Can
children take colostrum?
Absolutely.
Colostrum can help growing children in many ways, from better
concentration, increased memory plus children have a higher tendency to
catch colds and illness from other schoolmates and colostrum will help
immensely.
Can I take
colostrum with other supplements and medications?
Colostrum
actually helps your body and works to regulate your body's absorption
rates. Colostrum heals the digestive tract so well that all substances
eaten internally (food, herbs, natural healing substances, and
medications) will become more bioavailability to the body. Although
colostrum has no known drug interactions, you may find that the other
supplements and medications that you are taking could have a more
pronounced effect.
Do the
immunoglobulins and growth factors in colostrum survive
pasteurisation?
Tests have been
carried out on colostrum (which is flash pasteurised at 72C for 15
seconds) show that the colostrum retains its bioactivity during this
process.
How Does
Colostrum Differ From Plain Milk?
Colostrum not
only contains all the goodness of milk but also contains significant
levels of growth promoting and disease fighting substances commonly
referred to as growth factors, immune factors and immunoglobulins. These
substances are also present in milk but at negligible levels. Further,
colostrum has a much higher protein, vitamin, mineral content and is lower
in lactose.
How does
colostrum interact with other medicines and
supplements?
Colostrum
actually helps your body and works to regulate your body's absorption
rates. In effect you will be getting more bang for your buck with
everything you consume whether its water, supplements and food. You will
be getting greater benefits since your body will be able to utilize them
more. You may even find that you don't need to take as much as normal
since your body is able to absorb all the nutrients. No known
contraindications with colostrum use with medications or supplements.
Colostrum is a food.
How does
colostrum produce the anti-aging results?
Colostrum works
with your body to utilize its natural substances and increases your
overall health. After puberty our body begins slowing down the production
of growth hormones. These hormones are necessary for the reproduction of
virtually all of our body cellular tissue. It has been shown that by age
80 we are producing virtually no growth hormones, and so we age and die.
Colostrums growth factors are the actual hormones that stimulate the
normal reproduction of body cellular tissue. Normal reproduction means
just that (normal) not aged, cancerous, wrinkled, or weakened. The New
England Journal of Medicine (a few years back) stated that the most
effective anti-aging process would be simply the replacement of growth
hormones at proper levels to slow, possibly stop and even reverse the
aging processes.
How Does
Colostrum Work?
The main function
in the newborn is in the form of transfer of passive immunity from the
mother to the child. The mother has been exposed to a variety of
environmental factors and organisms to which her immune system has
produced antibodies during her lifetime. In transfer of passive immunity
the mother passes on her complement of antibodies to these various factors
onto her offspring. In humans and apes the mother passively immunises her
young in utero by passage of antibodies through the placenta. In animals
where maternal antibodies do not pass the placental barrier (horses,
cattle, pigs, and sheep) the young are passively immunised immediately
after birth by way of colostrum. In these species the maternal antibodies
present in the colostrum are absorbed directly through the gut in the
first few days following birth.
How much
colostrum should I take?
The amount of
colostrum you take varies from person to person. The label suggests 2 to 3
capsules twice daily, but if your recovering from an injury you may want
to start off taking more than this. Also, if you feel a cold or flu coming
on you may want to up your dosage to help you recover quicker and relieve
your symptoms.
I am
vegetarian and I do not eat animal food.
Colostrum is
neither animal nor vegetable. We take very good care of our cattle and
make sure they are healthy and live a long happy life. Mother Nature
produced colostrum for every mammal on Earth and it is by far the
healthiest choice. With that said, the choice is completely
yours.
I don't
want to take colostrum away from the baby calf's that need
it!
Don't worry, we
don't deprive calves of their colostrum. Calves need it as much as any
mammal and many calves would die without it. We make sure the calves get
their fill first and then we take the remainder.
Is Bovine
Colostrum Safe?
Bovine colostrums
have been used for years as a food supplement, its use and safety is well
documented. Colostrum is completely safe; it has no negative side effects
and is a whole and natural food that can be consumed in ANY quantity.
There are absolutely no toxicity levels. Further the manufacture and use
of dairy products, and their associated safety and nutritional benefits is
also well known. Through quality control management of the entire
manufacturing process, from collection of the colostrum, through to
packaging and storage, ensures the colostrum is delivered in perfect
condition, certified to be fit for human consumption.
Should
Colostrum be pasteurised?
Absolutely! Cow
manure can easily splash onto the udders contaminating them with E-coli,
salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria. This creates the potential for
contamination of dairy products.
Dairy products (for
human consumption) must be pasteurised to kill these pathogens. There are
two ways of pasteurising colostrum - the optimal flash (15 second)
pasteurisation and a slow 30-minute vat process. Flash pasteurisation uses
the expensive, high-tech equipment found in the modern dairy that does not
denature the colostrum. With the less expensive, 30-minute pasteurisation
process, a huge vat of colostrum is heated from the outside. It takes a
long time to heat a large kettle of colostrum to the required temperature.
During this interval, bacteria grow in the colostrum.
As the bacteria feed
upon the colostrum, it denatures and destroys its effectiveness. Most
colostrum that is being sold to the public today has been prepared for the
animal feed market and has not been pasteurised. Colostrum is pasteurised
to the most demanding of International Standards - 72°C for 15 seconds -
to ensure the highest microbiological quality.
Should I be
taking colostrum if I am pregnant?
Colostrum
definitely wont hurt you or your fetus, but as always with anything you
take during pregnancy you should check with your health care professional
first.. Colostrum will help to supplement your immune system which suffers
during child birth, it will help you recover faster and it will also help
you to lose those extra pounds quicker associated with pregnancy.
What about my
pets? Can they benefit from colostrum?
Yes! As a matter
of fact, most pets love colostrum. Bovine colostrum is not species
specific, dogs and cats will gain many health benefits from colostrum.
What are
Antibodies?
Antibodies are
very specialized molecules that are produced by the body's immune system.
They are produced in response to the host being exposed to an immunogenic
or foreign substance (antigen) such as an infectious microbe. There action
is to ward off and or neutralise potentially disease-causing agents. A
very important feature of antibodies is that are directed specifically to
their antigen that induced their formation.
What are
growth factors?
Growth factors
are very small bio-active molecules which promote growth and maturation of
various cell types and tissues. They are found in very high concentrations
in colostrum. They not only stimulate normal growth and development but
also help regenerate and accelerate the repair of aged or injured muscle,
skin, bone, cartilage and nerve tissues. Growth factors also stimulate the
body to burn fat for fuel instead of muscle tissue in times of fasting or
dieting. They also help build lean muscle and have been shown to have a
positive effect on athletic performance.
What are
Immune Factors?
In addition to
immunoglobulins there are other substances in colostrum that have an
immune function. Collectively they have been termed "Immune Factors".
Their function is to complement the various functions associated with the
immune response
What are
Immunoglobulins?
The
immunoglobulins are a group of specialised bio-active proteins or
molecules found in serum and other tissue fluids, including the milk of
all mammals. There are five classes of immunoglobulin that are recognised
in mammals Immunoglobulin G (IgG), Immunoglobulin A (IgA), Immunoglobulin
M (IgM), Immunoglobulin E (IgE), and Immunoglobulin D (IgD). The function
of these molecules is to bind to invading organisms and to activate
specific actions that help prevent to prevent infection and to rid the
body of disease causing agents. They function in cell killing,
inflammation and prevention of bacterial and viral attachment. The most
prevalent class of immunoglobulin in all species is IgG. Immunoglobulins
have an integral role in the immune defence system in that they form
antibodies.
What if
I'm a sports person?
Sports people's
bodies need optimum nutrition and they frequently injure themselves when
playing so colostrum is vital, both for optimum and faster rates of
healing after injury.
What if
I'm lactose intolerant?
The amount of
lactose in colostrum is scant - 163 mg. in a scoop compared to
13,000 mg. in one 8-oz of milk. Any discomfort would more likely be a sign
that colostrum is healing the digestive tract.
What if
I'm over weight?
Colostrum is
great for making the body work more effectively, which makes weight loss
easier.
What is
Immuno-Supplementation?
Local protection
in the form of immuno-supplementation with bovine antibodies has been
shown to be an effective means of providing local protection to the
gastrointestinal tract against disease.
Bovine immunoglobulin
in the form of antibodies, both specific and non-specific, has been shown
to be effective against various diseases. In trials it has been
successfully shown that specific antibodies in bovine milk are effective
against both enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli,
cryptosporidium, rotavirus, and Shigella flexneri.
What is
Passive Immunity?
In all species of
mammals the transfer of passive immunity occurs where the mother passes on
her complement of antibodies to her young. In the case of the newborn this
helps in protecting the young against potentially pathogen agents until
the time it's own immune system is sufficiently developed to ward of
infection on it's own.
What is
Passive Local Protection?
In humans passive
transmission of immunity occurs prior to birth and thus a newborn human
baby at birth is born with a complement of maternal antibodies. After
birth the antibodies present in human colostrum and milk function in local
protection of the gut. In animals like the horse, cow, sheep, and goat
passive transmission of maternal antibodies occurs in the first 20-48
hours following birth by way of colostrum. During this time the newborn
animal absorbs intact maternal antibodies present in the colostrum
directly through the digestive tract. After the first few days the
animal's digestive tract matures (gut closure) and the direct adsorption
of intact antibody ceases. At this point any antibodies present in the
colostrum and milk act in local protection of the gastrointestinal (GI)
tract.
What is
the Adaptive Immune System?
The adaptive
immune system produces a specific response in response to an infective
agent. This specific response is in the form of antibodies, which are
produced to neutralize the invading agent.
A very important
feature of the adaptive immune system is that it involves memory, in that
gives rise to resistance to repeated exposure or infection by the same
invading agent. The importance of this memory factor is seen in childhood
diseases such as Chicken Pox, Measles, and Mumps in which the adaptive
immune system produces a life-long immunity following infection.
What is
the Immune System?
The immune system
is a natural defence mechanism by which the body fights infection. It is
divided into two functional systems, the innate and adaptive immune
systems.
What is
the Innate Immune System?
This is the first
line of defence by which the host combats infectious agents and pathogenic
microbes. This is non-specific response, which proves effective against
most infective agents. The skin is part of the innate immune system as it
acts as a preventive barrier to most infective agents.
When is
colostrum collected?
The first
colostrum collected after birth is reserved for the newborn calf. New
Image colostrum is collected within first 36 hours.
Why
Bovine Colostrum?
Interestingly,
bovine colostrum is the only form of colostrum that is not species
specific. In other words, it contains all of the immune and growth factors
found in all other sources and thus it can significantly benefit all other
mammals, including humans of course.
Because calves are
born without any immunity to airborne, disease-causing organisms, their
mothers colostrum must contain a very large amount of immune and health
factors. As a result bovine colostrum has 10 - 21 times the factors of
human colostrum, making it the richest source of colostrum available.
Why Can't
I Get Colostrum From A Local Farmer?
You can. It needs
to be refrigerated and consumed before it spoils. Raw colostrum is not
pasteurised and contains immune factors from just one cow. This differs
from processed colostrum, which is concentrated and provides a broad base
of immune factors that have been pooled from hundreds and sometimes
thousands of cows.
Why do I
need colostrum, as an adult?
Once puberty has
passed, our bodies begin the aging process by gradually producing less of
the immune and growth factors that help us fight off disease and heal
damaged body tissue. Colostrum is the only natural source of these
life-giving components.
Why is
Colostrum Important?
Colostrum is the
first food that is available to the newborn. It is not only highly
nutritious but also contains substances (immunoglobulins and immune
factors) that help to stimulate and augment the newborns immune system
thus helping to protect the vulnerable newborn from it's new potentially
harmful environment (passive transmission of immunity). Further it
contains contains substances (growth factors and cytokines) which act to
stimulate the development, maturation and proliferation of various tissues
and organs.
The significance of
colostrum is best illustrated in farm animals, such as the horse, cow,
goat, sheep and pig. In these animals passive transmission of immunity
occurs after birth in the form of colostrum. If these animals do not
receive colostrum in the first 12 - 24 hours following birth they have a
very good chance of not surviving (mortality rates of up to 25% have been
reported).
Why is
Local Passive Protection Important?
The importance of
passive local protection is evidenced in the newborn calf where diarrhoea
and other enteric infections (scours) can prove fatal. It has been widely
accepted that the best source of nourishment for the infant mammal is
mother's milk. This has largely been attributed to not only the
nutritional benefits of mother's milk but also the presence of milk
immunoglobulins providing local passive protection of the GI tract.