Evidence: High Possible Benefits: Reasonable Safety: Reasonable
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is colostrum?
Colostrum is a mammary secretion produced by cows and other mammals. It is commonly used as a dietary supplement. Its benefits are often overrated but it can be beneficial for people with diarrhea caused by HIV or E. coli. This article is about the main benefits of colostrum, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.
Possible benefits
All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with most other supplements, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Reduced diarrhea from HIV or E. coli – The supplement can reduce diarrhea caused by HIV and E. coli. Diarrhea from other causes seems unaffected. In people where colostrum was able to suppress diarrhea, increases in energy levels were also found.
Minor benefits
Increased muscle protein synthesis – This benefit is secondary to colostrum’s protein content. The supplement has no added benefit in this regard when compared to other protein supplements like whey protein or soy protein, which are generally much cheaper and have greater benefit and side effect profiles.
Reduced upper respiratory tract infections – A tiny improvement might exist but much more studies are needed to know for sure. As of now, the research we have available seems unpromising.
Reduced total cholesterol – A tiny reduction was found in type II diabetics and probably doesn’t apply to other groups of people.
Possible side effects
The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.
Milk and colostrum intolerance or allergy – Some people cannot digest milk or colostrum properly due to an intolerance. In some individuals, colostrum may cause an allergic reaction, which can be more severe. If you don’t know how well you tolerate colostrum, start with a small dose and increase it gradually if you do not notice any side effects that would imply intolerance or allergy.
Excessive anabolism – Many amino acids in colostrum have anabolic effects. This can be great for multiple functions of the body but it can also speed up the aging process and the onset and growth of many diseases.
Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the supplement on an empty stomach.
Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this supplement with a meal.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of this supplement could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. Regularly taking high doses can also cause the body to develop a tolerance to the supplement. To prevent chronic toxicity or the buildup of tolerance, staying below 20 grams in a day is best unless you have a great reason to take more.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. Always read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.
Who should not take colostrum?
You should probably avoid taking colostrum if you:
are willing to take a different protein supplement
eat high amounts of protein from food (most whole foods contain at least some amount of each essential amino acid)
have colostrum or milk allergy or intolerance
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it can put some unnecessary risk to the child)
are on a budget (in which case, the best alternative for colostrum is soy protein, assuming you tolerate soy well)
are inactive
are a vegan
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking the supplement if you:
are diagnosed with HIV
have diarrhea related to HIV or E. coli
consume very little protein (less than 0.3 grams/pound of body weight)
How much colostrum should you take?
The sweet spot dose typically ranges between 10-20 grams daily for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.
The higher end of this range usually provides slightly more benefits in the short term. If you plan to take this supplement for a longer time (multiple months or years), the lower end is probably a better way to go since it is safer, and you would develop tolerance faster if you were to take higher doses.
The upper safety limit for this supplement is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than the recommended dose unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.
Like most other supplements, it is best to cycle colostrum and take about two days off weekly to reset your tolerance. That will allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.
Best time to take colostrum
Colostrum is water-soluble, so you don’t have to take it with food to absorb it well.
Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening does not make much difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.
Where to buy colostrum?
In most countries, Amazon is the best option for ordering colostrum supplements. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the Internet.
Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
Like most other supplements, it is best to cycle colostrum and take a break from it for about two days per week to reset your tolerance back to baseline. That will keep your body sensitive to the supplement and allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.
All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes time which can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are often made of bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from ethical sources.
Yes. Whether you take the supplement in the morning or the evening does not make much difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.
This supplement should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date. However, it can lose potency over time. Keep this supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place so it remains as potent for many months or even years.
While acute toxicity is rare, taking very high amounts of this supplement could lead to various problems over time. High doses can also make you develop tolerance much faster than lower doses.
While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 20 grams daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.
In the long term, you must take the supplement for about 2-4 weeks to begin noticing most of the benefits.
Unfortunately, colostrum is not vegan-friendly.
No, it does not. The supplement should not interfere with fasting in any significant way. However, you still want to take the supplement with food as it will absorb better.
References
Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
