Cow’s milk is making a comeback in the form of “bovine colostrum.”
While traditional milk has been declining in favor of dairy alternatives such as oat and almond, “bovine colostrum” – also known as “liquid gold” – is being praised by a battalion of health buffs, including famous fitfluencers. ” like Kourtney Kardashian Barker and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Also known as “premilk,” the thick, sticky liquid is produced by mother cows to help the newborn calf get through the critical first three days of life.
All female mammals after giving birth, including humans, produce colostrum and it is packed with nutrients and antibodies to develop the newborn’s immune system.
But not only newborns can benefit. Studies have shown that this early form of cow’s milk can boost the immune system of athletes during intensive physical training.
Carolyn Williams, a registered dietitian and culinary nutrition expert based in Alabama, told DailyMail.com that she is a big fan of the supplement, which sells in powder form for more than $50 a bottle, and that she takes it daily.
She says that in addition to improving strength, “studies suggest that taking colostrum supplements can improve gut health, reduce inflammation, boost immune function, reduce the risk of getting the flu and upper respiratory infections, and relieve symptoms.” stomach and digestive problems.
The nutrition expert is such a fan of the “magic” powder that she even tries to introduce it into her children’s drinks.
“I love the potential benefits for overall gut and immune health, especially at this time of year when you’re more likely to get sick,” adds Ms. Williams.
“Bovine colostrum,” also known as “liquid gold,” is praised by a battalion of health buffs, including celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow.
While it has long been stocked in specialty health food stores, bovine colostrum is now packaged for the mass market and TikTok is flooded with users praising it.
Packaged bovine colostrum comes in powder form to mix with drinks and the recommended dosage is four 1-gram servings per day.
Sarah Rahal, a pediatric neurologist and the brains behind Armra, a wellness company that sells the product, said Goop commissioned its own research into its bovine colostrum offering, “which revealed compelling results.”
She said: “In just three months of taking two tablespoons a day, 86 percent of participants in our study reported feeling relief with bloating, and between 80 and 87 percent reported feeling an improvement in muscle development, resistance and recovery.
The doctor-turned-entrepreneur highlighted that colostrum has been sold on the black market for decades because it is well known among elite athletes for its growth factors and peptides, which are exceptional for accelerating lean muscle building and recovery and repair. of tissues after intense exercise. ‘
Bovine colostrum is not prohibited in the world of sport but the World Anti-Doping Agency advises against its consumption because it contains “elevated” levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and other growth factors that could influence the result of a doping test.
Ms. Rahal says she began researching the benefits of bovine colostrum after suffering her own severe intestinal problems that led her to abandon her own medical practice in New York.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site Goop promotes ‘Armra’ as one of the recommended brands of bovine colostrum
Only when the needs of the newborn calves are met is the surplus collected for supplements.
When she was researching bovine colostrum, dietitian Ms Williams told this website that one of her concerns was that newborn calves would “run out of their liquid gold”.
But after consulting Dr. Keri Marshall, an experienced healthcare provider and epidemiologist, her “mind was put at ease.”
According to North Carolina-based Dr. Marshall, only once the newborn calves’ needs are met is additional colostrum collected for supplementation. Mother cows generally produce colostrum for about 72 hours.
Ms Rahal also points out that “calves can only consume about 50 per cent of the colostrum that is produced (and) the rest is considered a waste product in the dairy industry.”
His company purchases surplus bovine colostrum from “grass-fed cows on family dairy farms” across the United States.
He adds: “We don’t do that just because it’s nice to say on the box: I put Armra colostrum in my body every day, I trust it.”
‘The product I use for myself is what I make available to my customers in my business.
‘I care deeply about the… animal that colostrum comes from, because healthy animals in a healthy environment produce healthy food.
‘That is one of our principles. And it’s all recycled – this is a question we get a lot. Unlike humans, cows overproduce colostrum.’
Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s lifestyle website, Poosh, also recommends bovine colostrum.
It describes the product as a “total nutrition food (that) is easy to mix with water, juice or anything cold.”
Dr. Rahal says noticeable results usually appear after “four to six weeks of consistent daily use.”
Even though bovine colostrum has become a hot wellness trend, some experts have warned against it.
Registered dietitian Beth Czerwony told the Cleveland Clinic that possible side effects may include gastrointestinal problems such as nausea and gas.
He also points out that supplements like bovine colostrum are not regulated by the FDA, so it’s difficult to know if you’re getting what’s advertised on a supplement’s packaging.
There has also been some concern about the growth hormone IGF-1 in bovine colostrum and whether it may cause certain diseases such as breast cancer or prostate cancer.
And since bovine colostrum comes from animals, there has been some concern about contamination with diseased animal parts.
But WebMD notes that so far there are no reports of humans contracting diseases from bovine colostrum.
Nutrient-rich milk is typically collected and frozen at individual farms and shipped frozen to central processing facilities.
It is then subjected to pasteurization, optional defatting and delactose removal, before being freeze-dried or pulverized into a powder.
Experts at Baylor Scott & White Health reveal that bovine colostrum is high in saturated fat and if not removed and “consumed in excess, it can possibly increase cholesterol and the risk of developing heart disease.”
In light of these factors, Ms. Czerwony concludes: “It’s like the Wild West: people take what they want.”
‘We don’t know how much to take or for how long. Does it take four to six weeks to show any benefit? Are you going to see her in two weeks?
“You are at your own risk when trying this supplement.”