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Colostrum is the pre-milk produced by mammals after giving birth. Bovine colostrum is specifically from bovines, including cows. This early life nutrition is very yellow in color, colostrum is also known as “liquid gold” due to high beta-carotene content. Colostrum is thicker than regular milk and packed with vitamins, minerals, and bioactive nutrients that help develop a healthy immune system and gastrointestinal tract (the gut).

Like human babies, calves are not born with a fully developed immune system, so it’s vital that they get the colostrum they need to survive and thrive. Growth factors, immunoglobulins, bioactive proteins (such as proline-rich polypeptides), bovine milk oligosaccharides, antibodies, and more, are found to be especially rich in bovine colostrum.

Colostrum is the milk produced within the first 24-72 hours after mammalian birth. It provides all of the essential nutrients and antibodies newborn mammals need in order to develop a healthy immune system and gut. It is very thick and yellow, hence its nickname “liquid gold.”

Then, transitional milk takes over, which is the transition between colostrum and what we know as the “whole milk” that cows produce. This is still slightly yellowish in color, but starts to become more white.

Finally, the mature bovine milk supply is established. Cow’s milk is high-volume, white in color, and provides all the nutrients we know and love such as vitamin d, calcium, and protein.

One of the main differences is that bovine colostrum actually contains less lactose than human colostrum. Did you know that human colostrum actually contains the highest amount of lactose for any species?!

When it comes to immunoglobulins, human colostrum consists primarily immunoglobulin A (IgA). Bovine colostrum contains a multitude of immunoglobulins including IgA, IgG, IgE, IgD and many more.

Bovine colostrum also contains 40 times more antibodies than human colostrum!