Bovine Colostrum
Description
Colostrum is a nutrient-rich substance produced by a mother's breasts, and serves to provide the baby with antibodies needed for proper immune development and function. It is the "first milk" ingested by breastfed infants. In humans, the breasts produce colostrum during the second trimester, although the timing of colostrum production varies for different gestation patterns.
Studies have yet to prove whether colostrum may be useful for supplementation in adults. Because human colostrum is difficult to obtain in mass quantities, nutriceutical companies instead use bovine colostrum for supplemental preparations. Without bovine colostrum, newborn calves do not develop properly and tend to become ill more often than calves given an adequate amount of colostrum. However, it is not yet clear if bovine colostrum provides similar benefits for human adults.
Method of Action
Bovine colostrum contains numerous compounds which benefit calves and may play a role in human health, including growth factors, antimicrobial factors, cytokines, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Antimicrobial factors
Studies have shown that bovine colostrum may decrease diarrhea associated with bacterial infections from E. coli, Salmonella, C. parvum, Staphylococcus, and other organisms. This property can most likely be attributed to the large content of antimicrobial factors in bovine colostrum, including lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and immunoglobulins. Some laboratories have created hyperimmune bovine colostrum, which recognizes particular disease-causing antigens. However, hyperimmune bovine colostrum has only been used in research, and is not currently available in supplemental form.
In vitro, lactoferrin prevents the growth of many pathogenic organisms known for causing diarrhea. Lactoperoxidase increases the oxidation of protein sulfhydryl groups on microorganisms, thereby inhibiting their growth and survival. Lysozyme destroys bacterial cell walls and therefore causes cell death. Immunoglobulins (Ig) contribute to the development of the bovine immune system. Bovine colostrum contains IgA and IgG in concentrations about 100 times greater than dairy milk.
Growth factors
Bovine colostrum also contains several growth factors:
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)
Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2)
Transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1)
Transforming growth factor-b2 (TGF-b2)
Epidermal growth factor
IGF-1 and IGF-2 promote cellular growth and differentiation, improve glucose uptake into cells, and contribute to protein synthesis. TGF-b1 and TGF-b2 contribute to bone and cartilage formation, tissue repair, and immune system regulation. Epidermal growth factor contributes to normal cell growth and wound healing.
Therapeutic approaches
Bovine colostrum may effectively contribute to the treatment of infectious diarrhea, in people with HIV/AIDS, graft versus host disease after bone marrow transplant, children with rotavirus, and people infected with E. coli or Shigella flexneri.
The usual recommended dosage of colostrum for infectious diarrhea (also for graft versus host disease, and AIDS-related Cryptosporidium parvum) is 10 to 20 grams bovine colostrum powder daily for 10 days. Children with rotavirus-related diarrhea may take 10 grams bovine colostrum powder daily for 4 days.
While clinical studies in humans support the use of bovine colostrum for diarrhea only, numerous purposes have been proposed for supplemental bovine colostrum. These include: immune stimulation, wound healing, nervous system repair, fat metabolism, lean muscle gain, aging, allergies, cancer, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, peptic ulcer, stress, and ulcerative colitis.
Possible side effects are brief and usually include headache, gastrointestinal distress, muscle aches, itching, and insomnia.
Toxicity Factors
Clinical trials in humans have revealed no significant toxicity from bovine colostrum. However, people with severe hypersensitivity to cow's milk should avoid bovine colostrum until further research can be done. Because high-quality bovine colostrum should be low in lactose, people who suffer from lactose-intolerance may comfortably supplement.
A few HIV patients using bovine colostrum for diarrhea have reported incidence of nausea, vomiting, elevated liver function tests, and/or decreased serum hematocrit.
References
Bitzan MM, et al: Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter mustelae binding to lipid receptors by bovine colostrum, J Infect Dis 1998;177:955-61
Greenberg PD, Cello JP. Treatment of severe diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDS. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1996;13:348-354.
Hagiwara K, Kataoka S, Yamanaka H, Kirisawa R, Iwai H: Detection of cytokines in bovine colostrum, Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2000 Oct 31;76(3-4):183-190
Huppertz HI, et al: Bovine colostrum ameliorates diarrhea in infection with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, shiga toxin-producing E. Coli, and E. coli expressing intimin and hemolysin, J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 1999 Oct;29(4):452-6
Levieux D, Ollier A: Bovine immunoglobulin G, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin and serum albumin in colostrum and milk during the early post partum period, J Dairy Res 1999 Aug;66(3):421-30
Mero A, et al: Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on serum IGF-1, IgG, hormone and saliva IgA during training, J Appl Physiol 1997;83:1144-51
Mitra AK, et al. Hyperimmune cow colostrum reduces diarrhoea due to rotavirus: a double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Acta Paediatr, 1995;84(9):996-1001.
Nord J, et al. Treatment with bovine hyperimmune colostrum of cryptosporidial diarrhea in AIDS patients. AIDS, 1990;4(6):581-84.
Okhuysen PC, Chappell CL, Crabb J, et al. Prophylactic effect of bovine anti-Cryptosporidium hyperimmune colostrum immunoglobulin in healthy volunteers challenged with Cryptosporidium parvum. Clin Infect Dis. 1998;26:1324-1329.
Pakkanen R, Aalto J: Growth factors and antimicrobial factors of bovine colostrum, Int Dairy J 1997;7:285-97
Playford RJ, et al: Bovine colostrum is a health food supplement which prevents NSAID induced gut damage, Gut, 1999;44:653-8
Plettenberg A, et al. "A preparation of bovine colostrum in the treatment of HIV-positive patients with chronic diarrhea." Clin Investig, 1993; 71(1): 42-45
Rauprich AB, Hammon HM, Blum JW: Effects of feeding colostrum and a formula with nutrient contents as colostrum on metabolic and endocrine traits in neonatal calves, Biol Neonate 2000 Jul;78(1):53-64
Rump JA, et al. "Treatment of diarrhea in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with immunoglobulins from bovine colostrum." Clin Investig, 1992;70(7):588-94.
Sarker SA, Casswall TH, Mahalanabis D, et al. Successful treatment of rotavirus diarrhea in children with immunoglobulin from immunized bovine colostrum. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1998;17:1149-1154.
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