Anti-Inflammatory
Inflammatory conditions are a major source of pain, including arthritis, colitis and other similar conditions. Colostrum has anti-inflammatory activity which can reduce inflammation, thus helping reduce the pain due to these conditions.
Colostrum has anti-inflammatory activity
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) receptors in colostrum bind TNF-α, a cytokine which controls the inflammatory cytokine cascade, effectively turning off inflammation at its source
Colostrum also contains interleukin-1ra (IL-1ra), the IL-1 receptor protein, which also acts to inactivate the inflammatory activity of IL-1
Colostrum has been shown to be beneficial to chronic inflammatory diseases, such as various forms of arthritis and Crohn’s disease, which have been linked to gut inflammation
Lactoferrin has strong antioxidant characteristics which take place by two separate mechanisms: binding catalytic iron generated during cell destruction; and binding bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which causes a decrease in LPS bioactivity, such as increasing neutrophil O2 production
Lactoferrin also inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines
PRP also acts as an oxidative stress regulator
Allergy Relief
Allergies in humans are the result of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) production by the body in response to a foreign protein to which the body has become sensitized. Colostrum can help desensitize the body to allergens by helping to suppress IgE expression.
Colostrum contains antibodies against allergens of clinical importance to humans
Colostrum contains IgE binding factors which suppress IgE expression (IgE is the immunoglobulin involved in allergic reactions) and act to prevent or inhibit allergic reactions
Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Disorders
As the number of senior citizens increases with improved health care and longer life expectancy, the effects of Alzheimer’s disease will continue to take a toll on our health system and our senior citizens. Colostrum contains components which have been shown to benefit those suffering from this debilitating condition.
Of 15 Alzheimer’s patients receiving PRP in a clinical trial, 8 showed clinical improvement and the rest stabilized, whereas of those receiving selenium or a placebo, none showed improvement
Phosphatidylserine, has been shown to be of benefit when given to patients suffering from Alzheimer’s or senile dementia
Antioxidants and Anti-aging
Are antioxidants the fountain of youth? That question remains debatable, but it is known that oxidative stress and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), by-products of normal metabolism which build up in the body, can cause widespread damage and increase the aging process. Colostrum contains antioxidants and the precursors to glutathione (the most powerful antioxidant known) which help clean up these pollutants from the body and reverse the damage they do to the body.
Oxidation by-products of metabolism cause extensive damage to DNA, proteins and lipids, which ultimately results in aging, cancer and other degenerative diseases
Chronic oxidative stress can accelerate cell senescence in human endothelial cells
Colostrum is rich in antioxidants, including glutathione, the most powerful antioxidant known, and its precursors
Colostrum reduces ferricytochrome C and suppresses myeloperoxidase and lysozyme activity in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), activities which are important in the mediation of acute inflammation
PRP turns down lipid peroxidation, reducing the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells
Lactoferrin acts as an antioxidant in the gut
Arthritis
There are numerous forms of arthritis, from osteoarthritis to autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis which arise from many different causes. The common denominator between all the different forms of arthritis, however, is an inflammation of the joints which causes extreme pain and deformation of the joint structure. Colostrum is a powerful anti-inflammatory compound which can significantly benefit arthritis sufferers, and it can help heal inflammation of the gut which has been linked to some forms of arthritis.
Some forms of arthritis and arthritic conditions have been linked to increased intestinal permeability, which colostrum helps heal
Colostrum or its components have been used to treat forms of arthritis which manifest an inflamed gut
Asthma
Colostrum has been shown to help asthma sufferers as it tones down the allergic response which brings on the asthma attacks.
Lactoferrin inhibits tryptase, an enzyme secreted by mast cells and implicated as a potential causative agent of asthma, and when given to allergic sheep which serve as an animal model of asthma, abolished late-phase bronchoconstriction
Athletic Performance
Colostrum is well-known in the athletic community as a means to increase lean body mass without the dangerous side effects found in steroids. It also helps keep the athlete healthy by accelerating the healing of athletic injuries and boosting the immune system, which becomes depressed after extreme exercise.
Colostrum supplementation produces a significant increase in lean body mass compared to whey
Colostrum supplementation increases anaerobic power, performance time, and sprint performance when compared to whey
Athletes have increased susceptibility to infectious diseases following strenuous exercise, and colostrum boosts immunity, helps heal leaky gut syndrome and decreases recovery time in athletes
Marathon runners, who experience a significantly higher incidence or upper respiratory tract infections (URI) in the weeks leading up to and following a marathon, had a much lower rate of URI when receiving colostrum supplementation as compared to placebo
Colostrum contains numerous growth factors and cytokines which accelerate the healing of athletic injuries, including tendon, ligament and muscle injuries
When given colostrum, serum IGF-1 levels increase even though the ingested IGF-1 in colostrum is not absorbed and supplementation with colostrum does not produce positive results for IGF-1 in drug tests
IGF-1 when taken in its natural form is not banned by the International Olympic Committee, whereas synthetic forms are. Colostrum is a natural source of IGF-1.
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are the result of an overactive immune system which begins to produce antibodies to the body’s own proteins. PRP, a unique substance found only in colostrum, has the ability to tone down the overactive immune system to normal levels. Colostrum also contains components which can alleviate the symptoms found in various autoimmune disorders, particularly those with inflammation of some body organ.
Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease respond to the anti-inflammatory components of colostrum.
PRP has therapeutic value in treating autoimmune diseases through its immunomodulatory effects and may be able to stimulate the formation of specific suppressor cells which inhibit the development of these diseases
A clinical study showed that patients with multiple sclerosis who received anti-measles bovine colostrum showed significant improvement in their condition versus those who received non-anti-measles colostrum.
Cancer
Animal studies have been suggestive that lactoferrin, one of the principal proteins found in colostrum, may help prevent or shrink cancers. Colostrum also contains milk fats which have been shown to be anticarcinogenic.
Lactoferrin prevents colon, bladder, tongue, esophagus and lung cancers and lung metastasis in animal models. The underlying mechanisms are under study but appear to be related to lactoferrin’s ability to boost immune system function
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and other fats found in colostrum and milk have also been shown to anticarcinogenic properties
Detoxification
Traditionally, what detoxification means to most people is taking a powerful herbal concoction which causes the body to dump fluids, thus flushing the system of impurities and toxins. From the point of view of colostrum, however, this is a limited and potentially dangerous concept of detoxification that puts unneeded stress on the body and can do more harm than good. Colostrum detoxifies the body beginning in the gastrointestinal tract in a much healthier and efficacious manner. Colostrum inhibits or destroys harmful pathogens which can colonize the gut and cause major health problems, such as Helicobacter pylori, the main cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers, Candida albicans, a fungus which can overgrow the intestines, forcing out beneficial bacteria, and many others, while promoting the growth of beneficial bacterial colonies. Colostrum also acts to heal the damage to the intestinal lining caused by the pathogens and toxins which can accumulate there. This prevents pathogens and toxins from entering the body and restores normal gut functioning. Colostrum also helps protect and heal both the liver and the pancreas from the effects of toxins in the body by helping to remove dangerous toxins and by stimulating these organs to replace damaged tissue.
Colostrum kills H. pylori, a major cause of gastritis and ulcers
Bovine colostrum eradicates many dangerous pathogens from the bowel and heals intestinal erosions and ulcerations
Colostrum protects the gut from infection
Lactoferrin inhibits the growth of Candida albicans and harmful bacteria
Supplementation with colostrum can protect the liver from the toxic effects of hepatitis, cirrhosis, toxic liver cell damage, fibrosis of the liver, inflammation of the liver, fatty liver, and other liver diseases by removing excess toxic protein metabolites, such as ammonia, formed from the breakdown of liver cells, enabling the liver to improve its ability to detoxify these substances on its own. In addition, colostrum supplementation helps prevent portal hypertension, which can have drastic neurological effects
IGF-1 and IGF-II, both found in colostrum, can be given orally to prevent and treat pancreatic disorders as well as to promote pancreatic growth in cases of pancreatic insufficiency, cystic fibrosis or partial removal of the pancreas
Diabetes
IGF-1, a growth factor which closely resembles insulin, has been shown to help prevent diabetes in those susceptible to developing it. IGF-1 is present in colostrum in large quantities.
Autoimmune diabetes (type I diabetes) has been linked to leaky gut and an overactive gut immune system
IGF-1 stimulates glucose transport in skeletal muscle but not in obesity or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
IGF-1 delays the clinical onset of diabetes, reduces the occurrence of beta cell destruction, and reduces the likelihood of the occurrence of clinical diabetes when administered to those at risk of developing type I diabetes. Combining the IGF-1 with IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) has been found to be even more effective
Diabetic autonomic neuropathy, a condition found in diabetics in which nerve cells of the autonomic nervous system die, may be ameliorated by IGF-1, which has a neuroprotective effect that prevents damage to neurons from the high glucose levels in the blood that are associated with poorly controlled diabetes
Heart Health
An increasingly large body of evidence shows that dairy products in general, and colostrum in particular, are excellent heart health foods, particularly for those with high blood pressure.
Insulin and IGF-I (both found in colostrum) relax coronary arteries, which decreases the blood pressure in the coronary arteries
Proteins and peptides as well as other substances found in colostrum and milk help lower blood pressure, especially when consumed with a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet
Pain Management
Chronic, severe pain which cannot be related to any specific injury or disease process in the body is becoming increasingly common, and the management of such pain has proven elusive. Good results, however, have been gained by using immunoglobulin concentrated from bovine colostrum and given intravenously, though the exact mechanism of why this treatment works is as yet unknown.
Immunoglobulins pooled from bovine colostrum have been used intravenously for the treatment of chronic pain without anatomical correlate
Skin Health and Wound Healing
Colostrum is a natural for good skin health. It contains all that is needed to maintain healthy skin and reduce wrinkles. It helps maintain skin health both from the inside, by healing leaky gut syndrome and through its antioxidant effect, and externally by healing skin inflammation and stimulating cell growth.
Colostrum helps heal leaky gut syndrome, an abnormal condition which allows unwanted pathogens and toxins into the body, which then may cause skin eruptions as the body attempts to remove them
Lactoferrin’s role as an antioxidant helps clean up free radicals which can cause skin aging changes
Lactoferrin applied topically can inhibit local inflammatory responses in the skin by regulating the expression of TNF-α
Growth factors found in colostrum, such as epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), help maintain healthy skin by replacing damaged tissue and can accelerate wound healing, while a lack of IGF-1 retards wound healing
Skin becomes thin with aging due to a reduction in growth factors with age; IGF-1 supplementation can help restore skin thickness
Ceramide, the predominant lipid in the skin and a metabolite of sphingomyelin, one of the phospholipids found in colostrum , is important for both water retention and permeability barrier function; decreased levels of ceramide are associated with dermatitis and dry skin conditions
Sphingosines, which are also metabolites of sphingomyelin, also are important in maintaining the barrier function of the skin against pathogens, including bacteria and fungi, and can even be used as topical antiseptics
