Fountain of Youth Rediscovered?: Colostrum as an Anti-Aging Agent.
 By
Donald R. Henderson, M.D., M.P.H. Assistant Clinical Professor of
Medicine and Gastroenterology at UCLA School of Medicine
 The
search for youth started long before Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon
roamed the New World seeking the fountain of youth. Much of that
search, then and now, has focused on the superficial effects of aging
– graying hair, wrinkles, and reduced endurance. However, aging is
far more than the physical changes in our body’s appearance.
While “feeling old” may be a state of mind as
well as a set of physical sensations, the aging process itself is a
biological one. No matter how young we feel, our body goes through
physiological changes as we get older. These changes bring about a
decline in our ability to fight disease and infection. They also
affect our central nervous system and alter our cellular structures,
which, in turn, affect our muscles, skin, and skeletal form.
However, it is possible that the fountain of youth
– or a part of it, anyway – has been found in colostrum. For the
63% of American adults who report they are concerned about the effects
of aging*, and the 19 million people expected to be over age 85 by
2050† , this is great news.
But just how is colostrum able to do all this?
Colostrum: The Anti-Aging Connection
While changes due to aging in our cells, muscles
and immune system sound like a series of irreversible processes, they
can be slowed with colostrum because of the growth factors it
contains. Among its myriad ingredients, colostrum contains:
Natural antibiotic factors:
-
immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE,
and IgM) – substances that neutralize toxins, viruses, and
bacteria, particularly in the digestive and respiratory systems
-
cytokines – small proteins that
affect the behavior of other cells
-
lactoferrin – a substance that
neutralizes bacteria and helps release cytokines
-
growth factors (IGF-I, IGF-II, EGF,
TGF
α & β) – substances that aid in cellular, muscular and
skeletal growth
Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulins, or antibodies, specifically
recognize any foreign compound that enters the body. When one enters,
various antibodies direct themselves to different areas of the invader
and attack it, wherever it is in the body.
Over our lifetime, we are exposed to a variety of
foreign substances and normally have built a vast array of
antibody-producing lymphocytes (more than 100 million by some
estimates) that persist at low levels for years. Their goal is to
surface again if we are exposed to the same substance. The immune
system is able to remember with what we have been infected, and often
can prevent us from being infected again. This is the premise upon
which vaccines work.
The most abundant antibodies in the bloodstream
are of the immunoglobulin G class, IgG, but the IgA, IgD, IgE, and IgM
classes are also important. These antibodies have similar structures
but different functional properties. For example, Immunoglobulin A, or
IgA, plays a key role in mucosal immunity, which is of particular
importance in maintenance of mucosal health and avoidance of
infection, while IgG neutralizes toxins and microbes in the lymph and
circulatory system.
Antibodies carry out two basic functions. First,
they bind specifically to molecules from the foreign substance that
caused the immune system to respond. Secondly, they recruit other
cells and molecules to destroy the substance once the antibody is
bound to it. Antibodies can also block receptors on cells and prevent
viruses from entering cells.
When we think our antibodies are not responding
well enough to something like an infection, we may take a series of
antibiotics. But, by doing so, we reduce the body’s active immune
response to that organism, whatever it may be. In essence, this means
that the next time we face the same organism, our own immune response
will likely be less effective than it otherwise would have been. Even
when an antibiotic is properly prescribed and works as it should, it
does not just kill the offending organism. It also kills others that
perform important functions, such as the beneficial bacteria that aid
in the breakdown and digestion of food, and help combat yeast
overgrowth in the intestinal tract.
Any process that can replenish our natural
antibodies and keep them strong has massive potential, and also has
many implications. Imagine a natural food or supplement, such as
colostrum, that provides a natural immunity against bacteria and
viruses, allowing us to rely less on antibiotics. Using colostrum can
assist our immune system.
Growth Factors
Although there are clearly many ingredients in
colostrum that are of utmost importance, perhaps it is the growth
factors that hold the most promise in slowing the aging process.
Growth factors stimulate our skeletal and muscle growth on a cellular
level while regulating our metabolism.
The growth factors contained in colostrum
include:
-
epithelial growth factor (EGF)
-
insulin-like growth factor-I and II (IGF-I and
IGF-II)
-
fibroblast growth factor (FGF)
-
platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
-
transforming growth factors alpha & beta (TG-α and
TG-β)
Children need these growth factors to flourish. If
they are absent, then growth-hormone therapy is prescribed. But such
replacement therapy is not often done for adults, even though data
indicates that adults who have abnormal body composition can benefit
from growth-hormone replacement. Specifically, the researchers found
that GH replacement in adults with growth-hormone deficiencies
resulted in markedly beneficial alterations in body composition, fat
distribution, and bone and mineral metabolism.
Growth hormone (GH) helps our long bones, joints
and muscles grow. As we age, we create less GH, and we tend to
experience osteoporosis and less lean muscle mass. Yet, several
studies done in the 1990’s indicate that – at least in older men
– the administration of GH can slow this aging process by lowering
body fat content, increasing lean muscle mass, increasing bone-mineral
density, and improving skin moisture and elasticity.
A study, found in the New England Journal of
Medicine, concluded that GH treatment could prevent some signs of
aging. Dr. Daniel Rudman treated 26 men between the ages of 61-80 with
GH. He documented that his patients experienced a decrease in overall
body fat, as well as an increase in bone density and lean muscle mass.
He also reported an increase in the skin’s thickness and elasticity
of these patients (Rudman 1990).
Another study found that long-term, low-dose
growth-hormone treatment in mice significantly prolonged their life
expectancy. Similar data even suggests that those without the needed
levels of growth hormones have a much higher mortality rate (Khansari 1991)!
In my mind, this is certainly one of the top
benefits of colostrum. Taking colostrum provides us with essential
growth factors, immune factors, antibiotic factors, vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants. It is a whole and complete food and/or supplement.
Each of the growth factors in colostrum helps
stimulate cell and tissue growth by activating DNA formation. In
fact, epithelial growth factor (EGF) is the growth factor that
demonstrates the highest ability to stimulate epithelial (skin)
regeneration on wounds (Bhora 1995).
EGF is a protein that helps protect and maintain
the skin. When it is combined with insulin-like growth factors, it
works even better – and this is what happens with colostrum. Unlike
other supplements that provide only single growth factors, colostrum
combines a complete package of growth factors that work together
synergistically, as nature intended.
Most of the anti-aging effects of GH therapy are a
result of increasing the body’s concentration of IGF-I and IGF-II.
IGF-I and IGF-II are the most active ingredients found in bovine
colostrum. They tell the body how to use the fat, sugar, and protein
that it gets from food. They also control how cells grow and repair
themselves. The fact that colostrum contains these growth factors, and
that aging is a result of low levels of growth factors, suggests that
colostrum could help counteract the biological aging process. Studies
have shown that taking bovine colostrum by mouth can increase the
body’s IGF-I levels (Antonio 1998).
IGF-I can also stimulate the growth and repair of
DNA and RNA, the two most important ingredients in a cell (Francis 1988). DNA
contains all our encoded genetic information, and RNA controls how we
synthesize protein.
Bovine colostrum is the only natural source for
IGF-I. IGF-I accelerates our healing process, balances our blood
glucose and reduces the need for insulin, increases muscle mass and
strength, and assists in bone growth and repair. In
addition, IGF-I is capable of increasing T-cell production. And
T-cells, the ones that help control our immune reactions, also release
cytokines.
Cytokines
The benefits of using cytokines for the treatment
of cancer were first made known by the book titled Quiet Strides in
the War on Cancer, written by Steven Rosenberg in 1985. Since then, it
has been popular that the cytokines found in colostrum have been one
of the most researched protocols in the cure for cancer. Cytokines act
as anti-inflammatories and help boost the production of other
immunoglobulins(Goldman 1986;Hayashida 1994). As we grow older, however, our cytokine production is
reduced by a significant extent. It also seems that cytokines might
be responsible for regulating our immunological and metabolic
responses (Playford 2005;Zimecki 2005).
Thus, as we age, we produce, and have access to,
less of the essential substances that we need to maintain our health.
It is estimated that colostrum triggers at least fifty processes in
breast-fed infants. In adulthood, we should try to maintain that same
level of nutrition through whole-food nutrition and dietary
supplements. For this, colostrum is the natural choice.
The Importance of a Healthy Digestive Environment
The digestive tract is the source of a vast
majority of our body’simmunity. As infants take colostrum from the
mothers’ breasts, the cells of the digestive organ begin to develop. Too often, we forget the relationship between what we eat
and how the food is processed. If the cells and organs are not
healthy, then even the best diet will be of no benefit. Simply stated,
if our intestine is unusually permeable, then bacteria, viruses and
other toxins may enter the bloodstream. This can lead to inflammation,
food allergies, and a malabsorption of minerals. Some of the more
common culprits causing a leaky gut include the use of non-steroidal
anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), antibiotics, birth control pills,
caffeine, and alcohol. The result of a leaky gut is a compromised
immune system (Deitch 1990).
Research has shown that colostrum can help
maintain a healthy digestive environment and can prevent the
development of a leaky gut. Moreover, the growth factors in colostrum
play a key role by keeping the intestinal mucosa sealed and
impermeable to toxins. Colostrum has been shown to prevent
gastrointestinal tract injury caused by NSAIDs. It has been shown to
provide the ingredients we need to help with nutrient absorption. In
essence, colostrum’s anti-inflammatory factors help repair the
damaged intestinal walls (Playford 1999).
Colostrum’s Future Impact
Research now underway is expected to yield even
more concrete data about the impact colostrum has on our lives. Just a
partial list of the ways bovine colostrum can potentially help us
achieve and maintain optimum health and slow the aging process
includes:
-
Rheumatoid Arthritis – because
colostrum can reduce inflammation.
-
Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis –
because colostrum helps to build bone density.
-
Transplantation - immunoglobulins in
colostrum could help reduce infection with fungus and bacteria.
-
Cancer Fighters - the cytokines in
colostrum include the powerful interleukins.
-
Slowing of HIV - colostrum can reduce
the infectious pathogens that cause related conditions.
-
Reduction in Obesity – colostrum can
help the body better utilize the food it eats.
-
Effects of Aging – colostrum cream
can moisturize and even repair skin (via epithelial growth factor)
to help reduce the effects and appearance of aging.
Conclusion
Bovine colostrum is one of nature’s greatest
miracles. Its nutritional properties alone are of tremendous value to
us. The highly beneficial immune and growth factors present in bovine
colostrum offer considerable possibilities for the prevention and
recovery of illnesses and disease. Colostrum also offers doctors,
researchers, and the general population great hope in the quest for
treatments that will help reverse the aging process.
*AARP poll reported in Time, 7 June 1999.
†United States Census Bureau Statistical Brief by Economics
and Statistics Administration, US Department of Commerce, May 1995.
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