- Bovine colostrum supplements, also known as “liquid gold,” are growing in popularity, in part due to promotion from wellness influencers on social media platforms like TikTok.
- Bovine colostrum is the first milk produced by cows in the days after giving birth.
- Proponents of bovine colostrum claim the supplement can provide several health benefits, including improved gut health, athletic performance, and recovery.
- Experts say quality research to support these claims is limited and recommend proceeding with caution and managed expectations, especially if you have specific conditions.
Wellness influencers, celebrities, and social media content creators are touting the benefits of bovine colostrum supplements.
Nicknamed “liquid gold,” these supplements are made from the first milk a cow produces after giving birth.
“It’s filled with antibodies, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that help newborn calves strengthen their immune system, grow, and stay healthy,” explains Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN.
Humans also produce colostrum after giving birth, with the first thick breast milk also containing nutrients and antibodies that nourish and protect newborns from infections.
Yet bovine colostrum and human colostrum are not the same.
“To put it simply, human colostrum has evolved to benefit a human infant, and bovine colostrum to benefit a bovine animal,” Pasquariello says. “Bovine colostrum contains IgG…as the dominant immunoglobulin, while in human colostrum, IgA is the most prevalent. Bovine colostrum is overall higher in immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and total protein content.”
Nevertheless, bovine colostrum supplements are growing in popularity. The substance is claimed to provide several health benefits, including strengthening immunity, improving gut health, boosting athletic performance, and aiding recovery.
However, unlike the benefits of human colostrum for human newborns, the data and evolutionary evidence supporting bovine colostrum for human adults are mixed, limited, or non-existent, according to dietitians and researchers.
Here’s what we know about the evidence supporting the most commonly touted health benefits of bovine colostrum.
Strengthen immunity
Bovine colostrum contains immuno-active compounds, explains Lacy Puttuck, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching. Puttuck says these include:
- Enzymes
- Cytokines
- Immunoglobulins
Puttuck points to a narrative review from 2024 that included data on newborns through adults aged 69, suggesting that bovine colostrum supplementation might increase the ability to fight respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.
Much older research from 2006 on 35 male distance runners suggested participants who were supplemented with bovine colostrum had more immune biomarkers and reported fewer upper respiratory symptoms.
However, the study was small, involved one population and sex, and relied on self-reported symptom data.
Additionally, improved biomarkers (collected using saliva samples) don’t necessarily mean fewer days of illness.
“Bovine colostrum is rich in immune-boosting elements like IgG, but its effect on human immunity needs more research to confirm whether it boosts immunity in adults,” says Chris Mohr, Ph.D., RD, a fitness and nutrition advisor at Fortune Recommends Health.
Pasquariello agrees.
“This is different from saying that maternal colostrum from a human enhances immune response in a human infant, which is true, but as a supplement, there’s no real evidence here,” Pasquariello says.
Pasquariello adds that the oft-cited research doesn’t randomize the population or account for other potential factors for immune health, making it hard to apply them to a general population.
Athletic recovery and performance
Puttuck explains that the theory behind this one stems from the fact that bovine colostrum contains insulin-like growth factors (IgF-1 and IgF-2) that might improve muscle recovery, performance, and growth.
However, more studies are needed to support this claim, too, says Sheri Gaw, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for Dietitian Insights.
Gaw points to a 2018 six-week study of soccer players that indicated that 3.5-gram daily doses of bovine colostrum reduced muscle soreness and boosted performance.
More recently, a 2021 narrative review indicated that some studies suggested that bovine colostrum might help with body composition and recovery. However, the research was limited, and study designs didn’t account for other variables.
Gut health
Improved gut health is considered a benefit of nursing a human newborn in the first days of life. However, bovine colostrum is also being touted as a gut-health booster.
A 2021 review indicated that research on bovine colostrum’s effectiveness in treating and preventing gastrointestinal diseases was “building.”
However, a 2022 systematic review suggested that bovine colostrum might help counteract gut permeability in high-performance athletes but that more, better-designed research was needed to assess safety and effectiveness.
Mohr and Pasquariello say there simply isn’t enough evidence at this time to support the claims of improved gut health.
Health risks associated with bovine colostrum supplements
Mohr cautions that it’s possible to experience negative side effects from bovine colostrum supplements. Among the most common are:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
Mohr recommends that people with lactose intolerance or milk allergies steer clear and people with heart and autoimmune disorders or who are on medications speak with a healthcare professional before they begin taking any supplement.
Gaw agrees.
“Always discuss your interest in taking a new supplement with your doctor, pharmacist, or dietitian first, as it may interfere with other supplements or medications or just might not be needed,” Gaw says.
“Getting to know a supplement before taking it is important because if you understand what you’re using, you can balance its benefits against any potential risks,” Pasquariello adds. “This prevents unnecessary spending and protects against possible negative reactions or conflicts with other medications or existing health conditions.”
Takeaway
Bovine colostrum supplements, also known as “liquid gold,” are growing in popularity, in part due to promotion from wellness influencers on social media platforms like TikTok.
Bovine colostrum is the first milk produced by cows in the days after giving birth.
Proponents of bovine colostrum claim the supplement can provide several health benefits, including improved gut health, athletic performance, and recovery.
Experts say quality research to support these claims is limited and recommend proceeding with caution and managed expectations, especially if you have specific conditions.
