This is not your mother’s colostrum

Colostrum—the literal mother's milk of the first few days to impart immunomodulatory effects on newborns—has just taken a leap into innovation far afield from immune support.

Todd Runestad, Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com

February 6, 2023

2 Min Read
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Colostrum is an important ingredient in immune support because colostrum is the mother’s first milk. Babies drink that mother’s milk for the first 5 days, and are imparted with immunomodulatory nutrients that help babies survive right out of the womb. Industrially, in cowmilk operations, colostrum is not used. You will not find colostrum in your local gallon of milk. It is a waste-stream ingredient. And like so many things in the nutrition world, this is where nutritional ingredient suppliers come in, to harvest that otherwise-discarded material for use in human nutrition.

Maya Ashkenazi, CEO and co-founder of Maolac, an Israeli functional ingredient innovator that takes colostrum from bovine operations that would otherwise be discarded and does something different—Maolac develops what it calls impact nutrition.

First, using proteonomics, Maolac has identified 1,500 proteins from colostrum—nearly double the amount previously known. 

Then, using A.I., Maolac has been able to sift through the published literature and match specific proteins with specific health effects. 

After isolating these proteins, Maolac found that some create a healthy inflammation response, some target the anti-inflammatory response for resolution, and some control the switch to decide which is which. 

The first range of these proteins are focusing on adult sports nutrition (i.e., recovery), an anti-inflammation product to help athletes reduce muscle strain, and support active living and improved mobility of the elderly, gut health, and pet health.

And that's just the beginning. Watch this interview with Natural Products Insider content director Todd Runestad to see what the tantalizing future holds for nutritional ingredient new product development. 

For more on healthy immune support—from the state of the market to nutrition science assessments and new product innovations, go to the Natural Products Insider digital magazine home page. 

About the Author

Todd Runestad

Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com, SupplySide Supplement Journal

Todd Runestad has been writing on nutrition science news since 1997. He is content director for SupplySide Supplement Journal and its digital magazines. Other incarnations: content director for Natural Products Insider (now rebranded to SupplySide Supplement Journal), supplements editor for NewHope.com, Delicious Living!, and Natural Foods Merchandiser. Former editor-in-chief of Functional Ingredients magazine and still covers raw material innovations and ingredient science.

Connect with me here on LinkedIn.

Specialty

Todd writes about nutrition science news such as this story on mitochondrial nutrients, innovative ingredients such as this story about 12 trendy new ingredient launches from SupplySide West 2023, and is a judge for the NEXTY awards honoring innovation, integrity and inspiration in natural products including his specialty — dietary supplements. He extensively covered the rise and rise and rise and fall of cannabis hemp CBD. He helps produce in-person events at SupplySide West and SupplySide East trade shows and conferences, including the wildly popular Ingredient Idol game show, as well as Natural Products Expo West and Natural Products Expo East and the NBJ Summit. He was a board member for the Hemp Industries Association.

Education / Past Lives

In previous lives Todd was on the other side of nature from natural products — natural history — as managing editor at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He's sojourned to Burning Man and Mount Everest. He graduated many moons ago from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Quotes

"There is not a colds-and-flu season. There is a vitamin D-deficiency season."

"There is no such thing as inclement weather. Only improper attire."

Link answers question, "When taking magnesium, should you also take vitamin D3 2,000 IU?"

"Cannabis is nature's most nearly perfect plant."

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