Definition and History of Colostrum
Colostrum is the first mammary-secreted nourishment that any mammal, including man, gives its newborn for the first 24 to 48 hours of life. It contains numerous immune system compounds and growth factors. These substances trigger at least 50 processes in a newborn, ranging from the development of the immune system to the growth of all body cells. Laboratory analysis of immune and growth factors from bovine (cow) colostrum show that they are identical to those found in human colostrum. However, the levels of these health-promoting factors are significantly higher in the bovine version.
At one time, conventional medical doctors were enthusiastic about using colostrum as an antibiotic. This occurred prior to the introduction of sulfa drugs and penicillin. In the 1950’s, before the wide scale use of corticosteroids as anti-inflammatory agents, colostrum was used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Albert Sabin, developer of the polio vaccine, discovered that colostrum contained antibodies against polio; he recommended it for children susceptible to catching the disease. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic physicians have used bovine colostrum for medicinal purposes.
Colostrum Returns
In the past fifteen years, North American scientists and healthcare practitioners have rediscovered this natural, whole-food supplement. PROSymbiotics bovine colostrum is gaining popularity because of its many therapeutic and preventive uses for human health. This fact has not escaped the notice of drug manufactures: Pharmaceutical companies have tried to copy (genetically engineer), patent, and market several individual components of colostrums.
The two major types of compounds in colostrum are immune factors and growth factors.
Conventional medical specialists use well-known colostrum components-such as interferon, gamma globulin, growth hormone, Igf-1, and protease inhibitors—to treat cancer, chronic viral infections (including HIV), and autoimmune disease. Over 4,000 clinical studies from around the world describe research on the use of PROSymbiotics colostrum to treat dozens of different diseases.
Important Uses
Vitality: Completely healthy individuals can supplement with colostrum just to maintain their vitality and good health. Colostrum stimulates lean muscle growth and increases endurance. It also promotes the burning of excessive body fat. Colostrum helps reverse this and many other signs of aging.
Weight Loss: The body requires Igf-1 to metabolize fat for energy through the Krebs cycle. (The Krebs cycle is a major metabolic pathway. It produces about 90% of the body’s energy by oxidizing fatty acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates). With aging, the body produces less Igf-1. Insufficient levels of Igf-1 are associated with an increase risk of Type II diabetes and difficulty in losing weight. Colostrum provides a good source of Igf-1, thus promoting successful weight loss.
Immune function: Colostrum is an ideal supplement for athletes. Exhaustive workouts and athletic competition can temporarily depress the immune system, reducing the number of Tlymphocytes and NK cells. Athletes are therefore more vulnerable to infections, including chronic fatigue syndrome. Many of the immune-stimulating compounds in colostrum can help significantly reduce the frequency and severity of infections caused by both physical and emotional stress.
Viruses: Fighting viruses with conventional medical approaches is, at best, problematic. Standard vaccinations and antiviral drugs can cause significant side effects, including death. On the other hand, hundreds of studies indicate that colostrum is a safe and effective agent for both the prevention and treatment of common viral illnesses.
Heart disease: The growth factors in colostrum help regenerate heart muscle.
Cancer: The interferon and lymphokine components of colostrum fight cancer.
Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes can benefit from colostrums growth factors.
Practical Protection
Colostrum may well be the best practical protection available against autoimmune disease, cancer, and other incurable conditions. It is completely natural, free of side effects, and an excellent alternative to hundreds of drugs. If you are worried about vaccinations, AIDS, hepatitis, biological warfare, herpes, allergies, and chronic fatigue syndrome, colostrum is definitely worth your consideration.
Colostrum as Medicine
Colostrum benefits over 60 known immune and autoimmune diseases, including the following:
Aids
Bacterial Infections
Fibromyalgia
Allergies
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Multiple Sclerosis
Arthritis
Candidiasis
Parasites
Asthma
Crohn’s Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Depression
How much should you take?
For adults with serious immune-system diseases, clinicians usually prescribe 1,000 to 2,000 mgs twice daily of the dried, encapsulated form of colostrum. This is best taken on an empty stomach with eight to 12 ounces of water. Preventive doses have not been established, but several authors recommend continuous dosing at levels decided upon primarily by the consumer/patient. Those who show no clinical response to colostrum can safely double or even triple the dosage as needed until they experience the desired results.
Children can also take colostrum, but they require proportionately less. Herxheimer reactions ( Mainly flu-like symptoms) can occur as part of the healing response in up to 40 percent of the cases. However, these are usually mild and disappear with continued supplementation at the same dosage level.
Through centuries of use and over 1,000 clinical studies, colostrum has been demonstrated to be completely safe, without drug interactions or side effects at any level of ingestion.
Immune factors in colostrum
Immunoglobulins (A, D, C, G, and M): Neutralize toxins, viruses, and bacteria in the lymph and circulatory systems.
Lactoferrin: Antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, iron-binding protein with therapeutic effects in cancer, HIV, cytomegalovirus, herpes, chronic fatigue syndrome, Candida albicans, and other infections.
Proline-rich polypeptide (PRP): A hormone that regulates the thymus gland, stimulating an under-active immune system or subduing an overactive immune system. An overactive immune system has been implicated in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sclerderma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and allergies.
Leukocytes: White blood cells that stimulate the production of interferon, which slows viral reproduction and penetration of cell walls.
Enzymes: Lactoperoxidase-thiocyanate, peroxidase and xanthine oxidase destroy bacteria through their ability to release hydrogen peroxide.
Lysozyme: A hydrolyzing agent and immune system booster capable of destroying bacteria and viruses on contact.
Cytokines: Interleukins that regulate the duration and intensity of the immune response. They also control cell-to-cell- communication, and boost the activity of T-cells and the production of immunoglobulins. Interleukin-10 is strongly anti-inflammatory, especially in arthritic joints.
Trypsin inhibitors and protease inhibitors: Protect the immune and growth factors in colostrum from destruction in the GI tract. They also prevent the H, pylori bacterium from attaching to the walls of the stomach. Finally, they are used to treat peptic ulcers.
Lymphokines: Hormone-like peptides produced by activated lymphocytes, these lymphocytes regulate the immune response.
Oligo polysaccharides and glycoconjugates: Attract and bind to pathogens such as strep., e.coli, salmanella, cryptosporidia, giardia, entamoeba, shigella, clostridium, difficle toxins A & B, and cholera. Oligo polysaccharides and glycoconjugates prevent pathogens from attaching or entering the mucous membranes.
Other immune factors: Some of the documented immune factors include orotic acid, secretory IgA, IgA specific helper, B lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, albumin, prealbumin, alpha 1-antitripsin, alpha 1-fetoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin, alpha 2-AP glycoprotein, C3, C4, and orosomucoids.
Vitamins: A, B12,and E are found in small amounts. Traces of all others are also present in colostrum.
Sulfur: A mineral involved in metabolism and many structural body proteins.
Growth factors in colostrum
The growth factors in bovine colostrum boost cell and tissue growth by stimulating DNA and TNA formation. Studies show that these growth factors are capable of increasing T-cells, accelerate healing, balance blood sugar levels, reduce the need for insulin, increase muscle and bone growth, and burn fat. Colostrum growth factors include:
Epithelial growth factor (EgF)
Insuline-like growth factor-I and II (IGF-1 and IGF-II)
Fibroblast growth factor (FgF)
Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
Transforming growth factors A & B ( TgA and B)
Growth hormone (GH)
Dr. Dekel’s Comment:
Colostrum has been used extensively with great success with infections, and for enhancing and regulating the immune system. It has no side effects and does not interfere with the gut flora. I recommend using it as a first line of defense.
Call my office for more information. 516-208-6617