SurThrival bovine colostrum powder has proven, without a doubt, to be the most popular product we carry and recommend to our friends, family, and customers.  Having been in the “alternative health scene” since a young boy, it seems today that as more people are healing their lives and finding balance, just as many are in a degenerative state with serious pain and “problems”.  I like to use the word opportunities instead of problems because today we have access to such incredibly powerful and life-changing products, that I feel any state of imbalance can be rectified.

SurThrival’s bovine colostrum powder is one of these products.  This is not a theory or part of some philosophical debate.  The scientific research alone is profound enough to quiet oneself and respect its power.  This is not what I am talking about either.  I am talking about direct firsthand experience.  We at Complete Wellness, have witnessed such tremendous breakthroughs with SurThrival’s colostrum that this alone has fueled our inspiration to share the knowledge and experience with others, which in turn brings a product popularity that is unmatched.

It has encouraged many weightlifters and hardcore athletes in the Southern California area to get rid of the isolated, refined, and chemical ridden supplements and protein powders that were causing them just as many complications as pounds gained.  We have not had one negative experience amongst athletes in achieving lean body mass, increased recovery time, and more energy.  One customer, for the first time in over 10 years, did not experience pain in his knees after using Surthrival’s colostrum powder for less than a week.  Of course, all situations and individuals are unique and we at Complete Wellness, as well as SurThrival, make no claims as to what this product will do.  All I am here to do is share my experience with this magnificent superfood with you, so that you can make the educated decision to better yourself.

Share it with Your Pets

Many people are aware of the amazing benefits bovine colostrum powder contributes to human beings.  However, many are not familiar with its application for animal regeneration and longevity. Two of my dogs (both are rescues) never received colostrum as babies.  One is an akita/border collie and the other isa yellow lab.  Both were weak, underdeveloped, and low on energy. After starting them on colostrum powder and leaving to Hawaii for a month, I was excited to return and see what kind of state they were in.  Not to my surprise, both my dogs had changed dramatically.  They looked like new dogs.  They were now strong having gained lean muscle mass with lush flowing hair and tremendous energy!  It was truly amazing.  For those unaware, bovine colostrum powder is not species specific and is optimal for all mammals, including your pets.  It even transformed the life of my Aunt’s cat that was on the verge of death from kidney complications and malnourishment.

SurThrival’s Colostrum is Superior

I have one more major thing to share with you.  We have plenty of customers who had been taking bovine colostrum powder for extended periods of time before finding our company, but from a different supplier.  Interestingly, they did not have much success and were having hard time believing what I was sharing with them about this incredible food.  The issue was (and remains) that not all colostrum products are created equal.  Most bovine colostrum products on the market are heavily processed and/or cut with excipients.

The heavy processing that other companies use destroys all the vital growth and immune factors, while ruining the EFA’s by making them go rancid.  Excipients, or “toxic tag-a-longs”, get in the way of nutrient absorption and bio-availability, as well as being just plain toxic for the body.  It is most important that you can receive the third party verification of your colostrum product, which SurThrival has for their Colostrum, to ensure no hormones, chemicals, or pesticides are used whatsoever in the production or processing.

This will also verify the amount of fat present, which is another practice many companies use. Other companies de-fat the colostrum, removing important fat-soluble vitamins, growth factors and immune factors along the way.  As far as we are aware, Immune Tree Certified bovine colostrum powder meets these requirements.

It is quite astonishing what state the body is in when deprived of nature’s first food.  Thanks to people like Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith and Daniel Vitalis, we now have available the only third party verified, true six-hour colostrum in its raw, activated form.  I wish you and your loved ones the same success we witness every day at Complete Wellness.  Have a happy day!

*Timothy Matz is a Wellness Strategist and is also Co-Founder of Complete Wellness, LLC. Complete Wellness distributes SurThrival’s <a href=”http://www.cwsuperfoods.com/detail/bovine_colostrum_powder>colostrum powder</a> and is proud to support Daniel and the entire SurThrival team.

The so-called growth factors in colostrum, growth hormone (GH) and the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), are not mutually exclusive in terms of their effects. It is well documented that the influence of growth hormone on the proliferation of new cells in the body occurs primarily through what is known as the GH/IGF axis wherein the presence of GH triggers and enhances the many effects of the IGFs.

There are very small quantities of growth hormone in complete first milking colostrum, but GH is an extremely potent hormone and, thus, not much is required. It directly affects almost every cell in the body and significantly influences the development of new cells, causing them to generate at a more rapid rate when a sufficient quantity of the hormone is present. Scientific studies have shown that one of the benefits of ingesting even small amounts of GH is limitation of the deterioration of cells associated with the aging process. In addition, more recent studies have shown that small doses of GH can accelerate repair of the muscle damage associated with congestive heart failure and much more. This is a case where it is believed that the benefit occurs through the GH/IGF axis.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its closely related counterpart insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) are potent hormones that are found in association with almost every cell in the body. IGF-1 is the most potent and best described of this pair. These molecules are present in all mammals and, in every case, have a very similar chemical structure regardless of the species. IGF-1 is absolutely necessary for normal cell growth and for the development of the fetus in the uterus. Both IGF-1 and growth hormone are also required for normal development outside of the uterus and that is why they are both present in colostrum. The chemical structure of the IGFs is very similar to insulin and that is where their name comes from.

Scientific knowledge about the IGFs, what they do and how they act on cells in the body has developed very quickly during the last few years. It is now known that there are specific sites, called receptors, on almost all cells in the body capable of interacting with IGF-1. These sites have a structure that fits perfectly with part of the IGF molecule and this interaction triggers a series of chemical events within the cell. There are also 6 different proteins present inside the cell and on the surface of the cell that react to the attachment of IGF-1 to its receptor. These are called insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) and they control the actions of IGF-1 on the cell. In addition, inside the cell there are at least 87 other related proteins either capable of binding to IGF-1, altering its actions, or influencing the effects of the IGFBPs. These are called insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related proteins (IGFBP-rPs). The entire collection of these proteins is referred to as the Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP) Superfamily. The key event that triggers the effects of any of these proteins appears to be the interaction of IGF-1 with its specific cell-surface receptor, an event that some of these proteins regulate. 

The multitude of available IGF-1binding proteins and related proteins available in the cell is indicative of the many potential effects that the binding of IGF-1 to its specific cell-surface receptor can have on cells. To keep these many effects under control, some of the binding proteins act as checks and balances, allowing the secondary chemical switches in a cell to be turned on and then turning them off when it is appropriate. Therefore, IGF-1 is like the captain of a ship. When it binds to its specific receptor, the ship can move forward, but there are all kinds of systems in place to keep it moving at the right speed and in the right direction.

The main triggered events include activation of the process by which the cell grows and reproduces itself and maintenance of the metabolic pathways by which the cell converts glucose into glycogen and uses amino acids to create proteins. The actual pathway by which the cell uses glucose and converts it to glycogen is first switched on by the binding of insulin to its specific cell surface receptors. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles and is the reserve source of readily available energy when the muscles are exercised. The IGFBP Superfamily also has a direct role in how the cell uses amino acids to build proteins. As we age, the ability of our body to create an adequate supply of IGF-1 is diminished. Thus, by eating a well-balanced diet and maintaining a constant supply of IGF-1 in our body, we can keep the ship moving at the right speed and in the right direction. And when we exercise this becomes even more critical since there is an increased demand for glycogen to provide energy to our muscles and the preference is to build more muscle protein. Even more importantly, as we age the cells in our body do not reproduce themselves as well and, since IGF-1 is a primary factor, along with growth hormone, in the ability of cells to grow and reproduce, it is highly desirable to have an appropriate level of IGF-1 in the circulation through dietary supplementation to limit the ever increasing rate of cell death.

From the above, we can conclude that making sure that we have sufficient quantities of IGF-1 in the bloodstream, as would occur by dietary supplementation with a high quality first milking colostrum, means assurance of more effective regulation of protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism. When this is coupled with a well-balanced diet and exercise, the end result will be more muscle and less fat – a leaner body mass. This becomes even more important as we age since metabolism increasingly slows naturally over the years.

There have been several published studies that reflect an increase in IGF-1 levels in the circulation as a result of supplementation with a source of IGF-1. Most have been conducted in athletes since this could be an important consideration.  Our colostrum contains 2200 – 2300 ng per gram of IGF-1, this has been verified through independent testing at Cornell University.  

You should also be aware that a high quality first milking colostrum contains several vitamin and mineral carrier proteins that will assist in the more effective utilization of such substances when they are obtained through dietary supplementation.

It is also very, very important to recognize that all colostrum products are not the same and, despite the claims made by their manufacturers, they do not all contain every beneficial component at an optimum concentration and, in many cases, they have been manipulated and may be missing some of the essential components. When choosing a colostrum product, you should be certain that it is made from only first milking bovine colostrum collected within 6-8 hours after birth of the calf and that the colostrum is “complete” and that none of the components have been removed, including the fat.

This article has been published with special permission by Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith