BOVINE COLOSTRUM

Other Names: Bovine Colostrum, Bovine Immunoglobulin, Bovine Lacteal Compounds, Calostro, Colostrum Bovin, Colostrum Bovin Hyperimmune, Colostrum de Chèvre, Colostrum de Lait de Vache, Cow Milk Colostrum, Goat Colostrum, Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum, Immunoglobuline Bovine, Lait Colostral, Protogala.

Description: Bovine colostrum is the premilk fluid produced from mammary glands during the first 2 to 4 days after birth. It is a rich natural source of nutrients, antibodies, and growth factors for the newborn. It has been used similarly to antisera and human Ig preparations as vaccine against diarrhea.

Uses

Possibly Effective for:

Infectious diarrhea. Taking bovine colostrum seems to reduce infectious diarrhea in children and people with a weakened immune system, including those with HIV/AIDS and bone marrow transplant recipients. Most clinical trials have used hyperimmune bovine colostrum. Hyperimmune bovine colostrum has FDA orphan drug status for AIDS-related diarrhea. However, some research suggests that taking hyperimmune bovine colostrum by mouth does not improve symptoms of infectious diarrhea caused by Shigella bacteria.

Warnings

See Side Effects section.

Side Effects

Bovine colostrum seems to be LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken appropriately by mouth. When it is given rectally as an enema it seems to be POSSIBLY SAFE for most people. While most people don’t experience any side effects from bovine colostrum, there have been rare reports of problems in HIV-positive people such as nausea, vomiting, abnormal liver function tests, and decreased red blood cells.

There is some concern about the possibility of catching “mad cow disease” (bovine spongiform encephalitis, BSE) or other diseases from products that come from animals. “Mad cow disease” does not appear to be transmitted through milk products, but it is probably wise to avoid animal products from countries where “mad cow disease” has been found.

Precautions

Precautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking bovine colostrum if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Allergy to cow’s milk: If you are allergic to cow’s milk or milk products, you may also be allergic to bovine colostrum. In that case, it is best to avoid it.

Overdose & Brands

Overdose

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH: For infectious diarrhea: 10-20 grams of colostrum daily for 10 days.