Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by mammals, including humans, immediately following the birth of a newborn. Colostrum is vital for newborn mammals. Although many parents, especially breastfeeding moms are aware of the highly nutritious first milk, using colostrum for health purposes had/has largely fallen by the wayside. Here’s why, before the commercialization of dairy in the late 1800s, Americans sourced all their dairy needs from their own Family milk cow, a neighbor’s family milk cow or small family-owned dairies. And all milk was raw.  Colostrum was highly valued as a nutritious food and even medicine. Farmers would share the highly nutritious colostrum from their cows with neighbors, especially those neighbors that had young children. It was a great honor to receive some of a neighbor’s prized colostrum as a gift. Colostrum was also highly valued during the civil war for its regeneration and restorative properties and at the time was used as a natural antibiotic. 

During America’s industrial revolution when pasteurization was required for the sale of raw milk, colostrum was no longer valued as a food source because it could not be pasteurized and monetized. Colostrum when heated turns into a custard type consistency because it has an extremely high concentration of whey proteins and immunoglobulins (antibodies) compared to regular milk. When it is heated these proteins unfold and rearrange themselves and coagulate into a soft jell. 

Colostrum has become increasingly popular in recent years as a supplement with potential health benefits for people of all ages. These supplements are available in powdered form, much like protein powder, or as capsules. I believe I have even seen one colostrum supplement marketed as a hot chocolate mix. While I have not tried any of these supplements, I can be almost certain that they taste better than the large chalky tasting chewable colostrum pills that my siblings and I had to take during our growing up years!