Mothers worry about children’s illness. Once the child is ill, mothers will look everywhere for various ways to enhance children’s immunity. Bovine colostrum, which has always claimed many benefits, inevitably does not attract mothers’ attention.
Many mothers are asking, is the [bovine colostrum] that is so popular on the market really so good?
Ding Ma went to check it out specially. At the beginning, the merchants all said: [Enhance immunity] [Promote development] and so on. The benefits should not be too much. Infant food added with bovine colostrum was once sold very well. Of course, the price is also much higher than that of ordinary milk powder.
However, later, the State Health and Planning Commission issued a public announcement:
Starting from September 1, 2012, bovine colostrum and dairy products made from bovine colostrum will not be added to infant formula foods.
Everyone felt very strange after watching it. Isn’t there so many benefits? Why is it banned again?
Let’s come together for this reason.
Is bovine colostrum what?
[Colostrum] is the milk secreted by human or other mammals in the first few days after delivery, including human colostrum, bovine colostrum, sheep colostrum, etc.
Colostrum is obviously different from the later [mature milk]. It is milky yellow and sticky in appearance.
From the composition point of view, the protein content in human colostrum is much higher than that in later mature milk, but the fat and carbohydrate content are very low.
Most importantly, it contains a large amount of immunoglobulin, white blood cells, lactoferrin, growth factors, etc. However, the intestinal tract of the newborn baby is not fully developed. These biological macromolecules can directly enter the blood to exert immune function and make the baby less sick.
Obviously, human colostrum is good for newborn babies and bovine colostrum is also good for newborn calves.
Then the question arises:
Can bovine colostrum enhance human immunity?
First of all, it should be clear that human colostrum is different from cow colostrum.
For example, the content of protein and immune protein in bovine colostrum is much higher than that in human colostrum, but the immune protein in bovine colostrum is different from that in human-bovine colostrum is mainly immunoglobulin G (IgG), while human colostrum is mainly immunoglobulin A (IgA).
1. Babies do not need
In fact, LGG can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta, so under normal circumstances, there is no shortage in the body after the baby is born, so bovine colostrum is of no value to the baby.
In addition, IgA, which plays an important role in infant immunity, cannot be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta and can only be obtained by breast milk after birth. As the main component of the body’s defense system, IgA covers the surface of human tissue mucosa and is the first line of defense against pathogens.
IgA can only be obtained from breast milk after birth. LgA in breast milk will persist, So as long as we stick to breastfeeding, It can be continuously obtained from the mother. One of the most important characteristics of IgA in breast milk is that it will not be digested into small molecules by the intestinal tract, but can be absorbed into blood by the intestinal tract to play an immune role. Some studies have shown that newborns fed exclusively breast milk are less likely to suffer from diarrhea, respiratory tract and skin infection than formula milk.
2. Older children don’t need it,
The intestinal tract of older children is gradually developed and perfected, and biological macromolecules such as immune proteins and growth factors can no longer enter the blood through the intestinal wall. After digestion and absorption, their value is no different from that of ordinary proteins and has no special nutritional value.
To sum up, the IgG that bovine colostrum can provide is available to the baby himself, which is unnecessary to supplement, but the IgA that the baby needs cannot be provided. It’s useless for the big baby to supplement it.
Therefore, at present, there is not enough evidence to prove that bovine colostrum can enhance the immunity of normal infants.
Is bovine colostrum safe?
For adults and children with well-developed digestive system, qualified and standardized bovine colostrum products are still safe.
However, there are some problems that need attention:
- The proportion of protein in bovine colostrum is inappropriate and contains a large amount of IgG protein, which may bring additional allergic risks and additional burden to the baby’s kidney. The nutrient elements in bovine colostrum are not comprehensive and cannot replace breast milk or formula milk. Children who are allergic to milk will also be allergic to bovine colostrum. The estrogen content in bovine colostrum is higher than that in mature milk, which means that children will consume more estrogen. However, considering the high price of bovine colostrum, the average family will not give their children too much, so the possibility of precocious puberty is unlikely.
In other words, compared with ordinary milk, bovine colostrum has no higher nutritional value, but has some potential dangers. Can you not eat it or not?
Especially for infants under 6 months old, they should not try.
Is it necessary for babies with low immunity to supplement?
Many mothers think that their babies always look prone to illness, and they think that their babies have low immunity.
In fact, the baby’s low immunity is mostly an illusion, generally because the baby’s immunity is not yet mature and cannot resist pathogens like adults, so it seems more likely to get sick than adults.
At this time, appropriate supplement of some foods or health products rich in LGG and the like will have some effect on the prevention of diseases, because LGG will cling to the pathogen and end up with it, and at the same time sacrifice itself. This is called [passive immunity], but the immune effect thus achieved is only temporary, and there may be other risks when supplementing, so the cost performance may not be high.
Therefore, we should pay more attention to children’s [active immunity], so that children can establish their own immune system, which can be better lower than the invasion of various pathogens.
Why does the government issue a ban on bovine colostrum?
In fact, we should take a closer look. The ban only refers to [banning the addition of bovine colostrum to infant formula], not [banning bovine colostrum].
There is a professional knowledge here. The things added to infant formula food mainly include two principles:
- First, there is sufficient evidence to prove that it is safe and beneficial. The second is to simulate breast milk.
Adding bovine colostrum to infant food does not conform to any of the above.
- As mentioned earlier, there is not sufficient scientific evidence for the so-called [immunity enhancement] effect, and bovine colostrum is complex in composition, and there is not enough evidence to show that it is safe at present. Compared with human colostrum and breast milk, the composition of bovine colostrum is also very different, and naturally there is no way to talk about [simulated breast milk].
Of course, it is forbidden to add it.
In short, banning the addition of bovine colostrum to infant formula foods is a cautious measure to protect children, and at the same time it can also prevent unscrupulous businesses from using gimmicks to hype up.
After all, can I eat bovine colostrum?
In short, for bovine colostrum, infants should not eat it, and adults and older children do not need to eat it.
Moreover, since there is no clear national standard for bovine colostrum, the quality and safety of the bovine colostrum bought depends entirely on the conscience of the merchants.
Therefore, if you really want to eat, you should also choose a reputable merchant. Just follow the instructions and eat. Don’t expect what to work. The key is not to rely on bovine colostrum to enhance children’s immunity.