Colostrum
Bos taurus (bovine colostrum)
Supplements. Modern nutrition.
Also called Bovine colostrum, First milk, Beestings
Pinyin: chū rǔ
Spanish: Calostro
Not for milk allergyThe first milk a cow makes after calving, dried into powder and sold to support immunity and the gut.
Did you know? Newborn calves get antibodies from colostrum because their gut lets large proteins pass through during the first hours after birth, then it closes over time.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Colds, flu & immunity. Small trials in people who train hard suggest fewer colds and breathing-tract symptoms, but the studies are few, small and of uneven quality.See the research: 205 studies in peoplePromising proof
- Digestion & gut health. In one small study of healthy men, colostrum blunted the rise in gut leakiness caused by an anti-inflammatory painkiller (indomethacin). A second group of people who take painkillers regularly showed no clear protection, so results are mixed.See the research: 76 studies in peoplePromising proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Many cultures have valued the first milk after birth. In parts of Britain, cooks made beestings pudding from a cow's first milk, and modern supplements grew out of dairy research in recent decades.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Immune balancer, Nutritive. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Doses vary widely across studies, so no single amount is proven. Products are usually mixed into water, juice or a shake as a powder, or taken as capsules. Choose a pasteurized product, since raw colostrum can carry germs.
Powder, capsule and food.
Where to get it
Colostrum comes from cows in the first few days after calving. It is collected, pasteurized and dried into powder or capsules, sold in stores and online. Ordinary milk has far less of the immune proteins found in colostrum.
Be careful
Side effects are mostly digestive, such as bloating, gas or loose stools, and people with lactose intolerance may react. Avoid it if you are allergic to cow's milk or pregnant, since pregnancy safety is not well studied, and choose a pasteurized brand because raw products can carry germs. In one trial of very preterm babies, brain white-matter injury (a type of brain injury seen on scans) was seen in 5 of 155 babies given colostrum and 0 of 181 in the other group. That gap was not statistically significant, so use colostrum in these babies only under a neonatal doctor's care.
Avoid if: cow's milk allergy; lactose intolerance; pregnancy; premature infants.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both are sold for gut and immune support. Few trials have tested them together.
- Works well together
Both are sold for gut lining support. Evidence for the pair is limited.
- Use cautionImmune-suppressing medicine (transplant drugs, some arthritis drugs)
Colostrum contains immune proteins. Its effect on people taking immune-suppressing drugs has not been well studied, so ask a doctor first.
The honest take
Colostrum is real milk with antibodies and growth factors, and a few studies suggest possible benefits for colds in athletes or for gut irritation from painkillers. The studies are small and of uneven quality. It does not replace vaccines or medical care for infections.
Sources
Each “See the research” link opens PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of medical studies, showing only trials and reviews done in people. The number tells you how much a use has been tested, not whether it worked. The proof rating tells you that.
Study counts checked October 2026.