Why Colostrum Supplements Could Be Beneficial For Adults Over 50

Yet another kind of supplement is trending: this time, it's colostrum supplements. If you haven't heard of colostrum, it's a nutrient-rich milk produced by the breast during pregnancy. When a baby is born, the colostrum supplies the newborn with immunoglobulin A (IgA) to protect against infection and create a healthy gut microbiome.

Now, people are turning to colostrum from cows to enhance their gut health and support their immune systems. As you get older, your cells begin to deteriorate, which results in chronic inflammation in the body. Older adults might benefit from taking colostrum supplements to reduce markers of inflammation, according to a 2024 review in Nutrients. Chronic inflammation can lead to age-related diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.

Colostrum supplements could also improve the strength of your bones and muscles, which also tend to weaken with age. You might also find that supplementing with colostrum could help your body recover from injury and infection.

Colostrum is not only richer in protein than mature breast milk, but also rich in antioxidants that help ward off free radicals and reduce oxidative stress that can damage the body. Colostrum has immunoglobulins and peptides such as lactoperoxidase that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. A 2023 study in Nutrients sought to determine whether supplementing with colostrum could improve the immune function of older adults. For 12 weeks, 26 people aged 50 to 69 took two servings of skim milk powder that had 150 milligrams of immunoglobulin G (IgG), while another 26 people consumed regular skim milk powder.

Those who drank the colostrum supplement saw significantly reduced markers of inflammation in their bodies. Colostrum supplementation also influenced how the body processes fats and amino acids, finding that colostrum milk involves the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway. Glycerophospholipids are a type of fat that keeps your cell membranes intact while also regulating the inflammatory response in your body.

A 2024 study in the International Dairy Journal had a similar protocol and study size, finding that drinking colostrum milk for 12 weeks can reduce body mass index, hip circumference, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Colostrum also improved their verbal memory.

Endurance athletes and bodybuilders have turned to colostrum supplements to improve their strength and performance, but older adults can also benefit from colostrum milk's strength-building potential. Older adults tend to lose muscle strength as they age, and their bones also become more susceptible to fracture.

A 2014 study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism tested the power of colostrum supplementation against whey protein powder. People whose average age was 60 took either 38 grams of whey protein or 60 grams of a colostrum supplement every day for eight weeks. They also participated in a strength training program involving 12 exercises three days a week. While both groups improved their bench press strength, muscle size, bone mineral content, and cognitive function, the colostrum group had a greater improvement in their leg strength and markers for bone health.

Because the studies that have shown the beneficial effects of colostrum have involved a small number of people, dietitians at the MD Anderson Cancer Center say more research is needed. Besides, supplements aren't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so there's no guarantee that you're getting enough colostrum in your bottle to produce much effect. Lastly, while taking colostrum is safe for most people who don't have a milk allergy, doctors told Today that colostrum from cows has IGF-1, which might promote some cancers.