The combination of components in IHC is ideal for digestive health. Initially, the antibodies are able to fight disease and balance gut microflora, and secondarily, the repair factors and immuno-modulatory components can reduce inflammation and repair the damage caused. There is evidence supporting the use of AHC for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), covering ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease, and diverticulitis. IHC can also be used for Candida infections of the gut.
Many doctors now believe that most diseases originate in the bowel. Research has shown that IHC is particularly beneficial to you for:
- protection against harmful bacteria and diarrhoea
- healing damaged intestinal tissue and ulcers
- calming inflammation, alleviating irritable bowel and gut permeability
- increasing nutrient uptake
Protection against harmful bacteria and diarrhoea
Antibodies in IHC have proved to be capable of binding to and therefore inhibit colonisation by: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mutans, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Yersinia enterocolitica, Bacillus cereus, Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, Candida albicans.
As well as activity from antibodies, another of the antimicrobial factors found in AHC is the iron-binding glycoprotein lactoferrin. AHC's lactoferrin is similar in structure to the human form. In addition to acting as an antibacterial agent by binding iron and depriving organisms of this essential nutrient, lactoferrin is also thought to function as an iron-absorption enhancer for the body and may play a role in cell growth.
A study from 1995, by researcher Martin C. Harmsen and Associates from the Netherlands, confirms that the colostral immune factor lactoferrin is one of the best ways to reduce viral levels in the body and to inhibit infection of certain body cells.
Lactoperoxidase and lysozyme, found in IHC, also inhibit the growth and promote destruction of organisms.
Some examples of relevant gut conditions caused by microorganisms which can be helped by IHC are Diarrhoea and food poisoning, Candida albicans infection, or Cryptosporidiosis;
Diarrhoea and food poisoning
Colonisation by gut pathogens appears to be reduced by dietary antibodies. Shigella is one of the organisms that commonly causes traveller's diarrhoea. In normal adult volunteers fed live Shigella flexneri bacteria, dairy immunoglobulins from colostrum provided complete protection from illness and a marked reduction in diarrhoeal symptoms. Shigella can be particularly virulent, because as few as 10 live organisms can cause major intestinal diarrhoeal symptoms.
First milk has also shown to be effective against infantile diarrhoea.
Candida albicans
This yeast is a normal resident of the mouth and intestinal tract. In immuno-compromised patients or those on certain antibiotics, Candida overgrowth can cause severe problems. The local infection in the mouth can rapidly become a systemic infection, resulting in high mortality. In a recent trial in bone marrow transplant patients with initial high colony counts in saliva samples, prophylactic administration of anti-Candida albicans dairy antibodies as a mouthrinse, appeared to reduce colonisation in a majority of patients. Thus, antibodies from IHC have demonstrated activity against Candida albicans.
Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoal parasite for which no approved efficacious treatment is available. Cryptosporidium parvum can cause outbreaks of food poisoning. Specific dairy immunoglobulins have been reported to improve diarrhoeal symptoms and reduce oocyst shedding in individual case studies and in clinical trials in severely immunocompromised adult and pediatric patients. In most cases, patients had suffered debilitating diarrhoea for months to years and had failed all other available experimental therapies.
Researchers at San Francisco General Hospital gave preparations of dairy colostrum to people with AIDS who had chronic diarrhoea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum. They found that "consuming 40 grams of colostrum powder per day for 21 days reduced the diarrhoea." Greenberg PD, Cello JP. Treatment of severe diarrhoea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum with oral bovine immunoglobulin concentrate in patients with AIDS. J Acquired Immun Defic Synd Hum Retrovirol. 1996;13:348-354.
to the top
Healing damaged intestinal tissue and ulcers
The repair factors in IHC stimulate recovery of damaged intestinal wall cells. They keep the intestinal mucosa sealed and impermeable to toxins and allergens. IHC remedies the gastrointestinal tract injury caused by irritant drugs and provides the ingredients we need to help with nutrient absorption.
Epidermal growth factor helps regulate the development and repair of the skin and the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcers. EGF can act as an angiogenic factor to enhance the formation of endothelial cells lining the blood vessels.
Studies have revealed that colostrum is particularly effective in treating stomach damage that can occur after taking certain types of pain relieving medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs are drugs that are prescribed for sufferers of painful conditions such as rheumatism or arthritis, and include Ibuprofen. The side effects of NSAIDs include gastric bleeding and damage to the stomach lining.
During the trials, colostrum was found to be significantly beneficial in preventing damage to the stomach and intestine. As a result, the researchers have suggested that patients beginning a course of NSAIDs would benefit from taking a colostrum supplement.
Ulcers/Gastritis
Long before medical science realised that stomach ulcers could be caused by bacterial infection, milk and other dairy products were promoted for the relief of ulcer symptoms. It now appears that dairy colostral antibodies directed against Helicobacter pylori may actively prevent adherence of the organism to the lipid sites of the gut wall and inhibit colonisation. In in-vitro studies, researchers used colostrum to prevent these organisms from attaching to lipid binding sites in the GI tract. Additionally, other bactericidal agents may be present in dairy colostrum and milk preparations that affect H. pylori. In several studies in children and adults with chronic gastritis, symptoms were improved, inflammation decreased, and colonisation was reduced in response to colostral antibodies.
Calming inflammation and alleviating irritable bowel and gut permeability
The combination of factors in AHC reduce inflammation and stimulate recovery of damaged intestinal wall cells. They keep the intestinal mucosa sealed and impermeable to toxins and allergens. Many diseases begin in the gut - the digestive tract is the daily test of our body's immune responses.
The use of caffeine, alcohol, antibiotics, aspirin and ibuprofen can cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which is an inflamed and irritated bowel lining. This can cause diarrhoea or constipation, and can also mean that important minerals are not properly absorbed. Inflammatory bowel can in turn lead to the gut becoming porous or "leaky". Bacteria, viruses, toxins and large proteins then pass through the gut wall and enter the bloodstream where they can colonise anywhere in body tissue or organs, causing disease processes to occur. Leaky gut can also trigger allergies, leading to auto-immune diseases, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, alopecia areata, thyroiditis, vasculitis, colitis and diabetes. These diseases result when damage is done by an immune system which cannot turn itself off. Reversing the direction of one of these diseases depends upon healing the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Any other treatment is just symptom suppression.
As mentioned, a leaky gut creates a mineral deficiency. The carrier proteins which are needed for transporting specific minerals are damaged by the inflammatory processes. For example, a magnesium deficiency is present in most Fibromyalgia patients. This patient can take incredibly high doses of magnesium, but if the carrier protein for this mineral is damaged, it will not get into the body where it is needed. This can also be true for some bone disorders. A zinc deficiency, which affects hair loss (alopecia) and some eye disorders (macular degeneration), or copper deficiency can also occur this way which can lead to Osteoarthritis or even elevated blood cholesterol. The possibility of a leaky gut should be considered for any syndrome that could be connected to a mineral deficiency, or perhaps symptoms that don't seem to go away no matter what is done.
The inflammation of the gut also damages the protective coating of the antibodies of the IgA family (immunoglobulins) normally present in a healthy gut. The IgA's help our body to ward off infections, however, a leaky gut causes considerable damage to the immune system (IgA's) and makes us less resistant to viruses, bacteria, parasites, toxic materials, metals and candida.
Further trials are now underway to assess how colostrum could help patients with ulcerative colitis, a severe inflammatory condition of the large bowel. Initial tests have shown that at least one of the proteins present in colostrum can stimulate the repair process in this condition.
Reports indicate that IHC reverses the gut inflammation in cancer patients caused by chemotherapy and in severely immuno-compromised patients caused by infections. The antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties of colostrum enable it to kill pathogens where the body's immune system is weakened. IHC remedies the gastrointestinal tract injury caused by natural allergens or irritant drugs and provides the ingredients we need to help with nutrient absorption.
to the top
Increasing nutrient uptake
IHC's repair factors regulate cellular division, synthesise new protein and increase efficiency of nutrient uptake. They shift fuel utilisation from carbohydrate to fat, producing energy more efficiently. Insulin-like growth factors help supply muscles with fuel during long-term exercise and help rebuild glycogen stores during recovery. Colostrum is rich in carnitine, important for long chain fatty acid metabolism within the mitochondria. Epithelial Growth Factor has a potent effect on the gut to enhance nutrient absorption.
Certain intestinal conditions adversely affect the structure of the gut, either through damaging microvilli (finger-like projections responsible for nutrient absorption), or by creating ulcers, or inflamed patches, each ineffective at nutrient absorption. When a person is ill, they require a greater amount of high quality nutrients to maintain energy levels to fight the illness. If the illness itself is preventing nutrient absorption, the condition is magnified.
Inflammation and irritation in the gut, such as that typical of leaky gut syndrome, further prevents absorption of vitamins and essential amino acids. Eventually nutritional deficiencies can lead to other complaints such as fatigue, headaches, memory loss, lack of concentration and irritability. Lower bowel gas, bloating and cramping are also among the symptoms that are associated with a leaky gut. Even unexplained weight gain is another symptom, which can be due to the deficiencies that are created by the leaky gut.
The repair factors in IHC also aid in increasing recovery of damaged microvilli in the gut. Microvilli are finger-like projections responsible for nutrient absorption. If these have been damaged by infection or prescription drugs, any recovery in condition will significantly alter the functional surface area and therefore the efficiency of nutrient uptake. The following pictures illustrate the potential of colostrum to achieve this recovery.
Another problem with leaky gut syndrome is that the toxins accumulating in the gut put an incredible burden on the liver. One of the liver's main jobs is to help keep the bowel clean for better nutrient absorption. When the bowel becomes overloaded with toxins the liver also becomes unnecessarily burdened. This decreases the liver's ability to work efficiently, which will then cause further disruption to the homeostasis of the body.
Healing a leaky gut with the aid of IHC reduces the toxic load to our liver and body by reducing infection and inflammation, aiding recovery of the microvilli, and will greatly improve nutritional uptake.
Some examples of research in this field:
Bolke E, Jehle PM, Hausmann F, Daubler A, Wiedeck H, Steinbach G, Storck M, Orth K., Shock. 2002 Jan;17(1):9-12. Related Articles, Links, Preoperative oral application of immunoglobulin-enriched colostrum milk and mediator response during abdominal surgery. Department of Surgery, University of Ulm, Germany.
Kim, JW, Jeon, WK, Yun, JW, Park, DI, Cho, YK, Sung, IK, Sohn, CI, Kim, BI, Yeom, JS, Park, HS, Kim, EJ, Shin, MS. (2005) Protective effects of bovine colostrum on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced intestinal damage in rats. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 14(1):103-7.
Purup,
S, Vestergaard, M, Pedersen, O, Sejrsen, K. (2007) Biological activity
of bovine milk on proliferation of human intestinal cells. Journal of
Dairy Research 74(1):58-65. Bovine milk contains a number of
biologically active components that affect growth development of human
intestinal tissue. The degree of activity depended on the stage of
lactation.
Prosser, C, et al. Reduction in heat induced gastrointestinal hyperpermeability in rats by bovine colostrum and goat milk powders. Journal of Applied Physiology 96:650-654 (2004). Bovine colostrum healed "leaky gut" in an experimental rat model used heat induced gastrointestinal hyperpermeability.
Blättler, U, et al. Feeding colostrum, its composition and feeding duration variably modify proliferation and morphology of the intestine and digestive enzyme activities of neonatal calves. Journal of Nutrition 131(4):1256-1263 (2001). A similar study done on calves either receiving or not receiving colostrum. This study concentrated on the development and health of the gastrointestinal epithelium and found that the development and health of this epithelium was markedly superior in those receiving colostrum. Colostrum also influenced the production of lipase enzyme by the pancreas.
Dial EJ, Lichtenberger LM. Gastroenterology. 1984
Aug;87(2):379-85. Related Articles, Links, A role for milk
phospholipids in protection against gastric acid. Studies in adult and
suckling rats. Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Repair Group, Imperial
College, London (2003). Unpublished research. In an in vitro
experimental study, colostrum stimulated intestinal cell growth and
reestablished a healthy epithelial layer following injury. In an in
vivo experimental study, colostrum powder was also shown to reduce
gastric injury.
Heemskerk VH, van Heurn LW, Farla P, Buurman WA, Piersma F, ter
Riet G, Heineman E., J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2002
Jan;34(1):47-51. Related Articles, Links, Effect of IGF-rich colostrum
on bowel adaptation in neonatal piglets with short bowel syndrome.
Department of Surgery, the University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The
Netherlands.
Mitra, A.K.; Mahalambis, D.; Ashraf, H.; Unicomb, L.; Esckls,
R.; Tzipori, S. Hyperimmune cow colostrum reduces diarrhea due to rot:
a double-blind study, controlled clinical trial. Acta Paediatr.
84:996-1001, 1995.
Playford RJ, Floyd DN, Macdonald CE, Calnan DP, Adenekan RO,
Johnson W, Goodlad RA, Marchbank T., Gut. 1999 May;44(5):653-8. Related
Articles, Links, Bovine colostrum is a health food supplement which
prevents NSAID induced gut damage. University Division of
Gastroenterology, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester
LE5 4PW, UK.
Pluske, JR, Morel, PCH. Increasing weaner pig
productivity in New Zealand pig herds. Factors associated with grower
herd performance in three New Zealand pig farms (1999). Piglets fed a
liquid supplement with colostrum powder had a marked increase in villi
height in the lumen of the small intestine, indicating greater
digestion and absorption of nutrients. There were also an increased
number of immune cells in the villi, indicating enhanced immune
competency.