DOES COLOSTRUM WORK???

The scientific research examining the efficacy of colostrum is, at best, sparse. The research that has been done is mostly observational, or was done on such a small scale that the results are inconclusive. Compiled on this website are several articles relating to colostrum. (see references)  If you review these, you will see that several of the studies directly conflict with one another, and that the majority of the authors agree that there may be some benefit to colostrum, but that their study does not prove that this is the case, and that more research needs to be done.

 Some of the more credible research on colostrum supplementation has found….

- Individuals who have AIDS, who have diarrhea due to cryptosporidium, may benefit if given a special type of colostrum, some times called hypercolostrum. There is some evidence that these patients may have less diarrhea and a lighter infectious burden. More research is needed to confirm this preliminary data.

-Some studies have shown that elite-level athletes may perform slightly better when taking colostrum. Colostrum is often touted as an anabolic supplement. As such many body builders and athletes become interested in it's muscle building properties. The majority of research suggests that colostrum may provide a very modest benefit to very high level athletes in regards to stamina, etc... But colostrum has not been found to reliably increase muscle mass in weightlifters.

-Colostrum may or may not increase serum growth factors. Various investigations into colostrums ability to increase serum growth factors have yielded conflicting results. Some studies claim small increases, other claim no increase, and some claim that the growth factors are so damaged during digestion that even the small amounts that make it into the blood have been rendered useless.