Colostrum Supplements: Dosage, Lactose, and How to Read the Label

Colostrum went from a niche athlete supplement to one of the most talked-about ingredients in wellness. If you are trying to figure out what it is, how much to take, and whether it is a problem if you are lactose intolerant, this covers it.

What is colostrum?

Colostrum is the first milk a mammal produces in the days right after giving birth, before regular milk comes in. It is thicker, yellower, and compositionally very different from the milk that follows.

Its defining feature is a high concentration of immunoglobulins — antibodies passed from mother to newborn. Bovine colostrum, the kind used in supplements, comes from dairy cows after the calf's needs are met.

What is bovine colostrum used for?

Colostrum lived in sports nutrition for years. Attention shifted as consumers turned toward gut health and immune support, two areas where colostrum is actively studied.

In bovine colostrum, immunoglobulins can make up a large share of total protein, and IgG is the dominant one — research puts it at roughly 65 to 80 percent of the immunoglobulins present. That is why IgG is the compound most of the research is built around. (Human colostrum is different: there IgA predominates, not IgG.)

Colostrum also naturally contains growth factors, amino acids, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Worth being straight about: the human research is real but still developing. Many trials are small, and the field is younger than something like creatine. Mayo Clinic has publicly noted that if your goal is to treat or prevent a specific health outcome, there are likely more effective strategies to discuss with your healthcare team. Anyone presenting colostrum as settled science is ahead of the evidence.

How much colostrum should you take per day?

Most supplements land somewhere between 1,000 mg and 3,000 mg per day, taken as a single serving.

But milligrams alone do not tell you much, and that is worth understanding before you compare products.

Why IgG content matters, not just milligrams

Colostrum is the raw material. IgG is the studied active. And the IgG content of raw colostrum varies enormously.

This is not a marketing claim — it is measured. A field study of 458 cows across 13 breeds found IgG concentrations ranging from 12.7 to 204.0 mg per mL. That is a sixteen-fold spread. The study also found that colostrum collected more than 12 hours after calving had significantly lower IgG than colostrum collected within 9 hours.

In other words, two products made from real bovine colostrum can differ wildly in the thing you are actually buying it for.

That is why standardization exists. A colostrum standardized to a stated IgG percentage delivers a known amount every batch.

Here is what that means in practice. Take two hypothetical products:

• 3,000 mg colostrum at 15% IgG = 450 mg IgG
• 2,300 mg colostrum at 25% IgG = 575 mg IgG

The smaller serving delivers more of the active. Same math, opposite conclusion from what the front of the tub suggests.

If a label states only the milligrams of colostrum, you cannot run this calculation. That does not mean the product is poor — it means you have less information to compare with.

Does colostrum have lactose?

Yes, but the amount in a serving is small — for two reasons that get conflated.

First, colostrum is genuinely lower in lactose than mature milk. Dairy research puts colostral lactose at roughly 2.7 percent, against roughly 4.8 percent in mature milk.

Second, and more importantly, a colostrum serving is tiny. A 2.3 g scoop works out to somewhere in the range of tens of milligrams of lactose. An 8 oz glass of milk carries several thousand times that.

So the low lactose is mostly a function of serving size, not because colostrum is lactose-free. For many people with mild to moderate lactose intolerance, that difference is still meaningful — but it is worth understanding why.

And lactose intolerance and milk allergy are not the same thing. Colostrum is a dairy product and contains milk proteins including casein. If you have a milk allergy, colostrum is not for you, regardless of how it is marketed.

What are the side effects of colostrum?

For most healthy adults, side effects are mild and usually limited to the first few days:

• Bloating, gas, or loose stools, especially when starting or at higher doses
• Occasional nausea, more likely with a large first dose

Starting with a smaller amount and building up usually prevents this.

Who should not take colostrum?

• Anyone with a milk allergy. This is a hard stop, not a caution.
• People who are significantly lactose intolerant. Proceed carefully or avoid.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women. Safety data is limited.
• Immunocompromised individuals or anyone on immunosuppressant medication. Talk to your doctor first.
• Vegans. Colostrum is an animal product.

If you have a hormone-sensitive condition, colostrum naturally contains growth factors, so that is worth raising with your healthcare professional.

Colostrum powder or capsules?

Both deliver the same ingredient. The practical difference is how much you have to swallow.

Capsule products vary in how many capsules make up a single serving — some require four or more. Powder delivers the serving in one scoop, and mixes into coffee, a shake, or water. If you already drink something every morning, powder tends to survive as a habit longer.

Check the serving size before comparing prices. A lower sticker price across more capsules per day is not always cheaper.

How to choose a colostrum supplement

Five things worth checking:

• IgG content. If the percentage or milligrams of IgG are stated, you can compare products directly. If not, you are comparing on less information.
• Milligrams of IgG per serving, not just milligrams of colostrum.
• Serving format. One scoop or several capsules changes the real cost and whether you stick with it.
• Servings per container. The only way to compare cost per day.
• Allergen disclosure. Colostrum is a milk product, and the label should say so.

Where DIAX lands

DIAX COLOSTRUM provides 2,300 mg of bovine colostrum per scoop, standardized to 25% IgG — which works out to 575 mg of Immunoglobulin G per serving, printed on the label.

One scoop, 2.3 g, 10 calories, 30 servings per container. Unflavored powder, so it mixes into whatever you already drink.

We print both the IgG percentage and the IgG milligrams, so you can run the math yourself.

Contains milk.

The bottom line

Colostrum quality is not just about milligrams. IgG content varies widely in nature, which is exactly why standardization and clear labeling matter.

Look for the IgG number on the label, run the math, and choose from there.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before beginning any supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, managing a medical condition, or have a milk allergy.