Colostrum and Multi Vitamins

October 7, 2009; By Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith

Filed Under: Bovine Colostrum  Immune Booster  

Dear consumer,

Your inquiry regarding routine dietary supplementation with colostrum and the use of multi-vitamins has been forwarded to me. I am a business and technology consultant with extensive knowledge regarding the formation of bovine colostrum and its applications in humans and animals.

In addition to the many health-related benefits that can be realized by routine dietary supplementation with a high quality first milking bovine colostrum, like that used in Immune- Tree’s products, such supplementation is also very supportive to absorption and utilization of certain vitamins and minerals by the body.



Bovine colostrum is not considered to be a major source of vitamins. Since many of the functions associated with colostrum ingestion are largely anabolic (involved in growth and repair), vitamins are not required in large amounts. However, colostrum does contain small amounts of vitamins A, C, E, and D and many of the B vitamins. Certain vitamins, particularly the B vitamins, and many minerals must be attached to specialized carrier proteins for proper absorption. Colostrum does contain the appropriate specialized carrier proteins for the B vitamins, insuring that they are assimilated and available for use in the body.

Bovine colostrum also contains small amounts of many different minerals and trace minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chromium, zinc, and others. A specialized protein found in colostrum, lactoferrin, binds minerals such as iron and copper very efficiently and transports them from the small intestine into the bloodstream. In addition, another protein found in large amounts in colostrum, casein, serves as an excellent carrier protein for calcium, making it more absorbable by the body.

I hope that the above information is useful and answers your questions.
To your good health - always.

Sincerely,

Alfred E. Fox, Ph.D.

Dr. Alfred E. Fox holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Microbiology (Immunochemistry) and has more than 25 years of senior management experience at Carter-Wallace, Baxter Dade
Division and Warner-Lambert, where he was responsible for research and development and regulatory affairs. He was also the founder and president of two biotechnology companies focused on agribusiness and environmental monitoring, respectively. For the past 15 years, Dr. Fox has been the President of Fox Associates, a business and technology consulting firm serving small- to mid-size companies in the human and animal healthcare fields. He focuses primarily on marketing and regulatory issues and for the past 10 years has continuously consulted to bovine colostrum manufacturers, where he has gained regulatory approval for their products, been a technical advisor, helped design and develop marketing strategies and served as an expert witness in legal matters.

References:

Brock J; Lactoferrin, a multifunctional immunoregulatory protein, Immunology Today 1995; 16(9): 417-19.

Hurley WL; Animal Science 308 (on-line); The Neonate and Colostrum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne; 2000, 11 pgs. [http://classes.aces.uiuc.edu/AnSci308].

Sallh Y, et al; Mineral content of milk, colostrum and serum as affected by physiologic state and mineral supplementation, J Dairy Sci 1987; 70(3): 608-12.