6-Hour Colostrum: Gut Health & Leaky Gut Solution

by Carly Neubert, BA, NC on June 14, 2018

Dr. Oz is convinced that colostrum is the new frontier in gut health. He recommends DiaResQ, which has a small amount of colostrum, for occasional diarrhea. But what if you have long-term gut issues? Or what if you have Leaky Gut or an autoimmune disease? What if you want to optimize your immune health to combat more serious diseases such as cancer. DiaResQ probably doesn’t have an adequate dose of colostrum to help with those issues. A more potent dose of colostrum is necessary to address long-term issues.

Colostrum - Quick Overview

Colostrum is the first milk that comes from a mammalian mother (cows, humans, etc). Once she gives birth, her body produces milk for her offspring. The first milk that is produced is called colostrum. It is much more nutrient dense than the milk that she will produce in the coming days and weeks. The first 6-8 hours of milk is called “colostrum” while the milk after that is called “transitional milk.” According to Dr. Oz, colostrum contains many immune factors and over 200 nutrients that feed good bacteria within your body.

Colostrum supplements are among the strongest nutrients you can take to support your bacteria and immune system.

What to Look for When Purchasing Colostrum Supplements?

Look for a colostrum powder that is truly from the first 6-hours after a calf is birthed. Many other companies use “transitional milk” in their colostrum powders. Transitional milk contains far fewer nutrients and healthy fats when compared to true colostrum. Immune Tree Colostrum is the only supplement that has been verified to be 6-hour colostrum.

What Happens to the Baby Calves?

Studies have shown that calves will die within days if they do not receive colostrum. Luckily, mother cows produce more than enough colostrum for their babies, and to make colostrum supplements.

It is important to get colostrum from a grass-fed cow. Most conventionally raised cows are fattened up on GMO corn and soybeans, so their colostrum is full of genetically-modified proteins. Choose a brand that is sourced from grass-fed cows. Again, Immune Tree colostrum is ahead of the pack with their colostrum being sourced from herds of cows that are grass-fed.

How Much Should I Take?

Colostrum has many nutrients that activate your own immune cells. Start with a small dose and work your way up to a higher dose. If you start with a larger dose, you may activate your immune cells too much. You will experience a die-off reaction. This happens when your immune cells kill too many pathogens at one time. Your liver and lymph system become overwhelmed and you experience aches, fevers, chills, headaches, and sweats.

Do The Colostrum "Taste-test"

Colostrum is a white creamy powder. It can be added to beverages and taken directly in your mouth. You can also make paleo treats or fat bombs with added colostrum. I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon per day. You can slowly work up to 1 teaspoon taken 1-3 times per day.

Dr. Oz didn’t specifically mention Immune Tree colostrum, but I know what he was talking about. Immune Tree colostrum is the only legitimate 6-hour colostrum from grass-fed cows. All you have to do is a “taste-test.” You can perform your own experiment at home: purchase one container of Immune Tree colostrum and another from an inferior brand. Taste them side by side. You will notice the Immune Tree colostrum is much creamier and tastes fresh, while other brands are somewhat chalky and taste spoiled. This is because they are not truly 6-hour colostrum, but rather, transitional milk.

What is Zonulin and Why Does it Matter?

Zonulin is a fairly recent discovery. It is the hormone that is responsible for the spaces between your intestinal cells. The discovery of zonulin was one of the missing pieces in the Leaky Gut/Autoimmune disease mystery.

Zonulin can be your intestinal cells’ best friend by keeping tight junctions functioning and preventing Leaky Gut and autoimmune diseases. Zonulin can also be your worst enemy because it can open up too much space between your intestinal cells and your bloodstream.

The spaces between your intestinal cells are called tight junctions. Leaky Gut occurs when the tight junctions are no longer tight, but much too loose. An overproduction of zonulin leads to the tight junctions opening too wide. Once the junctions open too wide, large particles of food and toxins enter the bloodstream. After the large particles enter the bloodstream, your immune cells attack and create an immune reaction. As this process is repeated every day, at every meal, you end up with Leaky Gut and you can develop an autoimmune disease.

But why would your body produce too much zonulin? Studies show that parasitic infections and certain foods will trigger too much zonulin production.

What Foods Cause Too Much Zonulin?

Gluten and gliadin are the biggest triggers for zonulin. My clients often ask me how they can tell if they are allergic or sensitive to gluten. I tell them that everyone is sensitive to gluten to a certain degree. Your genetics determine how sensitive your cells will be to the presence of gluten. Some people are so sensitive to gluten that they have celiac disease, while other people don’t notice specific symptoms.

Every time you eat wheat, which has gluten and gliadin, you are triggering a flood of zonulin. Next time you pick up a cookie or piece of bread, consider this:

A study published in 2006 showed that ALL participants experienced a rise in zonulin after eating wheat, whether or not they had celiac disease. This means that everyone is affected by wheat/gluten.

A gluten-free diet is necessary to prevent and manage Leaky Gut and other autoimmune disorders. If your goal is optimal health, then ditch wheat altogether.

What are the Best Supplements for Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Disease?

You might be wondering how colostrum can help with Leaky Gut and autoimmune diseases? Colostrum binds to zonulin before it reaches the tight junctions between intestinal cells. If you are taking colostrum powder, zonulin doesn’t have an opportunity to cause Leaky Gut and resulting autoimmune diseases.

I recommend colostrum as a daily preventive for Leaky Gut and currently, Immune Tree has the 6-hour colostrum you'd want to try first. If you already have Leaky Gut or an autoimmune disease, follow my 4 R Protocol to repair damaged intestinal cells, then follow with daily use of colostrum.

Are you battling Leaky gut or an autoimmune disease? Healing your gut is the first step to optimal health! Email me at Carly@HealthyHabitsLiving.com to get started with your personalized protocol today.

In health,

Carly Neubert BA, NC

For additional recipes, biohacking tips and lifestyle hacks -- check out my other blog on my coaching site www.cleancoachcarly.com! I post weekly about nutrition and lifestyle topics, all backed by science. Happy Reading!