In the past two years, health care practitioners have been hearing a great deal about bovine colostrum, a relatively new food supplement intended to optimize the immune systems of both healthy and chronically ill individuals. Much of the excitement about colostrum has been generated by testimonials, anecdotal reports as well as the marketing efforts of several new supplement manufacturers and distributors.
The past 20 years has also witnessed the publication of over 6000 research papers strongly supportive of both colostrum and its numerous components. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the scientific evidence for the clinical application of a promising immune system modulator.
In Colostrum, Life's First Food (33), Dr. Daniel G. Clark's basic message, as printed on the back cover of his book, is that "bovine colostrum rebuilds the immune system, destroys viruses, bacteria(17,18) and fungi, accelerates healing of all body tissue, helps lose weight, burn fat, increase bone and lean muscle mass and slows down and even reverses aging." According to Clark and the well-known naturopathic physician, Dr. Bernard Jensen (34), colostrum has a therapeutic role to play in AIDS, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, allergies, herpes(38), bacterial(15), viral and parasitic(1) infections, gingivitis, colds, the flu and much more. Colostrum has antioxidant properties, is anti-inflammatory and is a source of many vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids.
Colostrum Rediscovered
Historically, Ayurvedic physicians have used bovine colostrum therapeutically in India for thousands of years. In the US and throughout the world, conventional doctors used it for antibiotic purposes prior to the introduction of sulfa drugs and penicillin. In the early 1950's, colostrum was prescribed extensively for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In 1950, Dr. Albert Sabin (12,26), the polio vaccine developer, discovered that colostrum contained antibodies against polio and recommended it for children susceptible to catching polio.
WHY DO WE NEED COLOSTRUM AS ADULTS?
As we age, we notice it takes us a little longer to fight off a cold or flu, we become more vulnerable to disease, our energy and enthusiasm lessen, our skin loses its elasticity, we gain unwanted weight and lose muscle tone. After maturity, we gradually lose the immune and growth factors in our body. This impacts us to search for anti-aging and health products and knowledge. We've looked to plants and minerals for an answer, isolating and mega dosing on micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals). Recently we've become more aware, thanks to the media, about the dangers of this hit and miss approach. With killer bugs at our doorstep, we need to look to what was designed specifically for the survival of our species. Aging, illness and death occur with the loss of immune and growth factors in our bodies. Medical science has shown in hundreds of published reports worldwide that these can possibly be replaced in the human body....with bovine colostrum.
1) Acosta-Altamirano, G., et al., Anti-amoebic properties of human colostrum. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 1987. 216B: p.1347-1352.
15) Kim, K., et al., In vitro and in vivo neutralizing activity of human colostrumand milk against purified toxins A and B of Clostridium difficile. T. Infect. Dis. 1985. 150: p. 57-61.
17) Majumdar, A. S., et al., Protective properties of anti-cholera antibodies in human colostrum. Infect. Immun. 1982. 36:p. 962965.
18) McClead, R., et al., Resistance of bovine anti-cholera toxin IgG to in vitro and in vivo proteolysis. Pedia. Res. 1982.6: p. 227-231.
33) Clark, Daniel G. and Wyatt, Kaye. Colostrum, Life's First Food. Salt Lake City:CNR Publications. 1996.