What is Colostrum
What's Colostrum
Colostrum is often called “first milk”, a term that perfectly describes this particular substance – colostrum is produced by female mammals during late pregnancy and in the first few days after giving birth. The purpose of colostrum being to supply the newborn with the essential nutrients they require to build up a healthy immune system and to ensure they do not suffer from any type of nutritional deficiencies early on in their lives.
Although colostrum can be produced by all female mammals, we are focusing on Bovine Colostrum. The reason being research has shown that the molecular structure of bovine colostrum is identical to human colostrum making it easy for the body to absorb and utilise.
As calves are born without any immunity to airborne, disease-causing organisms, their mother’s colostrum must contain a very large amount of immune and health factors. As a result, bovine colostrum has 10 – 20 times the natural factors of human Colostrum, making it the richest source of Colostrum available.
There are over 90 biologically active components that make up colostrum. These include immune and growth factors, enzymes, antibodies and, of course, many other nutrients that the human body requires for optimum function. Importantly, MIP Colostrum is produced in a way that preserves and enhances the bioavailability of these components.
The Body’s First Defence
When a baby is born – any baby, be it a human or animal– their immune and digestive systems are not yet fully functional. For this reason, a newborn is unable to consume the same foods and drinks as a mature person. Furthermore, newborns are at a higher risk of developing digestive problems and are more susceptible to illness as their immune system is weak and cannot block pathogenic microorganisms from entering their body – this can then lead to infections, viruses and disease.
This is where colostrum comes into play. Before a child is born, the mammary glands of a female mammal begin to produce the milk-like substance, known as colostrum. It does not contain the same fats as regular milk and thus it is much easier for the newborn baby’s digestive system to digest and process.
A Convenient Source of Immune and Growth Factors
Furthermore, colostrum contains numerous bioactive components, such as immune and growth factors, antibodies and enzymes. This rich source of components strengthens the baby’s immune system and helps their digestive system work more efficiently.
It essentially works as a way of transferring important immune and growth factors from mother to newborn and thus serves as an essential food source for newborn babies. It gives their bodies the ability to fight against harmful pathogenic micro-organisms, and to build their digestive systems to help them process things such as milk.
