BOVINE COLOSTRUM – IMMUNE SUPPORT
The power of nature’s science
Dairy cows play a dynamic role in our survival. This animal provides us with our daily supply of milk, cheese and yogurt all of which contribute to a healthy diet. What most people don’t realize is the dairy cow also provides us with colostrum. Colostrum is the pre-milk fluid that is secreted immediately after birth. All mammals produce this and it is one of nature’s powerful ways to protect, activate and regulate our immune system when we are born. Similar to how we are able to drink dairy milk; bovine (dairy) colostrum is also appropriate for human consumption.
For years livestock producers have counted on bovine colostrum supplement powder to enhance the newly born animals to ensure each is supplemented sufficiently so that their immune systems are well protected for survival. Historically around the world people have recognized the benefits of bovine colostrum for themselves. Places like India, China and Europe have embraced bovine colostrum as an immune boosting supplement because they know it offers protection from virus, bacteria and fungus. Australia and New Zealand have been studying and consuming bovine colostrum with great confidence and consider it as common a supplement as a multi-vitamin. It is clear that bovine colostrum is serving both animals and humans well.
In North America, we understand the importance of vitamins but rely heavily on pharmaceutical antibiotics as our main remedy. As we learn more about natural food supplements we are beginning to embrace the importance of alternative health solutions to enhance and improve our lives. Our attitudes are becoming more open toward “green” solutions from everything such as recycling to organic gardening. On some level, we all understand that nature has been designed to maintain proper balance for all living things, and within nature lies secrets that once discovered are incredibly suitable to supporting our lives and improving our wellbeing. In light of this new western attitude our scientists and researchers are increasingly studying nature’s bounty to produce products that help us live healthy naturally.
Canada is a global leader in the development of natural resources and technologies and is known for its high level innovations. Subsequently it is no surprise to learn that Canada is also a leader in the production of high quality, high potency bovine colostrum for human consumption. The Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd. located in Saskatchewan is Canada’s leading manufacturer of bovine colostrum for livestock, pets and humans. Equally important are the regulations that govern Canadian dairy farms. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prohibits the use of synthetic hormones (since 1998) and ensures that antibiotics, if used, have strict withdrawal periods and cannot enter milk or colostrum for human consumption. The Saskatoon Colostrum Company processes raw colostrum exclusively from Canadian dairy farms to ensure first-in-class colostrum products.
The human immune system is designed to ensure protection from microbes or pathogens. Playing the role of a surveillance team, our immune system identifies all infectious agents that breach the barriers of our skin, gut or respiratory tract tissues. Once detected our immune system works to eliminate the threat. The first line of defense, along with the physical barriers, are the anti-microbial substances present at the mucosal surfaces including molecules such as lysozyme which is naturally present in saliva.
As one of nature’s perfect foods, bovine colostrum provides excellent immune support and works to prevent the colonization and invasion of pathogens that enter through our mouth and nose. It contains anti-microbial and immunoglobulin factors which greatly enhance the levels of anti-microbial substances to our oral passage mucosal surfaces. Specifically, lactoferrin is a very important component of colostrum. It is a unique anti-microbial in that it acts against all pathogens. Lactoferrin is able to incorporate itself into the mucus barriers providing additional protection of the epithelial cells from invasion by infectious agents. Essentially the anti-microbial factors present in colostrum bathe and protect the mucus membranes producing increased security against pathogens. By supplementing our immune system with bovine colostrum we increase our ability to defend ourselves against things like virus, bacteria and fungus.