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Colostrum

By Jesse Kornbluth
Published: Jun 18, 2017
Category: Health

UPDATE: I’m no scientist, but after reading this New York Times article, I’m not likely to miss a day of Colostrum.

Gwyneth Paltrow is all over “leaky gut.”

The Wikipedia entry begins with this sentence: “Leaky gut syndrome is a hypothetical, medically unrecognized condition.”

If I spent a minute searching, I’m sure I could find a third strike against the latest in an endless series of treatments for over-privileged First World neurotics.

The thing is, I’ve now been taking Colostrum for “leaky gut” — the unfortunate marketing term for “increased intestinal permeability” — for two years. And while I can’t prove it’s the reason I’m feeling more energetic and cheerful — there have been several encouraging life developments recently — I unfailingly put a spoonful of white powder in small glass of first thing each morning. (Don’t like the taste? Put it in a little orange juice.)

I’m an idiot at science. But I’m willing to endorse the wisdom of Hippocrates: “All disease begins in the gut.” Ok, not genetic disease, but in 400 BC, nobody was thinking about that.

Colostrum, as mothers know, is the first food that women make. It’s thus the first liquid available to the newborn baby. As it contains antibodies and is high in protein, it works in the gut to stabilize the baby’s digestive system and protect the newborn against disease — it’s sometimes described as “the seed of the immune system.” Watch….

Colostrum is said to be useful for adults because it deals with the bacteria in our digestive tracks — bacteria that is there in all of us in large quantities, even those of us with innards as pristine as Gwyneth Paltrow’s. As the lining of our digestive tracts is porous, some bacteria leaks out. Our immune systems send soldiers to fight them, but not before there’s inflammation. And our immune systems pay a price for these battles. In this story, Colostrum comes to the rescue.

There are many ways to take Colostrum. I like the advice I got: lightly vanilla-flavored bovine powder, dissolved in water. Of the powders, the superior brand seems to be Sovereign Laboratories, which produces Colostrum “from only pasture-raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free cows that is tested and certified free of other hormones and pesticides. The milk used to make Sovereign Laboratories Colostrum is obtained only after calves have gotten all the first milk they require (you won’t be stealing some poor calf’s immune system).”

Sovereign colostrum isn’t cheap, but a 16-ounce package lasts two months. And you can buy it in smaller quantities. [To buy what I bet will be the “starter kit” — 6 ounces — of Sovereign Colostrum from Amazon, click here.]

Does “leaky gut” cause chronic inflammation throughout the body? Can it be the trigger for chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, migraines and multiple sclerosis? For many health professionals, such claims are ludicrous. I don’t have a point-of-view or any medical expertise. All I know is: I’m feeling good today.