The Forgotten Milk... Bovine Colostrum
A lot of people have asked me lately: what is bovine colostrum? Why should I use it? What benefits does it provide?
To sum it all up in one sentence: raw colostrum benefits and rebuilds the body at the deepest level. But before we explore how it benefits the body, let's first understand what it is exactly.
Every female mammal produces colostrum after giving birth for a short period of time. Colostrum, or “first milk” as some call it, is available only for a few hours or days after birth, and then the mother’s milk transitions into regular milk. Colostrum is very different in composition—it’s not just food, it’s nature’s first immune system. It holds nutrients and bioactive compounds that make it one of the most powerful functional foods out there. Think about it: this is the very first thing a newborn consumes after entering the world. It has to be one of the most nutrient-dense superfoods available to give a newborn that extra oomph it needs after leaving the womb. The mother is literally passing down her antibodies through her milk to her baby so that it can be protected during its most fragile state.
If you look deeper into colostrum, you’ll find it contains 97 immune factors, 87 growth factors, a variety of probiotics and prebiotics, all essential amino acids, parent essential fatty acids, and other vital compounds like lactoferrin, immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA), cytokines, and IGF-1.
What that basically means is, it has all the “good stuff” your body needs to build, repair, strengthen, and restore. Thanks to these nutrients and bioactives, colostrum acts like a true superfood—capable of addressing a wide range of health concerns including (but not limited to): autoimmune disorders, digestive issues, gut permeability (“leaky gut”), allergies, and immune deficiencies.
Colostrum helps the hormonal system rebalance and stabilize. It strengthens the immune system, and helps the body fight off illness more effectively. It restores the gut linings integrity and improves digestive health along with nutrient absorption. It is a TRUE superfood because it provides complete foundational nutrition, which is rare even in whole foods.
Did you know that raw, unprocessed bovine colostrum may even help lactose-intolerant individuals rebuild their ability to digest raw dairy products?
That’s right—it supports gut repair, which can help reset the body’s ability to process lactose naturally. And since colostrum contains only trace amounts of lactose, many people tolerate it just fine—even those who typically avoid dairy. Over-pasteurization of milk products is one reason lactose sensitivity has become so widespread, but colostrum, in its raw form, helps reverse that damage from the inside out.
Now that we’ve broken down the why behind colostrum’s powerful benefits, you can probably guess why we recommend it so strongly for pets (and ourselves!).
Anytime we have a client whose pet is struggling—whether it's with allergies, IBD, joint issues, skin problems, or even something as basic as kennel cough—colostrum is the first supplement we urge our clients to implement into the diet. If your pet is already healthy, you can still keep some frozen in the freezer for emergencies, or use it regularly as a gentle, natural immune booster.
Just remember—not all colostrum is created equal. To get the full spectrum of benefits, you need a product that is minimally processed, ethically sourced, and raw. That’s why we ONLY carry raw (never pasteurized), organic, GMO-Free, grass-fed bovine colostrum that is straight from the cow, just as nature intended.