Why have I never heard or read about colostrum before?
There is colostrum from the day there are mammals. We would more probably know it under the term "first milk", or the farmers as "beestings". There were first reports on colostrum already 9 centuries ago. At that time, colostrum was used to strengthen health. Its immune-modulating characteristics were also known. Even in ayurvedic medicine colostrum is known for a very long time. In Germany, colostrum was mentioned for the first time in an encyclopedia from Berlin of 1803. The personal physician of Goethe and Schiller recommended it to his patients. § 18 of the German milk regulation governs that "milk of the first 5 days after giving birth to a calf" must not be put in circulation like normal milk or any other dairy product. The dairy factories must not accept such milk. One concluded from that that there was a general prohibition to market colostrum. This misapprehension cleared up as recently as the last 15 – 20 years. Colostrum is considered to be a comestible sui generis and for that reason it is put into circulation as "colostrum".
How can colostrum aid me when I am grown-up?
As soon as puberty is over, an ageing process starts in our body that is due to the steadily decreasing production of immune substances and growth factors, which help us to fend off illnesses and to heal injured body tissue. Colostrum is the natural source of these life-giving substances. Here, too, scientific research has shown that colostrum does not simply support the immune function, but it also has the ability to improve fat burning and to optimise the cell structure. It activates the division of healthy cells, aids the bowel in its functions, and even influences our psychic condition.
Why is colostrum taken from cows so extremely precious?
The cow has a so-called placental barrier, that means that immune substances that are essential for the survival of the calf (antibodies) are not passed on to the calf before its birth.
Immediately after birth, these substances have to enter the organism of the calf via the first milk, that is colostrum. Without colostrum, the calf would not survive.
What does C live Colostrum mean to competitive athletes?
Due to hard training and the resulting overtraining, competitive athletes are prone to disadvantageous reactions of the immune system like hardly any other group of people. Not only physical, but mental and emotional lows are the consequences. Colostrum can strengthen the body’s defences and improve endurance. The dreaded low is held off and regeneration is accelerated. Likewise, colostrum can support enhanced muscle formation and the power ability. A study of the university in Frankfurt, Germany has shown this very impressively. So, C live can help both to have more training sessions and advantages in competition.
How safe is C live Colostrum?
In folk medicine of the Scandinavian countries, the effect of the first milk is known already from time immemorial. In churches, it was often given out to children and elderly people. Even today, there is the Scandinavian „Colostrum-Pudding“ (Danish =„Råmælksgrød”). Several studies and more than 20 years of market experience certify the safe application for both adults and children. Colostrum Technologies is main supplier for colostrum to manufacturers of baby food all over the world. For them, the most severe provisions apply for the production of food products.
What about BSE?
So far, there is no evidence that BSE can be passed on through either the milk or the colostrum of a cow. On the contrary, the European Commission clearly excluded this. Since there has not been a single case of BSE in a cattle herd of organic farmers to this day, to be sure, it is best to obtain colostrum from farmers that are certified with the organic seal. Organic farmers commit themselves to use only selected animal feed that is certified by their organic organisations and mostly comes from the farmers’ own cultivation. Animal products were never allowed to be used. Genetically modified animal feed must not be fed as well.
What about liquid colostrum?
Generally, liquid colostrum is offered in a minimally processed form. For this reason liquid colostrum has to be kept refrigerated after opening and consumed within a maximum of 30 days. Many people limit themselves to this colostrum, because they prefer it being in its natural state.
Why bovine colostrum?
Research has shown that the immune complex and the growth factors in bovine colostrum are almost identical to human colostrum.
Because many substances of colostrum are not species-specific, they have positive effects with humans and other mammals.
In addition to these characteristics, cattle milk is by far the most common source of colostrum worldwide.
Why only 1. and 2. milking?
The ingredients of colostrum are already formed during pregnancy and collected in the mammary glands. From there, with the first milking, they are flushed out to 80%. Although the organism continues to provide components of colostrum in the first days, the quantity will be significantly lower. From the fifth day onwards, it is normal milk that either does not contain these ingredients any longer, or just in traces. Compared to the first milking, the second one barely contains ca. 20 - 30% of the components of the first milking. Any more milking would simply "weaken" the concentrated colostrum. For this reason we only use the milking of the first 12 hours, that is first and second milking.
What is the difference between European and New Zealand colostrum?
In New Zealand, the individual livestock is huge. The cattle are out at feed and only come to the milking stations to be milked. Due to the fact that the New Zealand season for colostrum is only about 3 months a year, the cows all calve at about the same time. Therefore, fairly large quantities of colostrum accrue that are collected separately to be brought to the dairy in tank waggons. To be worth the trouble, not only the first and second milking are taken, but colostrum is collected up to 3 days. With each milking, the amount of milk of the cow increases. That is why the transport in a tank waggon is profitable. In these 3 months, the demand for the whole year is gathered.
In Germany by comparison, for example, the flocks are vanishingly small. An average farmer possibly has about 30 – 50 cows in his cattle shed. Because only the first and second milking are collected, the quantities are very small. That is why colostrum is frozen immediately after milking and stored until pickup. However, the amount of lgG in German colostrum, for example, is on average 50% higher than in New Zealand colostrum. Furthermore, New Zealand colostrum is solely pasteurised and then mostly spray-dried. Colostrum is not processed in a cold state in New Zealand.
