Features

Also known as "first milk", colostrum is the first product of secretion of the mammalian mammary gland, formed in the last weeks of gestation and taken by the newborn in the very first phase (1-3 days) of attack to the breast or whipped milk. Then there is a period in which milk called "transitional" is produced to end with the obtaining of the mature milk.

Compared to the latter, colostrum has opposite characteristics: it is particularly dense and yellowish in colour and, also from the point of view of nutritional profile, there are substantial differences: it contains less lactose, a higher percentage of protein, a high dose of vitamins (A, D, E, B12) and minerals (Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Phosphorus, Zinc), growth factors, bioactive peptides, lysozyme, cytokines and other essential components to better guide the development of the organism from the first moments of life.

The presence of antibodies, vitamins and growth factors makes it a true natural food with very high biological properties, which enables the newborn baby to reduce the risk of contracting diseases and illnesses and at the same time makes its growth more adequate.

Colostrum and immune system

Among the many lines of research, colostrum is under the magnifying glass of numerous scientific and academic realities regarding its involvement in the phenomenon of passive immunity. What do you mean? We know that at birth the newborn has an essentially "virgin" intestinal tract, devoid of microbial flora and immune cells "ready for use", which play the role of surveillance. Being without it is critical for the newborn, exposed to a new world that can also be fatal if not adequately contrasted.

For this reason, the moments following childbirth become crucial for the population and differentiation of the microbiota and to activate the first lines of defence; they constitute the starting point to acquire and define the characteristics of your immune system.

Colostrum is the first real "food" with which the gastroenteric apparatus comes in contact inducing, once just in the alimentary channel, a series of signals on the gastric and intestinal mucosa, modulating the expression of inflammatory genes activated as a result of exposure to pathogens, promoting the development of lymphocytes, immunoglobulins type G and A (responsible for systemic and local surveillance), macrophages and cytokines.

Beyond the nutritional aspects, colostrum is a real immune pool!

Colostrum, precious and irreplaceable

The most well-known component, which in recent times has enjoyed a considerable clamour is lactoferrin, a glycoprotein with multiple and proven properties that, in the specific case of colostrum, seems to be the main cause of the effects previously exposed: orchestrating the processes of growth and differentiation of specific lymphocyte lines is in fact an excellent immunomodulating.

Added to this is the ability to counter viral infection, preventing virus contact with cell walls, while destabilizing the external structures of the pathogen. Finally, let us not forget the main role played by this protein, that is, the iron carrier function, which for many pathogenic organisms is one of the most important elements for proliferation, which are consequently deprived of it. As a whole, lactoferrin is thus configured as a key molecule in the articulated immunological scenario.

Usage

In light of this, colostrum would be used in fields ranging from clinical to sports, in which the immunostimulating, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action could play an important role. For example, in children, as well as in the elderly, where immune efficiency is often poor or impaired, infections of the respiratory and intestinal tract can occur that affect the physical and functional integrity of the mucous membranes, with often serious outcomes. Let’s also not forget the sportsman, subject to frequent - and sometimes excessive - physical activity, which can be reflected in a collapse of the immune system, resulting in more susceptibility to attack pathogens. 

Even the average user, in any case, could take advantage of it to get that immunological boost, prevent flu states or rebalance the microbial flora.

Conclusions

As we have seen, colostrum and its role in human physiology are undoubtedly hot and of particular interest. However, despite the promising mechanisms highlighted in many studies, the data available on the effectiveness of targeted integration are not yet sufficiently concrete and therefore require further study. It is therefore necessary to specify how the EFSA does not currently authorise any claim concerning the effects of the intake, limiting the treatment to a single disclosure purpose.

Bibliography

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