A 100% naturally sourced product is popping up all over social media right now and it is none other than colostrum. You know the first milk after a baby is born. Not only do humans make colostrum, but all mammals do. Colostrum is extremely nutrient-dense and high in antibodies and antioxidants from the mother's immune system. 

Colostrum lasts for the first 2-4 days and then changes to breast milk. Colostrum is thicker and more yellow than traditional breast milk. Colostrum is one of the reasons that breast is best. Colostrum is great for newborns, but in recent years has also been found to be beneficial for children, adults, and even pets. 

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When it comes to human babies, colostrum is extremely important for their immune system development. If you struggle to breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed, many breastfeeding consultants (like myself) will encourage you to express the colostrum by hand because your baby will really benefit from consuming it. It is very hard to pump colostrum due to its thickness. If you choose to hand express, a midwife, breastfeeding consultant, or doula will be able to help you. 

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Now you may be wondering, what is found in colostrum that makes it so great. 

Colostrum is found to have immunoglobulin A (a very important antibody), lactoferrin (a protein that helps fight infections), white blood cells, epidermal growth factor (a protein that stimulates cell growth), antioxidants, vitamin A, magnesium, copper, and zinc. 

Sounds awesome, right! Just another reason that mothers are absolutely amazing and that their bodies should be celebrated immensely! 

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So it's great for babies, but why would an adult need to take it? 

There are many reasons an adult may consider taking colostrum. Some of those are chronic illness, autoimmune disease, GI issues, chronic pain, inflammation, weakened immune system, preventing illness, allergy relief, metabolism, skin issues, hair loss, etc. 

There was one study done regarding colostrum vs the flu vaccine. In this study, the results showed that the colostrum consumers had fewer flu episodes than those who got the vaccine. I have linked this study below, along with a list of studies that ARMRA (the colostrum company that is trending right now) put together. 

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So maybe you are interested in trying colostrum and need to know which brands are good. Well, that's crazy because I have 2 that I have tried and recommend. 

The first one is the most popular colostrum brand on the market, every influencer is using it right now, and that is ARMRA. ARMRA has two different colostrums to choose from, immune revival and performance revival. The Immune Revival is great for everyday use and comes in 3 different flavors (at the moment, they sometimes have seasonal flavors). The Performance Revival is to be taken after working out. The Performance Revival comes in one flavor, chocolate. 

The second one is my personal favorite colostrum brand. I aligned with their values wholeheartedly. Their cows are pasture-raised and are not given any GMO corn, rBST r(BGH), antibiotics, hormones, or mRNA vaccines. They make sure that the calves get the colostrum first before collecting the surplus. They test their colostrum for heavy metals, glyphosate, and pesticides and they only use the colostrum that passes the tests. Their colostrum is left unstripped and full of fat. They are more budget-friendly than their competitors and have substantial serving sizes in each jar. This brand has 2 flavors of colostrum, unflavored and vanilla. Both are lovely by themselves and mixed in with other drinks. You know I only ever recommend and work with products that I have tried and love, that is why I am writing a massive paragraph about this company. My favorite Colostrum brand is none other than Cowboy Colostrum. I also have a lovely discount code for you all to use when buying your first jar of Cowboy Colostrum. The code is "AUBREY" and it will get you a nice 15% off your purchase. If you have children, you can also give them Cowboy Colostrum. It is extremely beneficial for going back to school and preventing sickness. You can also take colostrum if you are pregnant and/or breastfeeding. 

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The benefits of colostrum are fantastic for babies, children, adults, and pets. But we haven't talked about the pets yet. Puppies and kittens get colostrum from their mothers after they are born. Just like human colostrum, animal colostrum passes along antibodies to the babies. Often times you will not need to supplement colostrum to newborn animals unless the mother is unable to. So when would you give colostrum to a pet? You may want to give your dog or cat colostrum if you board them, take them to a groomer, during cold season, for allergies, before they undergo an operation, if they have GI issues, and for general immune support. A couple of great brands of colostrum for your pet are BioStar K9 and Mt. Capra. 

As always, happy menstruating! 

Sources: 

List of Studies regarding colostrum

Flu Vaccine vs Colostrum Study