be effective is impressive, including such dangerous bacteria as H. pylori (implicated in ulcer formation in thestomach), E. coli (a natural inhabitant of the GI tract that has a number of very dangerous strains that can cause severe diarrhea or intestinal bleeding), pertussis, cholera, and bacterial causes of severe diarrhea, which can be lethal in those suffering from AIDS and which kill thousands of infants worldwide every year.

Colostrum has also been shown to be effective against a number of viruses, and even protozoan parasites, such as amoebas, which cause dysentery and other GI diseases.

But immunoglobulins are only one weapon in colostrum’s great arsenal. It has many other ways of providing protection and modulating our immune response.

Three proteins found in colostrum—lactoferrin, lysozyme, and lactoperoxidase, part of the so-called innate immune system—provide non-specific protection against bacteria, viruses and fungi.