The Colostrum Miracle:
Too Good to be True?
 It
seems that almost every day a new substance or product shows up
claiming to heal every complaint under the sun. Since I’ve been
writing about natural health, nutrition and alternative medicine
for almost twenty years, I’ve seen a lot of these. To be sure,
nowadays a lot of powerful natural remedies are being discovered
(or rediscovered) but there are also quite a few that fall short
of the extravagant claims they make.
So, when yet another broad-spectrum supplement appears – one
that people claim does everything from boost the immune system to
help burn fat – I tend to turn skeptical and investigate it very
carefully.
That’s exactly what happened with colostrum. When I first
came across it, the claims seemed simply too good to be true. But
then I started to read some of the extensive research about this
substance and I started to get excited. Perhaps it is true –
maybe there is a complete, natural substance that can help return
the body to a state of homeostasis – its natural state of
vibrant health and vitality.
Colostrum is the pre-milk fluid produced from the mother’s
mammary glands during the first 24-48 hours after birth. Colostrum
provides life-supporting immune and growth factors that insure the
health and vitality of the newborn. Colostrum is so important that
most baby animals would simply die without it.
During the fifties and sixties, many doctors recommended
against breast-feeding. This was the height of the "arrogance
of science" – trying to convince us that man-made formulas
could actually be better than natural mother’s milk. So, because
we weren’t breastfed, many of us never got the natural
"seeding" – the initial boost to our immune and
digestive systems – which colostrum provides. This leaves us
vulnerable to diseases, pollutants and allergens that are all
around us and increasing in quantity and toxicity every day and
every year.
The more I read about colostrum’s ability to alleviate and
even reverse these problems, the more excited I got.
Nature, in all its wisdom, provided an amazing substance to
help infants grow, feel good and resist disease. Now, the medical
evidence shows that adults can also get the tremendous
wide-ranging
benefits that colostrum offers.
A Potent Boost To Immune Function
The onset of almost all infectious and degenerative disease,
including cancer and heart disease, is preceded or accompanied by
lowered immune sys-tem function. Studies show colostrum contains
powerful immune factors (Immunoglobulins, Lactoferrin, Cyto-kines
and Interferon) that work to restore potent immune function.
Colostrum also contains PRP
(Polyproline-Rich-Peptides), shown in medical studies to help
boost an under-active immune system. PRP helps restore the thymus
gland to optimal functioning capability. The thymus produces the
vital T-cells which fight viruses and antigens. The
PRP found in colostrum also helps balance the over-active immune
system present in autoimmune diseases – conditions in which the
body actually attacks itself. This makes
colostrum extremely effective with illnesses such as Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Lupus and Scleraderma. All the anecdotal testimonials
point to this substance’s amazing ability to prevent disease.
People who have been taking colostrum for a while (and these are
mostly people who started taking it for some other reason) report
that they don’t get any more colds or flu. People who start
taking colostrum when they are already sick with a viral or
bacterial infection report greatly accelerated healing and
recovery times.
Colostrum’s Growth Factors – Not Just For Newborns
Colostrum contains many important growth factors which promote
healing and actually create an anti-aging response. The list of
benefits they have been shown to provide is so long I’m going to
put it in list form.
Independent medical studies show that colostrum’s growth
factors:
-
Regenerate and accelerate normal growth of aged or injured
muscle, bone, cartilage, skin collagen and nerve tissue.
-
Help burn fat for fuel instead of muscle tissue in times of
fasting (diet)
-
Help build and retain lean muscle.
-
Repair our body’s vital DNA and RNA.
-
Balance and regulate blood sugar levels
-
Heal burns, surgeries, cuts, abrasions and mouth sores with
topical application
-
Control infection and pain associated with gingivitis,
sensitive teeth and dental work.
-
Help regulate blood glucose levels and "brain
chemicals", providing alertness and better concentration.
-
Help regulate the brain’s "feel-good" chemicals
to brighten our moods.
So, not only can colostrum make you feel better and heal
faster, but it can also help you look better, too? This is when
I got really excited. According to articles
in "IronMan" and "Muscle and
Fitness" (these are serious
bodybuilder magazines – I was amazed at how technical and
carefully researched the articles were) colostrum is as powerful
as illegal, synthetic steroids at creating new muscle mass when
bodybuilding exercise is performed!
Plus, remember that this is something that is good for all of
you – no side effects, no problems, no contraindications. If
you take antibiotics to combat an infection, you will weaken the
immune system, not strengthen it. You will also seriously damage
intestinal flora and destroy the acidophilus bacteria that help
control harmful bacteria and yeasts in the bowel. If you are
foolish enough to take non-prescription steroids (which, believe
it or not, many people still do) the side-effects are even worse
– hormonal imbalance and endocrine system damage, reproductive
system damage and cardiovascular damage.
What’s more, the growth factors present in colostrum have
also been shown to have an important anti-aging effect. Skin
appears more youthful, age and "liver" spots disappear,
bone mass and density is increased and sexual function is improved
and restored. Maybe there is a fountain of youth after all!
What I like best about colostrum is that it is a whole,
complete natural substance that has been minimally processed.
This is not some kind of new natural "designer
supplement" made in a laboratory somewhere – it is
nature’s own natural wonder drug. It is so broad spectrum
because it has to do so much for a newborn mammal. As baby
mammals, we are all very weak and feeble when we first come into
this world. Nature, in response to this, provided one of the most
powerful superfoods in existence to boost us into rapid growth,
strong resistance to disease and a great sense of well-being.
Another thing I really like is how extensively it’s been
researched by the medical community. This is not a new discovery
– this is something which is being rediscovered. In fact, the
medical use of colostrum goes back thousands of years.
Is Bovine Colostrum Safe and Effective For Humans?
Research has shown that bovine colostrum is easily assimilable
by humans and is up to 40 times richer in immune factors than
human colostrum. Also, the research shows that only cows’
colostrum contains special glycoproteins and protease inhibitors
which are extremely effective at protecting the destruction of
colostrum’s active components by adult human digestive enzymes
and stomach acids.
And bovine colostrum is safe for consumption by humans.
According to Dr. Robert Preston with the International Institute
of Nutritional Research, "Colostrum is so safe, it has been
prepared by nature as the first food for infants. It would be hard
to imagine any nutritional substance more natural or
beneficial."
There have been no contraindications, side effects or
allergies reported through thousands of years of human use of
bovine colostrum. And this superfood creates no problems for those
with lactose intolerance.
Colostrum’s Effectiveness Varies Based On Its Source, And How
It Is Processed.
Colostrum must be collected, treated and processed correctly in
order to be effective. Results can vary widely based on the
quality of the colostrum you take. First, colostrum processed at
high heat will lose much or most of its biological activity.
It’s important to do some research to find commercially
available colostrum which has been processed without excessive
heat. It’s also important to find colostrum which comes from
cows that are pesticide, antibiotic and hormone free
– essentially "organic". Since the cow is the
"factory" for producing colostrum, this factory
shouldn’t be contaminated with harmful chemicals and unwanted
drugs.
Also, recent research has shown that the body’s ability to
assimilate colostrum is greatly enhanced if it is water-soluble.
If it’s not readily water-soluble, colostrum won’t disperse
well in the human bowel, and thus will be minimally effective. Very few brands currently have this
attribute, especially since it is impossible to obtain if the
colostrum has ever been frozen. Luckily, it is very easy to test
for water solubility – all that is needed is a glass of water!
Finally, if possible, see if you can find colostrum that comes
from pasture-fed herds. When a cow eats healthy, green grass,
instead of dried, processed feed, it is getting the live enzymes
that it is naturally designed to get, and its colostrum contains
more of these beneficial enzymes that aid in assimilation by
humans. In addition, live food from the pasture contains both
beneficial and non-beneficial soil-based organisms. Surprisingly,
these both contribute positively to the attributes of the
colostrum. The cow develops natural immunity to harmful soil-based
bacteria and other pathogens, which is passed on to its colostrum
via the "transfer factor", and creates the same immunity
in humans. And beneficial soil-based organisms have recently been
shown to create positive conditions in the human bowel. These are,
likewise, passed along to the human consumer via the cow’s
colostrum, further enhancing its many benefits.
Unfortunately, most of the brands available in the U.S. do not
meet the above criteria. The industry and infrastructure in this
country for collecting and marketing colostrum has been
established largely for veterinary purposes. In fact, many of the
colostrum brands marketed for human consumption are simply this
veterinary grade colostrum repackaged for human use. This is not
necessarily harmful, but this colostrum will not be as effective
as it could be. Most, if not all, of this colostrum is frozen
before transportation, and once it is frozen, it is virtually
impossible to ensure that it will be water-soluble.
In fact, it is virtually impossible to find a domestic U.S.
source of colostrum which comes from organic, pasture-fed cows,
and meets the other criteria I’ve outlined above. Even the
organic herds in this country are seldom pasture-fed, and these
herds are, in any case, too small to provide colostrum in
sufficient quantity to ensure a large enough, standardized supply
for any kind of widespread distribution. The brands of colostrum
which meet the criteria I have outlined above invariably use
colostrum from foreign sources – there are a few countries in the
world where large enough organic, pasture-fed herds exist, and
where "mad cow disease" (bovine spongiform disease) is
not a factor.
Try Colostrum For Yourself – There’s No Health Risk And
Usually No Financial Risk Either
Most reputable companies supplying colostrum to the public
nowadays offer an unconditional money-back guarantee. And because
colostrum is not a drug but a whole, natural food, there’s no
health risk involved in trying it. So you have nothing to lose –
and everything to gain.
"I started taking colostrum as soon as I started reading
the amazing findings of the medical research community – and
I’m getting great results. My blood sugar levels have
stabilized, I’m seeing greater muscle growth from my workouts
in just a short time and my energy level and overall sense of
well-being and enthusiasm has increased dramatically."
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