The research abstract below illustrates that Colostrum, the immune boosting first milk from a cow that has just given birth, was more effective than the flu vaccine in preventing influenza infection. While this wasn’t done for the H1N1 swine flu strain, I believe colostrum is safe and effective. I highly recommend adding it to your cold and flu prevention plan.
I’ll be posting more on this topic throughout the fall and winter. For now, please feel free to read the study summary below and let me know what you think.
Prevention of influenza episodes with colostrum compared with vaccination in healthy and high-risk cardiovascular subjects: the epidemiologic study in San Valentino. Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Di Renzo A, Dugall M, Cacchio M, Ruffini I, Pellegrini L, Del Boccio G, Fano F, Ledda A, Bottari A, Ricci A, Stuard S, Vinciguerra G. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2007 Apr;13(2):130-6.
San Valentino-Spoltore Vascular Screening Project, Department of Biomedical Sciences, G D’annunzio University, Chieti, Pescara, Italy.
The efficacy of a 2-month treatment with oral colostrum in the prevention of flu episodes compared with antiinfluenza vaccination was evaluated. Groups included healthy subjects without prophylaxis and those receiving both vaccination and colostrum. After 3 months of follow-up, the number of days with flu was 3 times higher in the non-colostrum subjects. The colostrum group had 13 episodes versus 14 in the colostrum + vaccination group, 41 in the group without prophylaxis, and 57 in nontreated subjects. Part 2 of the study had a similar protocol with 65 very high-risk cardiovascular subjects, all of whom had prophylaxis. The incidence of complications and hospital admission was higher in the group that received only a vaccination compared with the colostrum groups.
Yours in health,
Margaret Philhower, ND
