The Center for Nutritional Research has a very informative artcle on Bovine Colostrum and its ability to help boost the immune system and prevent swine flu (DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been approved by the FDA).
Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mother following the birth of a child. It is loaded with all sorts of immune and growth factors that in the baby help condition the gastrointestinal tract and give it the immune protection it needs until its own immune system is up and running. In the adult, colostrum helps heal the gut, which is crucial to our health and well-being. Many, perhaps most, diseases and illnesses enter out bodies through the gut. They are able to do this because of the damage we do to the gut lining by things like drinking alcohol, coffee and sodas, smoking, taking NSAIDs and aspirin for pain, poor diet and the like. Our gut lining is also damaged by environmental toxins in the water we drink and the food we eat. A healthy gut lining keeps out toxins and disease-causing organisms, but a damaged gut lining can allow these through due to increased permeability.
Colostrum has been proven to heal these injuries and restore the permeability back to where it should be. It promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria while killing harmful bacteria, like H. pylori (a major cause of ulcers) and fungus, like Candida. The immune components of colostrum also helps protect us against pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Taking colostrum regularly as a nutritional supplement keeps us healthy and prevents colds and flu before they can take root. “
To read the entire article, click HERE.
Our family has been taking bovine colostrum daily in order to optimally support our immune systems (along with not eating sugar/grains). It can be purchases online or in a health food store. My kids don’t LOVE it, but two-year old will down a whole capsule with a spoonful of coconut oil and a splash of raw honey). My four-year-old will drink it mixed into a smoothie or green drink. If you’re really fortunate, you can find a farm that will sell you real live colostrum! We’ve gotten that before from our goat farm, and then cultured it—talk about a superfood!
For those of you who love to read scientific studies (or if you don’t believe me), you can find A LOT of studies (I stopped counting after 38; and I wasn’t even halfway down the page) HERE.
Stay safe and healthy!
My dairy farmer occasionally has live colostrum. I’m wondering if I should try that for our skin problems (two with eczema, one with fungus, one with persistent but negligible acne). Our diet is helping a lot but there is just a little annoying leftover problem that tells me things aren’t quite right yet.
How do you culture it? Do you make a yogurt or something? What is the flavor like? Would it make a reasonable creme fraiche do you think?
Peggy,
I think it could be really helpful for your issues that you’re talking about (assuming there are no known dairy allergies). Live colostrum is great if you can get it; it’s very creamy and I just culture it with fil mjolk or kefir grains. I am not brave enough to actually drink it straight, so I blend it with berries for a smoothie.
Otherwise, you could always take the dehydrated colostrum capsules, available at Health Food Stores. That’s what we’ve been taking and so far my daughter, the only one who’s real finicky about taking her capsules, is the only one who’s caught the “runny nose” bug (and even still, it’s not that bad; I guess the fact that she takes it 50% of the time is keeping further illness at bay, hopefully!)
I am assuming that if you (I) have an severe dairy allergy, this would be out. I cannot do any type of milk, raw or otherwise. In fact, I tried that for a long time to no avail
Julie,
This is probably a correct assumption, although there is some possibility that colostrum could play a healing role in the gut, which would actually enable your body to tolerate milk. I’m assuming you have a casein allergy or a lactose intolerance. The latter could be resolved by taking the enzyme lactase, and the former is much more difficult to reverse.
I did find a casein free colostrum on the market, although it contains some sucralose which I am not really fond of: http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/ViewProductDetails@Product_ID@59@Product_Group_ID@1.aspx
I actually have a real allergy. Tested by a ND, via ALCAT and it came up as severe. I get short of breath whenever I have dairy. Although, for years, I consumed dairy. I think it was when I contracted Lyme disease that my tolerance to many foods went in the toilet…literally! Lyme tore me up and it has been a loooong road.
i also have lactose intolerance that is why i always avoid dairy products.:”,