If you have been thinking about taking bovine colostrum because it’s reported to enhance bodybuilding efforts and increase sports performance, you should know there is something else colostrum may increase: your risk of prostate cancer.
Bovine colostrum—the pre-milk fluid produced by a cow within the first few days of giving birth to her calf—is chock full of protein factors that can be helpful in protecting against some viruses and gastrointestinal disorders. One of those factors, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer and colorectal cancer in men, and lung cancer in both men and women.
According to the Physicians Desk Reference, colostrum contains IGF-1, and levels of this substance are elevated in men who have prostate cancer. A new study in Growth Hormone & IGF Research, for example, reports that “Several studies showed that high serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) correlate with an increased risk for prostate cancer,” although at this point the exact role of IGF-1 in prostate cancer has not been established.
The protein content of colostrum is about 4 times greater than the protein present in cow’s milk and includes a variety of immunoglobulins (e.g., IgG), IGFs, and substances that stimulate the immune system, such as lactoferrin and colostrinin. Bovine colostrum is used to boost the immune system and to treat diarrhea caused by rotavirus and several different bacteria. It has also shown some evidence that it can prevent damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and can treat distal colitis.
However, because of the uncertainty about the level of risk for prostate cancer associated with colostrum, it is recommended that anyone at risk for prostate cancer (as well as colorectal and lung cancers) “exercise caution in the use of bovine colostrum,” as warned by the PDR.
Sources
Greenberg PD, Cello JP. Treatment of severe diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDS. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 1996; 13(4): 348-54
Himpe E et al. Attenutation of IGF-1 receptor signaling inhibits serum-induced proliferation of prostate cancer cells. Growth Horm IGF Res 2011 Oct; 21(5): 252-59
Khan Z et l. Use of the nutriceutical, bovine colostrum, for the treatment of distal colitis: results from an initial study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2002; 16(11): 1917-22
PDR Health. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/bov_0082.shtml
Playford RJ et al. Co-administration of the health food supplement, bovine colostrums, reduces the acute non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced increase in intestinal permeability. Clin Sci (London) 2001; 100(6): 627-33
