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And unlike the so-called wonder drugs of the pharmaceutical industry, absolutely no harm comes from colostrum.31 It has no known side effects and has no known interactions with drugs. Colostrum has been proved in both animal and human trials to prevent and heal leaky gut syndrome, and it's the only substance conclusively proven to provide this kind of result. Food elimination and herbal products can't do the job because they don't contain the antibodies, immunoglobulins, and growth factors necessary to heal the gut lining and provide the nutrition and hormones for cell repair, growth, and differentiation. According to the book of Sirach, colostrum is ranked alongside wheat, honey, salt, water, fire, and iron as being some of the ancient "necessities of life."32 In modern society, bovine colostrum is the "necessity of life" for healing every chronic disease.
Bovine colostrum is effective against a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoan parasites, that cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illnesses. 33-36 Even in the worst case of AIDS, colostrum could eliminate chronic diarrhea so that nutritional uptake was restored and patients could reverse their wasting disease and regain a significant measure of health. If this is any indicator of how well colostrum could work, from the occasional tummy bug that someone got at the local eatery to the C. diff that they picked up in the hospital, then we have cause to celebrate. And with the CDC reporting that 2 million Americans become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually, practitioners must advocate strongly for colostrum use.37
Colostrum's antimicrobial and antiviral activity is due to its antibodies, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, and other immune factors which bind to pathogens and destroy their cell membranes or compete for binding sites on the intestinal wall.38,39 Initially, many researchers believed that in order for colostrum to be effective against specific diarrhea pathogens, the cows needed to be immunized with those specific pathogens a minimum of 24 hours prior to colostrum collection. This was termed hyperimmune colostrum. Later, it was discovered that nonhyperimmune colostrum was equally effective in preventing diarrhea.40 More good news, and the reason is that cows acquire their immunity from pathogens in the grasses that they eat and from the infected people whom they come in contact with, in addition to all the passive immunity that they received from their maternal lineage. This broad-spectrum defense is what makes colostrum so beneficial for human use.
High-Efficacy Colostrum Supplements Yield Health Benefits
In order for colostrum to be effective, it must contain high levels of the active components, and it must be able to reach the cells with no compromise in bioactivity. A phospholipid coating, such as liposomal delivery, protects the colostrum from digestion and ensures that it can deliver the nutrients, growth factors, and antipathogenic action of colostrum to the cells.41 Raw fresh colostrum has a liposomal surrounding of the active, sensitive molecules, and so we know that this is critical for processed supplements. Only one processing plant in the world has been designed to process colostrum in a way that maintains integrity of the active components and verifies bioactivity and the presence of antibodies prior to distribution to consumers. If a colostrum supplement can't heal leaky gut syndrome, it's no better than powdered milk.
I've been working with physicians for over two decades in leaky gut and gastrointestinal health with phenomenal results. I've had some very significant reports from patients and physicians testifying to remission and restoration of damaged tissue in multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, and Alzheimer's disease. We believe this to be the result of the healing of leaky gut syndrome and the ability of colostrum's growth factors to help repair damaged tissue and organs. I recommend that physicians put their chronically ill patients – anyone with allergies, food sensitivities, autoimmune diseases, immune problems, cancer, heart disease, and so on – on colostrum as a first mode of treatment. I also suggest a gluten-free diet because gluten coats the villi in the small intestine, thereby trapping any pathogens in the infected area of the bowel. Colostrum can't destroy the pathogens if it can't reach them. The bowel needs to be reseeded with probiotics, and again colostrum is needed for the good bacteria to colonize. If leaky gut was the result of parasites, an antiparasitic cleanse is necessary, as colostrum does not destroy parasites.
Physicians with gluten-sensitive patients are particularly interested in colostrum. The Institute for Responsible Technology just came out with a report that confirms what I've believed for a long time. GMO foods are linked to leaky gut syndrome and may also trigger or exacerbate gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease.42 Of the nine GMO food crops grown for human consumption containing high levels of Bt toxin, corn and corn oil are most widely consumed in the US and Mexico. The Bt toxin was designed to puncture holes in insects' digestive tracts, and studies have demonstrated this in human cells as well.43 Bt toxin may be related to leaky gut syndrome, and as a whole, GM foods may be contributing to the rise in gluten sensitivity.
"Colostrum is the ideal solution for leaky gut syndrome. Its components prevent and heal GI damage. Unless the gut is healed, the body cannot begin the process of repair" (Donald Henderson, MD, MPH, UCLA professor of medicine).30 If you heal the gut, stop the crossover of toxins, and detoxify the body, then you're going to see a starting point from which you can begin eliminating multiple symptoms and narrowing down a process and a pathway to wellness. Recommended dosing is 1 teaspoon colostrum mixed with water on an empty stomach 30 minutes before meals and before bedtime. Results are typically achieved within 30 days, and regular use is required to maintain benefits.
Common practice dictates that practitioners perform allergy/food sensitivity tests and recommend a food elimination program to heal leaky gut. Foods are not the cause of leaky gut. They're the symptom of leaky gut. That is the proof that leaky gut exists, and I believe that every patient who walks through your door with a chronic disease complaint has leaky gut syndrome. If you haven't put colostrum into your practice, or you have put colostrum in your practice before and you didn't get results, you really need to take a look at the fact that not all colostrum on the market is equal. Not all colostrum is processed to ensure the bioactivity of the beneficial components. And if they're not bioactive, they're not going to provide the kind of results that I'm talking about in this article.
Conclusion
Often misunderstood and nearly always undiagnosed, leaky gut syndrome has become an epidemic in modern times, as evidenced by the epidemic of allergies and chronic diseases. The more public attention given to the overuse and abuse of pain medications and antibiotics is sure to drive home the message that physicians need a paradigm shift in treatment of chronically ill patients. When Hippocrates said that all disease begins in the gut, he was far ahead of his time. After 2000 years, we are just beginning to understand and accept this premise in modern medicine. If we understand and appreciate colostrum for the true gift that it is, we can utilize it for the healing and prevention of gastrointestinal distress and therefore, chronic toxicity; and in doing so, we will dramatically increase quality of life and reduce unnecessary death and disability.
Notes
1. Foreman J. why women are living in the discomfort zone. Wall Street Journal. January 31, 2014.
2. Heinerman J. Fascinating colostrum: an ancient food for modern times [blog entry]. Center for Nutritional Research. http://www.icnr.org/blog/13-home-page/43-fascinating-colostrum-an-ancient-food-for-modern-times. Accessed January 31, 2014. (Editor note: Bad link July 2014)
3. Borissenko M. Malaysia colostrum piglet clinical trial. Unpublished research. October 2004.
4. Playford RJ et al. Bovine colostrum is a health food supplement which prevents NSAID induced gut damage. Gut. 1999;44:653–658.
5. Playford RJ et al. Co-administration of the health food supplement, bovine colostrum, reduces the acute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced increase in intestinal permeability. Clin Sci (London). 2001 Jun;100(6):627–633.
6. Playford RJ et al. Colostrum and milk-derived peptide growth factors for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72:5–14.
7. Floren CH et al. ColoPlus, a new product based on bovine colostrum, alleviates HIV-associated diarrhea. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006;41(6):682–686.
8. Keech AM. Peptide Immunotherapy: Colostrum: A Physician's Reference Guide. AKS Publishing; 2010.
9. Tramèr MR et al. Quantitative estimation of rare adverse events which follow a biological progression: a new model applied to chronic NSAID use. Pain. 2000 Mar; 85(1–2):169–182.
10. Peery AF et al. Burden of Gastrointestinal Disease in the United States: 2012 Update. Gastroenterol. 2012;143(5):1179–1187.
11. James JT. A new, evidence-based estimate of patient harms associated with hospital care. J Patient Safety. 2013;9(3):122–128.
12. Deadly infections: how good is your hospital at preventing them? Consumer Reports. June 2011. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/12/deadly-infections/index.htm. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
13. Casey JA et al. High-density livestock operations, crop field application of manure, and risk of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in Pennsylvania. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Nov 25;173(21):1980–1990.
14. Kostich MS. Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals in effluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US and implications for risk estimation. Environ Pollution. 2014 Jan;184:354–359.
15. Srinivasan A. Hunting the nightmare bacteria. PBS Frontline interview. June 28, 2013.
16. Frequently asked questions [Web page]. Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Autoimmune Disease Research Center. http://autoimmune.pathology.jhmi.edu/faqs.cfm. Accessed January 30, 2014.
17. Szaniszlo P et al. New insights into clinical trial for Colostrinin in Alzheimer's disease. J Nutr Health Aging. 2009;13(3):235–241.
18. Liu Z et al. Tight junctions, leaky intestines, and pediatric diseases. Acta Paediatrica. 2005;94(4):386–393.
19. Maes M, Leunis JC. Normalization of leaky gut in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is accompanied by a clinical improvement: effects of age, duration of illness and the translocation of LPS from gram-negative bacteria. Neurol Endocrinol Lett. 2008;29(6):902–910.
20. Katz KD et al. Intestinal permeability in patients with Crohn's disease and their healthy relatives. Gastroenterology. 1989 Oct;97(4):927–931.
21. Maes M et al. The gut-brain barrier in major depression: intestinal mucosal dysfunction with an increased translocation of LPS from gram negative enterobacteria (leaky gut) plays a role in the inflammatory pathophysiology of depression. Neurol Endocrinol Lett. 2008 Feb;29(1):117–124.
22. Vaarala O. The gut immune system and type 1 diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Apr;958:39–46.
23. Jackson PG et al. Intestinal permeability in patients with eczema and food allergy. Lancet. 1981 June 13;1(8233):1285–1286.
24. Sharpstone D et al. Small intestinal transit, absorption, and permeability in patients with AIDS with and without diarrhoea. Gut. 1999 Jul;45(1):70–76.
25. Gecse K et al. Leaky gut in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome and inactive ulcerative colitis. Digestion. 2012;85(1):40–46.
26. Smith MD et al. Abnormal bowel permeability in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1985 Apr;12(2):299–305.
27. Munkholm P et al. Intestinal permeability in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and their first degree relatives. Gut. 1994 Jan;35(1):68–72.
28. Hamilton I et al. Small intestinal permeability in dermatological disease. Q J Med. 1985;56(221):559–567.
29. Kelly CP et al. Anti-Clostridium difficile bovine immunoglobulin concentrate inhibits cytotoxicity and enterotoxicity of C. difficile toxins. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1996;40:373–379.
30. Kim JW et al. Protective effects of bovine colostrum on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced intestinal damage in rats. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(1):103–107.
31. Henderson DR. Colostrum: Nature's Healing Miracle. CNR Publications; 2000.
32. Heinerman. Op cit.
33. Xu LB et al. Bovine immune colostrum against 17 strains of diarrhea bacteria and in vitro and in vivo effects of its specific IgG. Vaccine. 2006;24(12):2131–2140.
34. Van der Strate BW et al. Antiviral activities of lactoferrin. Antivir Res. 2001;52(3):225–239.
35. Acosta-Altamirano G et al. Anti-amoebic properties of human colostrum. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1987;216B:1347–1352.
36. Korhonen H et al. Bovine milk antibodies for health. Br J Nutr. 2000;84(Suppl.1):S135–S146.
37. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013.
38. Van Hooijdonk AC, Kussendrager KD, Steijns JM. In vivo antimicrobial and antiviral activity of components in bovine milk and colostrum involved in non-specific defence. Br J Nutr. 2000;84 Suppl 1:S127–S134.
39. Ellison RT III, Giehl TJ. Killing of gram-negative bacteria by lactoferrin and lysozyme. J Clin Invest. 1991;88(4):1080–1091.
40. McConnell MA et al. A comparison of IgG ad IgA activity in an early milk concentrate from non-immunized cows and a milk from hyperimmunized animals. Food Res Int. 2001;34:255–261.
41. Chrai SS et al. Liposomes (a review) part two: drug delivery systems. BioPharm. 2002 Jan:40–43. Drug targeting using liposomes as carriers holds promise for reducing toxicity and targeting delivery to disease sites.
42. Smith JM. Can genetically engineered foods explain the exploding gluten sensitivity? [online article]. Institute for Responsible Technology. http://responsibletechnology.org/glutenintroduction. Accessed February 10, 2014.
43. Mesnage R et al. Cytotoxicity on human cells of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac Bt insecticidal toxins alone or with a glyphosate-based herbicide. Journal of Applied Toxicology. 2013;33 (7):695–699.
Douglas Wyatt is the founder of Sovereign Laboratories LLC, a Sedona-based company dedicated to developing natural products that provide the public with the best solutions for optimal health. He is honored to be listed as the leading expert in colostrum and is credited with reintroducing bovine colostrum into human use. Additionally, he serves as the research director of the International Center of Nutritional Research, a not-for-profit institute dedicated to nutritional health, and is one of the leading figures in the natural products Industry. Doug is a leader in the research and a proponent of colostrum's unique and powerful healing components that show incredible promise for turning the tide on the prevention and treatment of the world's increasing chronic disease endemic. As a publisher, author, writer, scientist, and public speaker, Doug has appeared nationwide on television and radio shows and at health conventions worldwide. He is dedicated to the prevention of chronic disease through natural nutritional intervention and is working with the WHO (World Health Organization) and other internationally recognized research organizations on clinical trials on HIV/AIDS other infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and bowel health issues.
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