Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum · Bovine colostrum supplementation

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Diarrhea¹ Upper respiratory infections² Exercise-related gut permeability³ Lower-body power in athletes⁴	Cow's milk allergy⁵ Hormone-sensitive cancer¹

Bovine colostrum is the milk cows produce in the first days after calving, rich in immunoglobulins, growth factors, and cytokines¹. The mechanism is unclear, though the high immunoglobulin content may account for its effects¹. People take it to support gut barrier and immune function, with use in diarrhea¹, upper respiratory infections², and exercise-related gut permeability in athletes³.

A trial in medical students reported fewer symptomatic days of upper respiratory infection, and a rugby trial found benefit limited to lower-body power. In 2020, a blinded single-center trial of a colostrum, lactobacilli, and larch arabinogalactan combination reported symptom improvement in irritable bowel syndrome; colostrum was not tested alone⁶. Products listing bovine colostrum are sold as capsules, tablets, and powders; see Form comparison.

Milk allergy is the central exclusion because the product is cow's milk; anaphylaxis occurred in a teenager with cow's milk allergy after a colostrum-based cream¹. Health Canada label statements ask for a practitioner's advice before use with diabetes, pregnancy, or immunosuppressive medication⁵.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

41 sources, 30 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources