Colostrum is the pre-milk substance that emerges from mammals following the birth of the newborn. Colostrum contains a mixture of immune and growth factors as well as important nutrients, all designed to support the immune system to help ensure health, vitality, and growth.
As the ‘first milk’ produced by mothers, colostrum provides an enriched supply of immune and growth components in addition to antioxidants, which help support the infant during its most vulnerable period in life. Since the immune system plays a vital role in our well-being, it is important to ensure that it remains healthy and functioning efficiently so that we can maintain optimal health, even during stressful times. Various studies have shown that colostrum and its components continue to provide important benefits when given to adults.
Why Bovine Colostrum?
Bovine colostrum is most commonly used as a nutritional supplement.
1)Bovine colostum contains 10-20 times more nutritional factors than human colostrum.
2) It is easily digested and metabolised.
3) It is ethically sourced from happy cows.
4) It has strict quality standards.
In addition, as a practical matter, dairy farming and the production of cow’s milk and related dairy products is well established. Sophisticated and highly controlled production processes and facilities allow bovine colostrum to be efficiently produced under proven, strict quality standards.
Colostrum’s Nutritional Value
Colostrum is a rich source of both essential and non-essential amino acids, as well as essential fats, including phospholipids, which enable colostral protein protection and easy absorption. The most important nutritional components of colostrum are Immune Factors and Growth Factors.
Immune factors
Proline-Rich Polypeptides (PRPs)
Proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs) act systemically, modulating the complex immune system and are therefore the most important ingredient in colostrum. They work in a hormonal way that supports the thymus gland (the body’s central command for the immune system). Peptides are short chains of amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — without the complex tertiary structure of proteins. Prolinerich polypeptides (PRPs), so-called because they contain an unusually high proportion of the amino acid proline, are intercellular signalling molecules that have the unique ability to further help and support the immune system. Immunomodulating colostral peptides appear under various names in literature, including transfer factor, colostrinin and Proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs).
Immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM) Immune factors
Proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs) act systemically, modulating the complex immune system and are therefore the most important ingredient in colostrum. They work in a hormonal way that supports the thymus gland (the body’s central command for the immune system). Peptides are short chains of amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — without the complex tertiary structure of proteins. Prolinerich polypeptides (PRPs), so-called because they contain an unusually high proportion of the amino acid proline, are intercellular signalling molecules that have the unique ability to further help and support the immune system. The immunoglobulin fraction in bovine colostrum is composed of approximately 70-80% IgG, 10-15% IgA, 10-15% IgM. Local protection in the form of immunosupplementation with bovine milk antibodies has been shown to be an effective means of providing local protection to the GI tract.
The function of these immunoglobulins (antibodies) is as follows:
IgG: Predominant immunoglobulin in bovine milk colostrum.
IgA: Predominant immunoglobulin in human milk and colostrum. Primary role is as first line of defense, good for the mucosal surfaces.
IgM: Primary role as a “first to fight” antibody.
Laboratory analyses of both immune and growth factors from bovine colostrum indicate that they are identical to those found in human colostrum except for the fact that the levels of these factors are significantly higher in the bovine version. Bovine colostrum is actually 40 times richer in immune factors than human colostrum. For example, human colostrum contains 2% of IgG (immunoglobulin G) while cow colostrum contains 86% of IgG, the most important of the immunoglobulins found in the body.
Lactoferrin
Lactoferrin is an iron-binding protein that helps deprive bacteria of the iron they require to reproduce and releases iron into the red blood cells enhancing oxygenation of tissues.
Cytokines
Cytokines are small proteins that are secreted by specific cells of the immune system. They are a category of signalling molecules that are used extensively in cellular communication. They are proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins.
Lysozymes
Lysozymes can help support the immune system. Enzymes Lactoperidasethiocyanate, peroxidase, and xanthine oxidase oxidize bacteria through their ability to release hydrogen peroxide.
Glycoproteins
Glycoproteins are a digestive factor that has been shown to help immune and growth factors survive the passage through the highly acidic digestive system.
Growth Factors
Colostrum contains many growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor-1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2), Epithelial growth factor (EGF), Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and Transforming growth factors alpha β (TGA-α and TGF-β). Growth factors are peptides that function as intercellular signalling molecules to turn on or turn off the production of specific proteins in the target cells. Their presence in colostrum is primarily to complete the growth and development of the newborn gut, but in older children and adults they help support a healthy gut wall.
Other Nutritional Components
Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids, and Essential Oils – Colostrum is a combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that are naturally occurring in a near perfect combination. Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, and E are found in small amounts while traces of all other vitamins, as well as minerals such as calcium, sodium, magnesium and zinc, are also present in colostrum.
AquaSource ColActive3
AquaSource ColActive3 utilises the whole colostrum. No fat is removed and there is no ultra-filtration process. Our Colostrum is sourced from the South West of the US where the processing facility was designed by dairy process engineers as a state-of-the-art processing facility for the sole purpose of producing the best quality colostrum. The Colostrum is collected and processed. Then, flash pasteurised at 72°C for 15 seconds and finally dried with low, indirect heat. This process helps maintain as much nutritional value as possible.
ColActive3 also includes two other important ingredients to help support gut health and your immune system:
- Acidophilus. Friendly bacteria native to the small intestines that aid in digestion. Acidophilus can help protect the body against harmful bacteria, parasites, and other organisms.
- Lactoferrin. Although already naturally present in colostrum, this bioactive peptide is also included as a stand-alone ingredient to further help support the immune system.
Key points:
Nutrition and antibodies in a concentrated form.
Suitable for people of all ages.
Supports maintenance of overall good health.
Good immune function support.
Gluten free and GM free.
Free from BSE, BST and antibiotics.
Supplied in True-Filled capsules (no binders of fillers).
ColActive3 utilises whole colostrum and includes Acidophilus and Lactoferrin for additional gut support.
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