Is colostrum lactose-free? Many people would like to take colostrum, but wonder whether the natural substance is also lactose-free. For the food industry, which nowadays has to take into account a wide variety of dietary requirements, the “lactose-free” label is often an important feature. Read now what you should bear in mind if you want to take colostrum despite a lactose intolerance.

What is colostrum?

Colostrum is the cow’s first milk, also known as colostrum or colostrum. Colostrum is only produced in the first hours and days after birth. The raw material contains an extremely high density of over 400 nutrients – including antibodies, growth factors, lactoferrin, minerals and much more – to give the infant a good start in life.

Incidentally, the composition of cow colostrum is 99% identical to human colostrum, which is why it is also perfectly suited as a valuable food for humans.

Colostrum and lactose

Does colostrum naturally contain lactose?

As colostrum is a milk product, it naturally also contains lactose. However, the finished colostrum product, which you can purchase in our online store, for example, is reduced in terms of its lactose content in addition to the removal of fat and casein – Bestvital® products therefore contain significantly less lactose than normal cow’s milk.

How does colostrum become lactose-free or lactose-reduced?

This is because the naturally occurring lactose can be almost completely removed from the raw material using special manufacturing processes. Bestvital® products use highly sophisticated technical processes that guarantee a high nutrient content, while at the same time preparing the product perfectly for human consumption and increasing its shelf life.

Bestvital® products therefore use both sterile cold filtration and gentle freeze-drying for our colostrum powder and BIO colostrum capsule products.

Lactose intolerance

A wide variety of dairy products are now available lactose-free, as some people cannot digest lactose or can only partially digest it. In this case, we speak of lactose intolerance or lactose intolerance.

The body does not produce the enzyme lactase, which is necessary for the digestion of lactose, at all or not in sufficient quantities. This is because lactase breaks down glucose and galactase into their individual components. Typical symptoms of lactose intolerance include flatulence, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

Lactose intolerance can be caused by genetic factors. In this case, lactase production gradually decreases during infancy, i.e. shortly after weaning. In addition to the primary variant, there is also secondary lactose intolerance, in which diseases or damage to the intestine mean that the lactose cannot be digested.

Who is affected by lactose intolerance?

Lactose intolerance is widespread around the world, but unevenly distributed. Depending on genetic disposition, between 65 and 90% of people in Africa and East Asia are lactose intolerant, but the rate is also relatively high in Latin and South America. By contrast, in Europe and among fair-skinned people in North America and Australia, only 5-15% are affected – in Northern Europe only 0-15%.

How can lactose intolerance be detected?

If you suspect that you are lactose intolerant, it is best to clarify this with your doctor. The diagnosis is made by means of a breath test, a lactose tolerance test (ingestion of lactose and subsequent blood glucose level measurement) or by means of a stool sample.

Colostrum intake for lactose intolerance

In order to be able to offer people who suffer from lactose intolerance the opportunity to consume this valuable, rich food, it is of course also worth taking a closer look at the topic of colostrum intake for lactose intolerance.

Does colostrum have to be lactose-free?

The designation “lactose-free” is not the only criterion that determines how well the product is actually tolerated by people with lactose intolerance. Even a product labeled as “lactose-free” may still contain residual traces of lactose.

In general, Bestvital® colostrum products are very well tolerated as they are generally very low in lactose. In this respect, it is worth clarifying the benefits and possible risks regarding lactose intolerance with your doctor before taking the product – because the reaction to the lactose it contains can vary greatly from person to person.

When taking colostrum, it is also advisable to test only small amounts at first and then increase the dosage to the recommended level.

Conclusion: Colostrum lactose-free

As colostrum is a dairy product, it naturally contains lactose. Some people who want to benefit from the valuable ingredients in colostrum therefore often wonder whether colostrum is available lactose-free or whether it even needs to be lactose-free to be well tolerated.

Lactose intolerance often leads to unpleasant symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
Bestvital® products are extracted extremely gently from the colostrum raw material using complex technical processes and contain significantly less lactose than normal milk.

Whether colostrum is actually suitable for lactose intolerance should ideally be clarified in advance with a doctor. In addition, you should always ensure that the colostrum products are of high quality and test the tolerance by slowly increasing the dose.

You can find more questions and answers about colostrum in our FAQ.