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Ingredient guide

Colostrum for women: what the trials found

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

No trial has tested colostrum for a benefit specific to women. Women took part in a few small trials: 13 elite female rowers took 60 g a day for 9 weeks, and 25 women around age 59 joined an 8-week strength study. If you are pregnant or nursing, ask a doctor first.1,2

Key facts

  • In the rowers, colostrum raised the blood's buffering capacity compared with whey protein, but rowing performance did not differ.1
  • One trial in a 2016 review reported mild stomach problems in women only, which generally faded.3
  • Of 35 distance runners in a 12-week saliva study, 15 were women.4
  • Colostrum keeps the proteins of cow's milk, including beta-lactoglobulin, a major trigger of cow's milk allergy.5

Trials that included women

In 13 elite female rowers, 60 g a day for 9 weeks raised the blood's buffering capacity compared with whey protein, but rowing performance did not differ.1

In an 8-week trial in active men and women, lean mass rose by about 1.5 kg within the group taking 20 g of colostrum a day, while the whey protein group gained about 2.1 kg of body weight. No other measure changed.6

In 35 distance runners aged 35 to 58, 15 of them women, saliva antibody (IgA) rose by a median of 79% over 12 weeks of colostrum. The authors urge caution because the group was small and the measure varies widely.4

Apart from the rowing study, which enrolled only women, the summaries of these trials do not give results for women on their own. Most were small, and several compared colostrum with whey protein rather than with an inactive placebo.1,4,6,7

Women over 50

In 40 adults aged about 59, 25 of them women, 60 g a day during 8 weeks of resistance training raised leg press strength more than whey protein did (24 kg against 8 kg). Bench press, muscle thickness and lean mass rose equally in both groups.2

In the same trial, a urine marker of bone breakdown fell 15% with colostrum and rose 10% with whey protein.2

A 2020 systematic review of whey and colostrum drinks in healthy adults aged 35 and over found only one colostrum trial and called the evidence inconclusive.8

That strength trial used 60 g a day, far more than the 10 to 20 g used in most trials, and it is a single small study. It does not show that a smaller daily amount would do the same.2,7

What has not been studied

We found no trial of colostrum taken by mouth for hair, skin or bloating, in women or in anyone else. Some trials looked at other outcomes this site does not cover.

Pregnancy, nursing and allergy

Mild stomach problems were reported in one trial, in women only, and generally faded with time. The other trials in the same review reported no side effects or did not say.3

  • Do not take colostrum if you have a milk allergy.
  • Ask your doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. We found no trials of colostrum supplements in pregnancy, and our label advises asking first.
  • Ask first if you are lactose intolerant.
  • Ask first if you compete in a drug-tested sport. WADA advises athletes against colostrum.7

What's in ours

What’s in ours

  • Colostrum: Bovine Colostrum (25% Immunoglobulin G), 2,300 mg per serving, from the label

Questions people ask

What does colostrum do for women?

The trials that included women measured strength, lean mass, blood buffering and saliva antibodies, with small or mixed results. No trial compared women with men or tested an outcome specific to women.1,2,4,6

Is colostrum good for women over 50?

One 8-week trial included 25 women around age 59 doing strength training. At 60 g a day, colostrum raised leg press strength more than whey protein, while other measures rose equally. That is one small study at a high dose.2

Can I take colostrum while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Ask your doctor first. We found no trials of colostrum supplements in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

See what we make

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Sources

  1. Brinkworth GD, Buckley JD, Bourdon PC, Gulbin JP, David A. Oral bovine colostrum supplementation enhances buffer capacity but not rowing performance in elite female rowers. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002;12(3):349-365. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Duff WR, Chilibeck PD, Rooke JJ, Kaviani M, Krentz JR, Haines DM. The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation in older adults during resistance training. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(3):276-285. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Jones AW, March DS, Curtis F, Bridle C. Bovine colostrum supplementation and upper respiratory symptoms during exercise training: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2016;8:21. Opened 2026-10-01.
  4. Crooks CV, Wall CR, Cross ML, Rutherfurd-Markwick KJ. The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on salivary IgA in distance runners. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2006;16(1):47-64. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Playford RJ, Weiser MJ. Bovine Colostrum: Its Constituents and Uses. Nutrients. 2021;13(1):265. Opened 2026-10-01.
  6. Antonio J, Sanders MS, Van Gammeren D. The effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in active men and women. Nutrition. 2001;17(3):243-247. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Davison G. The Use of Bovine Colostrum in Sport and Exercise. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):1789. Opened 2026-10-01.
  8. Blair M, Kellow NJ, Dordevic AL, Evans S, Caissutti J, McCaffrey TA. Health Benefits of Whey or Colostrum Supplementation in Adults ≥35 Years; a Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):299. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.