Bovine colostrum is gathered from cows’ whole raw milk, usually within eight hours of a calf’s birth – and not just from any cows. Factory dairies are not appropriate as colostrum supplement sources. It’s important to exclude rBGH and antibiotics. Only cows without added hormones and antibiotics that graze on grass or non-GMO alfalfa in open pastures should be used for colostrum supplements.

Glutathione Is Provided by Colostrum

Glutathione, or GSH, is considered the ultimate antioxidant. But it cannot be supplemented orally because it gets disassembled in the gut before it can get into cells where it belongs. It has to be manufactured internally, mostly by the liver. People with serious debilitating diseases, including cancer and AIDS, usually have low glutathione levels.

GSH regulates other antioxidants and triggers the immune system response with lymphocytes, or T and B white blood cells to counterattack pathogenic invaders in our bodies. Glutathione is composed from three amino acid precursors – glycine, glutamic acid and cysteine. Cysteine is the missing link rarely found in our food.

Cysteine can be toxic in the gut, but cystine, which is two bound cysteine molecules, is abundantly present in colostrum, and it passes through the digestive system for the cells to break it down into two cysteine molecules. Yes, colostrum has these three amino acids raring to produce GSH for you!

It appears there are information feuds festering a bit between colostrum providers and whey based GSH precursor providers, each claiming their product outperforms the other. But research has shown no significant difference between properly processed colostrum and whey for glutathione production.

Anti-Aging

Colostrum outperforms whey in other areas to offer a complete package. Anti-aging depends more on certain hormones that diminish as we grow older. Enter the coveted growth hormones and growth factor isolates. A small amount of Growth Hormone (GH) is available. Since it’s very potent, a small amount is good enough to have an impact.

In addition, there are five Growth Factors (GFs) attached: Platelet derived GF, insulin-like GF, transforming GF, epithelial GF, and fibroblast GF. Maintaining an adequate supply of Growth Hormone and associated factors promotes cellular growth and minimizes cellular destruction. Thus healing is promoted more quickly. Anti-aging factors beyond glutathione are very high in colostrum.

Immune System Enhancement

With colostrum you get glutathione plus other immunity factors. Remember, this is first food for just born mammals. They need all the immunity they can get.

Immunoglobulins found in colostrum destroy bacteria and neutralize microbes and toxins in the lymph and circulatory system. Lactoferrin, a protein in colostrum, is antiviral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory.

Proline-Rich Polypeptide (PRP) in colostrum is a hormone essential to the thymus gland, which regulates the immune system up or down as needed.

Conclusion

Make sure the colostrum is complete with fats, and is taken from properly raised cows shortly after giving birth. In addition to matching whey’s ability for providing glutathione production, colostrum offers even more anti-aging potential and rebuilds your immune system.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com

Aerobic exercise may be good for overall health but it can weaken the immune system

Obtaining a decent response to aerobic exercise is vital for longevity and health. However, one problem is that exercise can diminish the front line of your immune system. This will be certainly relevant to those actively exercising during the winter bug season. This study reveals that daily ingesting colostrum can prevent a lowering of your immune system function.

Although this study was performed on healthy men, its value could be particularly important to individuals struggling with exercise, like those with fibromyalgia. In this scenario, exercise is crucial for improvement but performing exercise can be a problem and create a whole set of problems. It is probable that colostrum, which is a far-reaching powerhouse metabolically, would appear to be useful to aid in the response to exercise in such individuals.

Colostrum is formulated to support the requirements of the high growth phase in infants, a nutrient suited ideally for enhanced recovery and regeneration that goes with the process of fast growth. It appears that it fits in well as a support nutrient for rehabilitation from excess demands linked with physical performance. In this case it is proven in healthy men, but theoretically also aiding those who fight to get a good response to exercise (which is consonant with observations of the nutrient in clinical practice.)

Source: http://www.ozcarguide.com/health/healthy-living/men-health/2283-colostrum-benefit-supplement-workout

Whether in defense of the common cold, the flu or other challenges, empowering the immune system means increasing the production and strength of its white blood cells, such as T cells, macrophages and B cells. These cells coordinate a team effort to identify and destroy potentially dangerous invaders like influenza viruses and the collection of more than 200 rhinoviruses that can manifest as the common cold.

Outright prevention of these types of illnesses is considered an endless pursuit, scientifically, but a strong immune system heading into the typical cold and flu season could be the difference between getting one short, mild cold versus a couple lingering colds, or having insufferable symptoms from a cold or flu versus having few, if any, uncomfortable symptoms.

With a common cold, the most people generally hope for is to fight it off quickly and minimize the discomfort. In this case, consumers turn to dietary intervention—most often via supplements—to help fight infection before it happens, as opposed to over-the-counter (OTC) medications that don’t apply until after infection and symptoms rear their ugly heads. Advantage: supplements.

In the case of the flu, public health officials try to gauge which of the few influenza strains will be most prevalent in a given year and tailor the flu vaccine to this estimation. Some years this strategy works pretty well, but other times the guesses are wrong. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this year’s flu vaccine was only about 44-percent effective, contributing to an elevated flu season. Barry Ritz, Ph.D., a nutritional immunologist at Drexel University, Philadelphia, tracks such data, in addition to his activities in the field of immune research. He noted on average, influenza virus infects 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population annually, contributing to approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths, mostly among the elderly. Fortunately, nutritional immunology has generated positive results to counter such negative statistics. “My own research demonstrates that dietary interventions can have dramatic effects on the immune response to influenza infection,” he said.

In his study of how dietary supplements may affect the innate immune response to influenza infection, Ritz has focused on how bovine colostrum can potentially help stave off or manage flu infection.

Ritz explained colostrum provides antibodies that are important for establishing passive immunity in newborns; colostrum also contains numerous other compounds, such as bioactive peptides, that appear to enhance immunity even later in life. On specific research, he reported oral administration of bovine colostrum to neonatal and adult mice has been demonstrated to affect local intestinal immunity, including an increase in macrophage function and natural killer cells.^1,2

“In my own research, in collaboration with La Belle Inc., I am working to determine if bovine colostrum supplementation may also result in systemic effects on innate immunity and increased resistance to influenza infection,” Ritz said.

It appears to be a good direction, as Italian researchers reported in 2007 that bovine colostrum, with its concoction of antibodies, vitamins, growth factors and other nutrients, represents an inexpensive therapeutic tool in prevention and treatment of several human microbial infections, including influenza.³

According to Ritz, consumers need to know that science supports bovine colostrum as an immune and intestinal health support supplement. In purchasing colostrum, he advised retailers and consumers to choose colostrum products that are produced in the United States, to assure the highest quality standards. “Depending on special needs, consider colostrum concentrates that are lactose- or casein-free,” he added.

An emerging immune force, colostrum has been studied alongside probiotics,⁴ which have a longer appearance in immune research and are beginning to take hold in the minds of educated consumers, thanks in large part to the growth of functional foods.

“More consumers are becoming aware that they help GI health,” confirmed Lia Peterson-Love, director of marketing for Sedona Labs and Nutri-Health Supplements. “I don’t think many people know that probiotics help support a healthy immune response.” She emphasized there is great science being done on probiotics, adding the immunomodulatory actions of probiotics are at the forefront of research.

In fact, Sedona Labs based its iFlora® Nasal Health multi-probiotic formula on 2003 clinical research in Switzerland that showed probiotics, taken orally, support a healthy immune response in the nasal mucus.⁵ The researchers concluded, “the ingestion of probiotics may enhance the immune barrier of the upper respiratory tract and therefore constitute a clinically preventive therapy.” The iFlora formula includes N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a natural amino acid antioxidant that helps break up stagnant mucus, helping to support nasal and upper respiratory health.

“Although research showing that probiotics have an effect on the immune system was being published in the 1990’s … it takes awhile for consumer awareness and to catch up,” said Peterson-Love. “There is still much to be learned about probiotics and how they affect the immune system.”

References

1. Yoshioka Y, et al. “Oral administration of bovine colostrum stimulates intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes to polarize Th1-type in mice.” Int Immunopharmacol 2005;5(3):581-90.

2. Perez-Cano FJ, et al. “Bovine whey protein concentrate supplementation modulates maturation of immune system in suckling rats.” Br J Nutr. 2007;98:Suppl 1:S80-4.

3. Biswas P et al. “Immunomodulatory effects of bovine colostrum in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.” New Microbiol. 2007 Oct;30(4):447-54.

4. Wei H, et al. “Synergistic antidigestion effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and bovine colostrums in simulated gastrointestinal tract (in vitro).” Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2007;75(2):427-34.

5. Gluck U and Glebbers JO. “Ingested probiotics reduce nasal colonization with pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and beta-hemolytic streptococci).” Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Feb;77(2):517-20.

by Steve Myers via Natural Products Marketplace

Colostrum, both in healthy subjects and high-risk cardiovascular patients, is at least 3 times more effective than vaccination to prevent flu and is very cost-effective.

Download Journal (4.8Mb PDF)

Study: San Valentino-Spoltore Vascular Screening Project, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’annunzio University, Chieti, Pescara, Italy

Authors: Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Di Renzo A, Dugall M, Cacchio M, Ruffini I, Pellegrini L, Del Boccio G, Fano F, Ledda A, Bottari A, Ricci A, Stuard S, Vinciguerra G.

Via: PubMed.gov

Colostrum’s Immune Factors

Immune factors in colostrum have been shown to help the body fight off harmful invaders such as viruses, bacteria’s, parasites, yeast’s and funguses. Each factor plays a specific role in our body’s defense against these attackers. Immune factors in colostrum balance the immune system and regulate the thymus (a key component of the immune system), control inflammation and protect against allergic reactions.

Human colostrum only contains 2% of this critical immunoglobulin. Bovine colostrum contains 38% immunoglobulins, specifically IgG (a protein that acts as an antibody). It is considered to be one of the body’s most important immunoglobulins because it is so effective against so many different microorganisms, many of which are resistant to current antibiotics. Bovine colostrum contains the highest levels of immune and growth factors possible, up to 4 times more immune factors than human colostrum. Colostrum also contains PRP (Polyproline-Rich-Peptides). Medical studies show that PRP in colostrum supports an under active immune system. PRP’s (support and regulate the thymus gland) the body’s master gland for the immune system. They stimulate an underactive immune system by helping it to move into action against disease-causing organisms. PRP in colostrum also helps balance an overactive immune system present in autoimmune diseases, making it a very valuable addition to help correct this devastating condition. Colostrum helps rebuild the immune system. Plus colostrum functions like a supplemental immune system, it is especially good for people with chronic depleted immune systems, or for those who have had long lasting or recurring infections.