In the past month or two I have seen so many ads for ARMRA colostrum, followed by some other brands as well. At first glanced I noticed the price tag of ARMRA-at $110 for 4.3 ounces-what's in this stuff that credits a price tag like that? Is it worth it?
Let's break it down. Colostrum is produced by mammals for the birth of their offspring-it provides their young with antibodies and nutrition for the first couple of days of their life until the mother's milk production shifts to the milk it will produce for the remainder of production time. So these companies are harvesting the bovine (cow) colostrum that's being produced in the first 24-72 hours after a calves birth-then turning it into powder form for humans to ingest with their smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, etc.
Why though? Bovine colostrum contains lactoferrin, lymphokines, cytokines, leukocytes, colostrinin, growth factors, immunoglobulins, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes and inhibitors, and oligosaccharides. These provide bioactive and nutritional benefits such as:
Does research support this? One study I found looked at significant changes in people who ingested bovine colostrum over 12 weeks compared to those that didn't. It concluded that bovine colostrum could improve immune function, have an anti-inflammatory effect, and improve the aging process through positive impacts on the metabolic system.
Another study I found detailed significant health improvements from bovine colostrum however the study received funding from a colostrum production company and one of the investigators was an employee of this company therefore there's a significant conflict of interest in the results of the research.
The risks seem low associated with taking bovine colostrum-as with any animal product you run the risks of coming into contact with agents from that animal however there are no known cases of sickness associated with taking bovine colostrum at the moment.
ARMRA claims that there are over 5,000 published studies on the benefits of colostrum yet a lot of what I read claimed it lacks significant evidence proving its benefits. Keep that in mind.
In summary, the idea behind bovine colostrum and potential benefits are there. If you're interested in trying it-monitor yourself and see if you can tell a difference in the way you feel. As always I don't think this is anything anyone is in dire need of-you can still be really successful in your wellness routine without colostrum.
