For many years, health care practitioners have been hearing a great deal about bovine colostrum, a dietary 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. This web site is intended to provide reliable information about colostrum, its attributes and the research conducted about them.  The past 20 years has also witnessed the publication of over 2000 research papers strongly supportive of both colostrum and its numerous components, and the goal of this website is to provide updated overview of this body of research and some insights applicable for educated practitioners and consumers.


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, even Dr. Albert Sabin, the polio vaccine developer, discovered that colostrum contained antibodies against polio and recommended it for children susceptible to catching polio.

What is Colostrum? Colostrum is the first mammary secretion that a mammal provides for its newborn for the first 24-48 hours. It contains numerous immune system and growth factors as well as essential nutrients, trypsin and protease inhibitors that protect it from destruction in the GI tract. It is estimated that colostrum triggers at least fifty processes in the newborn. Bovine colostrum is biologically transferable to all mammals, including man and is much higher in immune factors than human mother's colostrum. Laboratory analyses of immune and growth factors from bovine colostrum are identical to those found in human colostrum except for the fact that the levels of these factors are significantly higher in the bovine version. For example, human colostrum contains 2% of IgG while cow colostrum contains 86% of IgG, the most important of the immuno-globulins found in the body. Bovine colostrum contains a blocking hormone to prevent the calf from becoming sensitized to its own mother's immune factors. Studies indicate that all species, including man, benefit from the immune boosting properties of bovine colostrum with no reports of allergic or anaphylactic reactions to date. It is in a very limited supply because colostrum is only available for a day or two after calving. The needs of the newborn calf must be met first and only high quality colostrum is taken from cows that have been certified free of antibiotics, pesticides and synthetic hormones. Colostrum must be processed at low temperatures so that the immune and growth factors remain biologically viable.