It has become increasingly popular in recent years – but the claims do not necessarily add up
A doctor has urged individuals taking colostrum supplements to scrutinise their contents and the claims made about their benefits. Dr Rachel Woods, a lecturer in Physiology at Lincoln Medical School, suggests that people might be consuming these supplements with unrealistic expectations of their health benefits.
Colostrum, also known as foremilk, is the first form of breast milk produced during pregnancy and shortly after childbirth. It is often referred to as ‘liquid gold’ due to its thick, yellowish hue and nutrient-rich composition.
This initial milk is considered crucial nourishment for a newborn being breastfed. It is lower in fat and sugar, making it easier for newborns to digest. It also plays a pivotal role in developing a baby’s immune and digestive systems and maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
In recent years, various companies have transformed colostrum into a supplement, including Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s Lemme range. However, Dr Woods cautions that these products may not live up to the hype.
“Babies and adults have very different nutritional needs,” she wrote in The Conversation. “What is essential for a baby is not automatically useful or necessary for an adult body.”
While colostrum has undeniable benefits in early life, the versions sold to adults can be processed, flavoured, and taken in much smaller amounts. That is why it is important to look closely at what these products contain and what their marketing suggests they can do.
“Colostrum-based supplements are often promoted using persuasive wellness language and health-related suggestions, but scientific evidence for their effectiveness in adults remains limited, early and often based on small studies involving specific groups rather than healthy people,” Dr Woods continued.
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She explained that consuming colostrum will not automatically bolster a healthy adult’s immune system. It works for newborn babies because their immune systems are underdeveloped due to their tender age.
“The idea of “boosting” immunity – a phrase used in promotional material for Kardashian Barker’s Lemme colostrum supplements – is common in wellness marketing, but it can be misleading,” she wrote.
“A healthy immune system doesn’t usually need boosting, and an overactive one can cause harm by attacking the body’s own tissues, as happens in autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.”
Tackling assertions that intestinal permeability, sometimes called “leaky gut”, could be lessened by bovine colostrum, she noted that the research ‘involved only a small number of participants in specific contexts, not healthy adults in everyday life’. She emphasised that additional trials would be necessary to validate such a claim.
Dr Woods also pointed out that trendy phrases such as ‘full-body wellness’ and ‘glowing system’ were vague terms without precise meanings, while the expression ‘clinically studied’ does not mean ‘clinically proven’.
“Colostrum is extraordinary for newborns. Nature designed it to protect babies during their most vulnerable days. For adults, however, there is no strong evidence from large, well-designed trials that colostrum supplements improve skin, digestion or immunity in healthy individuals,” she said.