What The Heck Is Colostrum? Here’s What You Need To Know

The more sterile our food sourcing - including snacks from boxes and meals from a delivery service - the stranger natural foods and the way they are sourced begins to seem. 

Such is the case on an extreme level with colostrum. Colostrum is an almost forgotten wonder food in our age of sterile, processed eating and probably one of the 'grossest' to those of us who are more familiar with waiters and deliverymen, than farmers and fishermen. 

What is colostrum? Colostrum is a liquid produced in the early stages of breastfeeding mammals and packed with insane amounts of protein, antioxidants, and vitamins — kinda sounds like our ultimate morning smoothie goals. 

One of our most trusted sources for this weird superfood is Mattole Valley Naturals. We asked Maressa Garner from Mattole to break down the benefits of consuming one of the least understand dairy products out there. Learn more and enter to win your own on our Instagram...

What is Colostrum?The benefits of colostrum are far-ranging and profound. Literally everything that a newborn life needs to build a strong immune system and develop healthy tissues is found in colostrum. Think of this mammalian-derived substance as Mother Nature’s first milk, the original superfood.

The benefits of colostrum are attributed to the presence of numerous immunoglobulins (immune-system boosters) and growth factors. These immune factors can boost the immune system by supporting resistance to colds and flu (colostrum has even been proven to be more efficacious than the flu shot!) as well as increasing gut efficiency, nutrient absorption and wrangling bacterial or fungal conditions (such as candida albicans). Colostrum does this by aiding the gastrointestinal tract in lowering pathogens in the colon.

The growth factors in cow colostrum are capable of stimulating normal cell growth and increasing DNA synthesis and fat utilization, as well as augmenting serotonin levels in the brain. Because there is a rapid gut-cell turnover, colostrum supplementation can help naturally heal malnutrition due to intestinal issues such as leaky-gut syndrome, IBS and other permeability issues.

Bovine colostrum supplementation is best, as it is one of the few species’ of mammals whose colostrum is not species-specific, meaning the immunoglobulins and growth factors are bioavailable and readily transfer trans species.

It goes without saying that you should source colostrum that is ethically harvested from grass-fed cows that are hormone-, pesticide- and GMO-free. Low-temperature processed is best, as the fragile immunoglobulins and source probiotics are easily damaged via pasteurization.

Colostrum Benefits

+ natural immune and growth factors
+ optimized gut health
+ immune-regulating
+ optimized metabolic function
+ broad spectrum, whole-food probiotics
+ supportive of healthy HGH production
+ adaptogenic properties
+ immune system support: proline-rich polypeptides (PRP), lactoferrin, essential amino acids, fatty acids and glyconutrients

Suggested Uses

Colostrum has a mildly sweet, creamy flavor and is an amazing addition to your tonic and elixir cabinet. We love making a “better than Bulletproof” coffee with ghee and tonic herbs; the addition of colostrum creates a cappuccino-like foam that is to die for. Use it for colostrum cookies, colostrum frosting, you name it (check out Crosby Tailor’s sugar-free creations!). We love it mixed into superfood smoothies too!

Into colostrum? Have you tried whey?
Check out more majorly nutritious smoothie add-ins with this guide

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