Colostrum

Colostrum supplements are now commercially available. Colo­strum is the "first milk" of a lactating mammal. The commercial preparations presently only use the colostrum of nursing cows. It is important to note that colostrum is not really milk at all, even though it comes down the same channels in the udder that later de­liver the milk. In addition to having significant amounts of bioavail-able vitamins and minerals, colostrum also has unique immune system-supporting growth factors. Interestingly, some of the most important of these factors are not spedes-specific to only the cow; they are identical to the same factors in colostrum of human origin.

Colostrum contains many different substances that directly af­fect immune function. This is perhaps the most important reason for its therapeutic effects. One especially potent and well-studied immune factor found in colostrum is a substance called transfer factor. Transfer factor harvested from a healthy person is known to "transfer" much of the immune competence of the healthy donor to a needy, immunocompromised patient. Colostrum makes this process much simpler.

Colostrum can be taken regularly, or it can be reserved for times when you feel that you are facing particularly strong stresses on your immune system. Generally, colostrum has not been observed to stimulate detoxification faster than the strengthened immune system can neutralize the released toxins. However, this balance between detoxification rate and the degree of strengthening of the

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immune system must always be examined separately in each indi­vidual patient with each individual supplement. In general, if some­thing makes you feel worse, don't take it. "No pain, no gain" is NOT the way to strengthen your immune system. Adults can prob­ably take colostrum indefinitely, but babies, children, and teens should probably take it only when the immune system needs some acute boosting to fight an acute illness. More might be better for the young ones, but the long-term effects of the multiple growth factors present in colostrum need more study.