What you should know about "colostrum"
Colostrum is the first milk after giving birth. The newborn gets it as a "catalyst" to activate the body's defences. After this, in a process of about 3-5 days, colostrum changes to normal milk. In terms of nutritional physiology this first milk plays a minor part. Thus, human babies rather lose weight in the first days. However, this colostrum from the mammary glands is of utmost importance for the formation of body defences, a wholesome reaction to environmental conditions, and consequently the further development of the newborn. For a very long time this significance was underestimated. Nowadays, due to the advanced status of the latest analyses, it acquires its true importance.
Owing to the almost identical composition of many of its ingredients compared to human breast milk in the first 12 hours, colostrum taken from cows develops its promotional effect in humans, too. It contains even more ingredients (growth factors, antibodies, and vital substances). This is due to the so-called placental barrier of ruminants that do not pass those antibodies to the bloodstream of the baby. That is why colostrum is so particularly rich in agents of the immune system. more ...
In addition to the nourishing function, colostrum holds a multitude of immunoglobulins (antibodies), growth factors, interferons, interleukins, and lactoferrines. This is just a brief excerpt from the ingredients of this unique viand. With good conscience, one can say that colostrum contains all substances that can be found in the human system as well. Thus, colostrum holds ingredients that are perfectly matched and that provide the newborns in harmonic interaction with everything they need for a good start in life. As you know, newborns are born into a world full of germs and environmental stress. Here, colostrum provides a first immune protection before the body's own immune system gets active.
Therefore, for many generations, colostrum taken from cows is used to aid the immune system. Farmers made flans, soups, and cakes from colostrum.
Why is colostrum so precious?
Whereas newborns are born with a certain immune protection, this does not apply to ruminants. Cows have a 4-6-times placental barrier. This means that the placenta does not pass immunoglobulins to the unborn. That is why the newborn calf has to get this immune protection by means of the first milk. Now it stands to reason that the colostrum of cows is particularly rich in immunoglobulins. It contains agents of the immune system that, compared to their incidence in human blood, are concentrated up to 40-times higher!
Every farmer knows how indispensable colostrum is to the life of the calf. He would never keep this unique liquid from the calf. However, fortune favours us. Cows give much more colostrum than needed by the calf. Hence we can supply our customers with the surplus.
The older the cow, the plentier and richer in content the colostrum. This is perfectly normal, because the older the animal life form (including humans), the more antibodies are produced against invaders.
Considering the precise analysis of colostrum, it reads like a recipe of a highly technological product that doubtlessly can never be copied or produced artificially. Colostrum holds a multitude of messengers and is therefore capable of transferring not only its own ingredients to the cells, but also substances from daily food and dietary supplements that are essential to the body.
Colostrum - a fountain of youth?
So far, there are no scientific documents in support of this. In this context, an exceptional enzyme is discussed over the past years: telomerase. Currently, scientific research is done to check coherences regarding the question to what extent telomerase could be responsible for aiding the chromosome-end tracts after cell division. The impact on cell division is believed to be an essential feature related to all processes of age. Colostrum is the only viand known to us that contains the enzyme telomerase. Admittedly, evidence of telomerase could only be provided in fresh (!), genuine colostrum. Further scientific research needs to be done regarding the question whether telomerase, and so colostrum, can really influence cell division and the consequences of age.
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