What Is Colostrum? Pros Weigh In on the Supplement Trend Taking Over Social Media [Video]

Colostrum’s exact composition, as in the concentrations of specific antibodies, growth factors, and proteins, changes based on the species it’s coming from—though Manaker says all colostrum produced by mammals serves the same basic purpose of providing newborns with nutrients and immune protection. “These variations ensure that colostrum is tailored to meet the unique immunological and developmental needs of the offspring,” she says, “depending on the species.”

Colostrum supplements are typically made from bovine colostrum. Says Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, “Products mostly use bovine colostrum due to its availability and rich composition of immune factors and growth factors that are beneficial for both humans and animals.”

Anate Brauer, MD, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist at RMA New Yorkin New York City, says that human and bovine colostrum contain antibodies (particularly the immunoglobulins IgA, IgG, IgM), proteins (lactoferrin and cytokines), and bioactive molecules, but that bovine colostrum has higher protein levels …