Colostrum, vital for newborns, is gaining popularity as a supplement for adults. While touted for benefits like improved immunity and gut health, the scientific evidence is less clear. This article explores the potential benefits, primarily focusing on its use in athletes, and the need for more research.
Colostrum is a crucial part of newborns’ development. The research on whether it's beneficial for adults is far less clear.Should you add colostrum to your daily diet? On social media, influencers add scoops of the powder to drinks.
On podcasts, ads for the supplement tout it for a number of benefits: better immunity, improved gut health, weight loss,“Colostrum has been one of the highest interest supplements over the past year,” a spokesperson for GNC wrote in an email. In GNC’s upcoming “Anti Trend Report,” colostrum supplements were highlighted as one of the biggestWhat is colostrum?Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance, said colostrum contains certain antibodies and compounds that are important for infant development. “Colostrum contains a lot of things that are good for babies of the given species,” he said. “Human babies will be exposed to things that can help, like immunoglobulins and other immune-boosting proteins in the colostrum. They’re really good as the babies are developing their own immune system.” Colostrum supplements aren’t made of human breast milk, however. The majority are made from cow’s milk and sold ashelp with inflammation , particularly in athletes, said Daniel Fabricant, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association, a supplement industry trade group. He also cited gut health as a benefit. , researchers said that many studies reported positive effects for athletes taking the supplement — including supporting muscle recovery, boosting immunity after intense exercise and healing from injuries — though they added that more research is needed. The review was funded by a dairy company.saw improvements with gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. The authors, however, wrote that there was “limited evidence” on colostrum’s effects on gut health, “with mixed findings.” Wesley McWhorter, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said the research on colostrum supplementation is too early to make bold claims. “Most of this research, still very preliminary, it’s early. There’s not large-scale studies, so there’s no strong evidence,” McWhorter said. Still, he said he’s interested in seeing where the research goes.Richard Bloomer, dean of the College of Health Sciences and director of the Center for Nutraceutical and Dietary Supplement Research at the University of Memphis, said that each study’s factors — the supplement’s source, its dosage and who the subjects were — vary, which can affect results. Cohen said he doesn’t believe the research is extensive enough yet, and he doesn’t recommend colostrum supplements.“So even if it were that there was one or two studies on a specific product, it doesn’t mean that that product today is made the same way that the one that was studied,” he said.The research on colostrum seems more promising for athletes, who have their sleep, diet and exercise “dialed in,” McWhorter said. But for the average person, he said, there are other ways to achieve the same benefits.“Focus on your diet first, your exercise second and dial in on the other pieces,” he said. “And that’s really where you should spend your time, instead of on supplements. There is no magic pill right now.”“Could you justify an extra $2, $3, $5 a day to get a little bit of potential benefit? You might be better served by spending those $5 on a bunch of fruit and vegetables and try to enhance your immune function that way,” he said. Weighing in at over 2,400 pounds, a cow in Brazil sold for $4 million at a 2023 auction, making her the most expensive cow in the world.
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Colostrum is the latest food fad — but should you be taking it?Colostrum is a crucial part of newborns’ development. The research on whether it's beneficial for adults is far less clear.
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Colostrum Supplements: Hype vs. Health BenefitsThis article explores the rising popularity of colostrum supplements, examining the evidence for their benefits beyond infant development. While colostrum is crucial for newborns, the research on its effectiveness for adults, particularly regarding immunity, gut health, and weight loss, is less conclusive. The piece investigates the claims made by influencers and supplement companies, highlighting the need for further research and the importance of differentiating health products from treatments.
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