COLOSTRUM:

NATURE'S ANSWER TO ANTIBIOTICS

Research indicates that Colostrum may help:

· Support immune system function
· Combat bacteria and viruses
· Enhance skin and muscle rejuvenation
· Support joint and cartilage function
· Build lean muscle mass
· Metabolize (burn) fat
· Enhance mood
· Maintain healthy intestinal flora
· Increase strength and stamina
· Accelerate healing of injury or trauma

Our health is directly influenced by our immune system. This magnificent defense shield includes both the ability to recognize and remember alien substances such as bacteria, viruses and parasites and to launch a coordinated attack to protect the body against these invading organisms.
Epidemiologists, researchers and doctors from all over the world are warning that new strains of harmful bacteria and viruses are showing up at an alarming rate. Most of our conventional drugs are helpless against these new "killer bugs" and viruses. Many of the new bacterial strains are showing dramatic increases in resistance to even our most potent antibiotics. A healthy immune system is thus central to the body's ability to maintain good health and longevity.

Colostrum Enters the Fight:
Colostrum is a premilk fluid that is produced by lactating mammals during the first 24-48 hours after giving birth. Colostrum provides essential growth and immune factors that insure the health of the newborn. Colostrum is much more complex than simple milk and contains natural immune and growth factors which are not found in regular milk or anywhere else in nature. Recent medical findings have determined that bovine colostrum contains important immune and growth factors that are not specific to cattle. Humans appear to be able to utilize many of these important compounds as well.

Colostrum and Immunity:
The immune factors in Colostrum are responsible for instilling immunity in the newborn until the baby is mature enough to produce their own antibodies. This immunity is primarily to protect the newborn against infectious organisms to which the mother has been subjected. The various forms of immunoglobulins contained in colostrum include IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE. The all important IgG.s function to furnish the young with immunity to various viral pathogens. Other immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM), can attack mucosal and enteric pathogens and respond to a variety of environmental allergens.

Research Studies :
Colostrum has been shown to contain high levels of antibody activity against numerous pathogens when tested invitro using an ELISA assay. This study demonstrated that a high quality colostrum with 15% or more IgG had activity against such organisms as E-coli, Candida albicans, H. pylori, K. pneumoniae and other disease causing bacteria. Various clinical studies indicate that colostrum can play both a prophylactic and therapeutic role in reducing gastroenteritis in infants and AIDS patients. Published re­search in the Lancet demonstrated the prevention of Rotovirus infections with the use of colostrum. Rotoviuses are one of the leading causes of infectious diarrhea and death worldwide. Other diarrhea diseases known to cause death include Clostridium and Shigellosis, both of which can be inhibited by pure bovine colostrum invitro. With research demonstrating both invitro and clinical activity against intestinal pathogens, the use of colostrum should be required for all travelers visiting foreign countries.

Growth Factors:
Colostrum contains many important growth and transfer factors which promote healing, provide energy, increase muscle mass and regenerate aged or injured cells. Colostrum contains the growth factors IGF-l(somatomedin), GH and TGF-B that enhance DMA and protein synthesis as well as the ability of muscle and bone cells to absorb nutrients for growth and activity. TGF-B has been shown to aid in the regeneration of cartilage in laboratory tests and is found to occur in relatively high levels in bovine colostrum. IGF-1 has been shown to enhance chondroitin synthesis and the production of proteoglygans and connective tissue. In a double-blind study with members of the Finnish Olympic ski team, subjects displayed elevated levels of IGF-1 in blood serum, and significantly improved stamina, performance and recovery time after only several weeks using pure bovine colostrum.

Colostrum and Transfer Factors:
Transfer Factors are small messenger molecules that transfer recognition signals between immune cells and thus "educate" naTve cells about the presence of foreign pathogens. During birth, the transfer of immune information between the mother and the newborn is carried by these adult transfer factors which help the infant to determine if foreign organisms are friends or foe. Colostrum contains many transfer factors that impart immunity and are not species specific.

Why Colostrum is so Effective:
Various studies have reported that most of the important immune and growth factors in colostrum are not specific to cows and can be utilized effectively by humans and other animals. These immune factors are also protected from stomach deactivation by their association with specific glycoproteins found within the colostrum. These proteins help buffer the immune factors and insure that they can enter the blood stream intact. This means that the Transfer Factors from cattle work essentially as well in humans as they do in the calf.