Best Colostrum Supplement

In the past few years, colostrum has emerged as a potential broad-spectrum supplement for people looking to improve their immune function, gut function, and aesthetic well-being. And that’s a lot of us, as it turns out. In a 2023 poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association, 66% of respondents expressed they were anxious about their health in general.1

The colostrum market isn’t exactly vast, but — perhaps because of the size of that audience — it’s growing rapidly, and navigating it takes some know-how. With this guide, we aim to familiarize you with colostrum as a daily supplement and point you to the brands that stand the best chance of helping you realize your desired health outcomes.

See our summary of recommendations for a rundown of top choices, and read further to better understand the hows and whys behind our decisions.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions involving staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

For us, identifying the best colostrum supplement involved immersing ourselves in the customer experience — assessing each supplement for solubility and taste, navigating brand platforms, and engaging in their respective customer service channels. Alongside our testing, we closely examined the scientific literature on colostrum and accompanying ingredients, amounting to more than 50 published studies, analyses, and reviews across 70+ research hours.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

We’ll continue to monitor the colostrum supplement landscape and try new products as they arise to ensure that our content stays up-to-date.

Our evaluations of the market's best colostrums centered on criteria that ordinarily interest consumers when they shop for supplements. Our primary considerations were effectiveness, safety, and cost, as we want our supplements to work but not to work over our bank accounts. Taste and convenience, though secondary factors, were significant because both are likely to inform your estimation of a product. Below, we explain how our favorite colostrum brands fared in each category.

Effectiveness

Winner: ARMRA Immune Revival

A colostrum's potential efficacy depends on its concentration of immunoglobulins, otherwise known as antibodies. In judging quality, the industry standard is to look at the amount of immunoglobulin G (IgG), which is not only the most abundant type of antibody in colostrum but also an essential player in building adaptive immunity. To qualify as "good," colostrum should have at least 50mg/mL of IgG or a 5% concentration.2

ARMRA and WonderCow have the highest IgG concentrations among our top recommendations, which is part of why they, respectively, are the winner and runner-up for effectiveness. Based on separate direct sources, we know the IgG concentration in ARMRA is either a minimum of 35% (per a customer support email) or greater than 40% (per ARMRA’s response to a customer question on Amazon). On the other hand, WonderCow advertises a standardized 40% IgG concentration right on its packaging, so there’s no ambiguity there. For added perspective, NOW Foods divulges that its colostrum powder has a significantly lower IgG concentration of 25%. Codeage specifies no concentration at all, with customer support claiming the company doesn't run nutrient assays on its colostrum, but its cGMP compliance does require maintaining the “identity, purity, strength, and composition” of its supplements.61

WonderCow looks like it could have the edge on ARMRA based on IgG alone, but two crucial pieces of research ultimately moved our needle to ARMRA: a clinical trial and a cellular study. The majority of participants in the trial reported significant improvements in areas such as gut function, exercise performance, stress, burnout, and aesthetic health from using ARMRA Immune Revival, while the cellular study found that immune cells treated with ARMRA provided a greater potential for protection against pathogens.3 4

For the sake of transparency, we should mention that ARMRA itself was the source of funding for both the trial and the cellular study, and self-funded research may have a higher tendency toward bias. Still, they provide us with useful insights into how ARMRA works and how users respond to it, so we have a clearer picture of its efficacy than of WonderCow, NOW Foods, or Codeage.

Safety

Winner: ARMRA Immune Revival

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't approve claims or labeling for supplements before they hit the market, so we must examine other factors — manufacturing practices, third-party testing, and common interactions — to evaluate product safety.5 ARMRA is our winner for safety because it either satisfies or exceeds the parameters of each criterion:

Not to be overlooked, NOW Foods is a close runner-up for safety because of its testing procedures and the sheer comprehensiveness of its quality assurances. Case in point, NOW is the only one of our top recommendations to have received ISO accreditation for its in-house labs and openly offer comprehensive testing information — measures that inspire confidence about the safety of its colostrum powder. Moreover, on its Seals & Certifications page, where clicking on any of the 26 distinct designations transfers you to a filtered results page of corresponding products, we find that NOW Foods Colostrum Powder isn't just internally certified non-GMO but also has these two third-party certifications to its name:

• Intertek GMP Supplement Certification: The product abides by cGMP standards.
• Kosher (Triangle K with Dairy): The product contains dairy but is certified kosher by the kosher certification agency Triangle K.

WonderCow and Codeage themselves do commendable jobs of ensuring consumer safety by using cGMP-certified facilities and submitting their products for third-party testing, but we regard those as baseline measures, from which NOW and especially ARMRA rise considerably above.

Cost

Winner: NOW Foods Colostrum Powder

Colostrum tends toward the costly side of the supplements market, so NOW Foods absolutely stands out with a $25.99 price tag on its colostrum powder. At more than 50 servings per 3oz bottle, you're paying around just $0.50 per teaspoon.

None of our other recommendations can compare on either a per-unit or a per-serving level. A jar of Codeage Immuno Colostrum runs up to $49.99 and contains 30-60 servings, which amounts to $0.83-$1.66 per serving. With WonderCow and ARMRA, even at their least expensive, you're spending $55.24 ($0.92 per serving) and $104.49 ($0.87 per serving), respectively. In other words, you can purchase roughly 2-4 units of NOW Foods Colostrum Powder for every one of Codeage, WonderCow, or ARMRA.

With NOW Foods, however, you should know that you’re getting less IgG per serving than with ARMRA or WonderCow. The label states you can take up to two servings per day, which may be necessary if you don’t see the health improvements you seek. Of course, by titrating up, you’d effectively increase your per-day use cost to $1.00. Thus, ARMRA may be the better deal for users in need of stronger immunoglobulin concentrations.

Taste

Winner: ARMRA Immune Revival

Taste is almost certain to be a deciding factor in your enjoyment of a given colostrum supplement. Most of our recommendations are powders, after all; whether you pour it into a liquid, sprinkle it over food, or take it straight from the spoon, the flavor's going to register.

Most unflavored colostrum powders are milk-like on the palate — mildly savory with a hint of sweetness. ARMRA and NOW Foods lean toward the savory end of the spectrum, WonderCow errs slightly toward sweet, and our testers found they preferred the former flavor profile to the latter. Hence, ARMRA and NOW Foods became our top taste contenders.

But ARMRA ultimately came away as our favorite because of its flavor variety. At the time of this writing, Immune Revival's flavor variants are Unflavored (the original), Blood Orange, Vine Watermelon, and Peach Persimmon (a limited-time, seasonal release). Blood Orange and Vine Watermelon definitely make for some good sipping. We haven't had the opportunity to try Peach Persimmon, as it didn't enter the ARMRA lineup until after our testing, but the fact that it's currently sold out probably speaks to its popularity among customers.

To give a fair shake, we should mention that WonderCow has an Elderberry flavor variant that presents its own merits. It has just a touch of sweetness and a milky finish. In a water base, it has a light fruit juice characteristic; in milk, it reminded one of our testers of a sort of Nesquik.

All things considered, ARMRA shines in terms of both the quality and the quantity of its flavors. But if all you want is an unflavored colostrum, with no consideration for other criteria, then NOW Foods Colostrum Powder is an excellent cost-saving alternative.

Convenience

Winner: Codeage Immuno Colostrum

Here, convenience refers to the entire customer experience outside of taste. The ease of consuming the product, as well as buying it and managing the order, factored into our assessment.

Our convenience winner, Codeage Immuno Colostrum, truly stood out for its easy capsule delivery mechanism, as all of our other recommended colostrums are powders that you'd need to portion out and stir into a liquid or food. Capsules preclude any worries about solubility or potentially making a mess on the countertop. Even with the recommended dosage being three to six capsules a day, we found the pre-dosed form factor to be the easiest to integrate into our daily routines. The capsules aren’t very big, either; they’re fairly standard for supplements. When we measured them — with the help of our fluffy assistant, Clementine, as pictured below — they came in at about three-quarters of an inch long. (A clearer, more precise measurement image can be found under Codeage’s dedicated section later on, if you’re curious to see.)

ARMRA and WonderCow try to improve user convenience with their respective travel-ready packet variants, but we found the packets less than convenient to use. Lacking tear notches, they aren’t the easiest things to open. You’d do well to use scissors, which aren’t the most common everyday carry items we can think of.

Form factor aside, each of our top recommended colostrum brands provided a pleasant customer journey. Purchase and checkout are as straightforward as any other online retail experience. The only ordering issue we encountered came with the NOW Foods Colostrum Powder because it's frequently out of stock on NOW's direct purchase page. The consolation is that NOW products are widely available on Amazon and commonly feature on the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores, including national chains like Natural Grocers. Normally, buying from a third party would block you out from subscription savings, but NOW doesn't offer direct subscriptions to begin with. If a subscription discount and automated shipments are principal deciding factors for you, you'll want to go with one of our other recommendations, none of which seem to struggle as much with stock scarcity.

Order management is equally straightforward with each of our recommendations. Apart from differences in page layout, all of the relevant information — settings, payment options, addresses, and order history — is accessible with tabs and buttons on your account dashboard. With ARMRA, WonderCow, and Codeage, you should encounter no difficulty with adjusting or canceling your subscriptions, as the options are pretty clearly displayed.

Below is a quick reference chart for comparing our top-recommended colostrum supplements, point by point and side by side.

Colostrum is the initial breast milk that mammals produce within the first 2-4 days after giving birth. With its yolk-yellow appearance, thicker consistency, and nutrient-rich composition, colostrum is both visibly and substantially distinctive from mature milk. Alongside proteins, peptides, and carbohydrates, it serves up substantial quantities of nutrients and bioactive compounds that are essential for immune health and overall well-being, such as vitamins, growth factors, antimicrobials, and immunoglobulins (all of which we discuss further in the next section, “How does colostrum work?”).10

Newborns rely on colostrum to support their physical growth and immunological development.10 19 Children’s immune systems remain delicate and underdeveloped for up to eight years after birth, so they need specific micronutrients to thrive and additional antimicrobials to compensate for the shortcomings of their own natural defenses.20 Thus, they can fight off life-threatening infections during a particularly vulnerable period.

As a supplement, colostrum normally comes from cows, as bovine colostrum is biochemically similar to the human variant. One of the first steps in producing a colostrum supplement is pasteurization, which eliminates naturally occurring, common pathogens such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Mycoplasma bovis,21 the bacterial culprits behind potentially deadly infections and bovine tuberculosis in humans.22 23 It’s hard to overstate how important pasteurization is to ensuring consumer safety, especially considering a 2008 study that found 15% of raw colostrum samples contained Salmonella.24

Although various pasteurization methods are used within the dairy industry, we can broadly classify them as either high temperature or low temperature. High-temperature pasteurization takes the colostrum above 160 degrees Fahrenheit and sterilizes it within seconds, but the process can reduce the concentration of intact immunoglobulins by up to 25%. In contrast, low-temperature pasteurization holds the colostrum at reduced heat for a longer time but retains more of the crucial immunoglobulins.25 Indeed, a 2023 meta-analysis found that calves that consumed low-temperature-pasteurized colostrum had higher serum IgG concentrations than their high-temperature counterparts. The implication is that lower-heat pasteurization equals greater immunological potential.26

(Of note, ARMRA, WonderCow, and NOW Foods all use low-temperature pasteurization methods. ARMRA, in particular, has developed a proprietary method it calls Cold Chain BioPotent, which is intended to maximize immunoglobulin potency. Codeage, however, makes no mention of its pasteurization method.)

Later in production, the pasteurized colostrum undergoes a drying process to create a powder. ARMRA, WonderCow, and NOW Foods sell colostrum powder in bulk package form, meant to be portioned and stirred into cold or cooled liquids or foods. Codeage, our top pick for convenience, pre-portions its colostrum powder into methylcellulose capsules.

Colostrum works by delivering, into the consumer’s body, all of those nutrients and bioactive compounds we’ve mentioned — namely:

The bioactive compounds in colostrum help form the basis of a newborn's adaptive immunity, like a vaccine, but older individuals can see benefits from them, too. When consumed by an adult or fully developed child, the same compounds may help bolster one's overall health through several possible mechanisms of action — altering the gut microbiome to increase the numbers of helpful bacteria, altering the mucosal linings of the gut to reduce cell death in damaged areas, and introducing compounds (e.g., immunoglobulins) that can bind to and neutralize infectious agents.10 Three reviews published in 2013,27 2019,28 and 2023 have identified several potential health applications of bovine colostrum supplementation among various user populations, including but not limited to:29

• Neutralization of respiratory tract infections among infants and the elderly
• Protection against exercise-induced immunodepression
• Protection against drug-induced lesions, especially from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Inhibition of cancer cells
• Treatment for viral or bacterial diarrhea
• Reduction of abdominal symptoms associated with diarrhea
• Reduced allergic skin inflammation
• Support for the proliferation, differentiation, and repair of skin cells

Although limited, some of the research on bovine colostrum also supports its utility in the area of cognitive health. For example, in 2012, a Korean study found that colostrum may have a function in alleviating neuronal cell death in the brain.30 In it, ten out of 30 rats induced with cerebral hemorrhage received 0.4g/kg of liquid colostrum injected directly into the stomach for 21 consecutive days. The colostrum-treated rats had "significantly alleviated hemorrhage-induced short-term memory impairment," and post-sacrifice analysis uncovered they had smaller brain lesions compared to the other subjects. The human-equivalent dose here would be 9g of liquid colostrum per day, which (basing our numbers on the conversion for milk powder) equals roughly 1.5g of powder — pretty attainable, seeing as a serving size of supplement is 1-3g depending on which colostrum brand you choose.31

A more recent paper, published in 2022, examined the mechanism of action behind colostrum's purported cognitive benefits.32 In addition to identifying other potential upsides (e.g., improving spatial memory, reducing neuroinflammation, and counteracting oxidative brain stress), the researchers found that colostrum's concentration of unsaturated fatty acids allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier and, therefore, affect the brain itself.

Of course, we'd need more scientific studies on colostrum's relationship to brain function to seriously recommend it for any cognitive health benefits, but the existing studies may give us reason to be optimistic.

Given its potential to impart a wide array of benefits, we'd say that colostrum is for people who feel they need a boost to their immune, gut, or aesthetic health. More specifically, a daily colostrum supplement may provide the greatest advantage to people who:

• Want added protection against viral or bacterial pathogens
• Engage in strenuous exercise
• Live with chronic gastrointestinal complaints
• Have sensitivities to NSAIDs
• Have skin allergies
• Experience frequent dermatological complaints

But please be aware that colostrum may not benefit all users. For some people, particularly those living with severe health conditions (e.g., nutritional malabsorption, serious infections, or gastrointestinal diseases), colostrum just wouldn't be an effective intervention. If that sounds like you, your best course of action would be to seek treatment from a medical professional.

For others, colostrum could even present a health hazard. See the chart below for a rundown on the populations that should exercise caution with colostrum or consider a different supplement altogether (see the "Alternatives to colostrum" section for prospective options).

As long as it’s pasteurized and taken properly, colostrum supplements are generally safe to use for most healthy consumers, including children as young as one year old.40 Generally, colostrum has been well tolerated in most clinical trials, and there are no well-documented drug-drug interactions.39 However, bear in mind that safe use often hinges on whether you can tolerate dairy. As we mentioned earlier, you should avoid taking colostrum if you have a dairy allergy or extreme intolerance to lactose. Otherwise, you may experience unpleasant symptoms ranging from mild (physical discomfort) to severe (anaphylaxis). Pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who’ve had estrogen-dependent cancers should avoid colostrum, as well, for potential safety concerns.

Some side effects may arise even in users without any known sensitivities. Drugs.com mentions "infrequent reports" of skin rash and minor gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea.39 Such occurrences may be due to undiagnosed intolerances, but you can't discount the possibility of other, less-recognized causes. You can minimize the risk of side effects by following the manufacturer's directions for use as detailed on the label. If you experience unwanted effects after taking colostrum, try reducing your dosage or speaking with a healthcare provider to identify the potential cause.

Speaking of the label, it’s important to pay attention to additional ingredients in your colostrum supplement. Most unflavored colostrums are pure concentrate, but flavored varieties include additives for color and taste. For example, ARMRA Blood Orange and Vine Watermelon, respectively, contain annatto extract and dragon fruit, while WonderCow Elderberry has 80g of elderberry extract. Allergies, though not exactly common, are possible.

One final note on a commonly held concern with cattle-derived products — bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, otherwise known as mad cow disease). BSE is a serious disease that affects cows and is linked to a fatal human prion condition known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD).41 The FDA states that cow’s milk and milk products can’t transmit BSE even if the milk comes from an infected cow, so colostrum users can rest assured that their supplement presents no risk of prion infectivity.42

In our experience, colostrum supplements are easy to integrate into any daily routine, as they can be taken at any time of day and combine well with other consumables. Most of the products we evaluated are powders that you can mix into liquids, stir into foods, or dry-scoop. The exception is Codeage Immuno Colostrum, our winner for best capsule alternative.

When you mix colostrum powder into liquid, don't be alarmed if the mixture foams. That's totally normal, especially with greater agitation. What else is normal is clumping, which presents a small degree of inconvenience. It's a problem that concerns ARMRA and WonderCow slightly more so than NOW Foods, owing to the latter's addition of sunflower lecithin as a homogenizer.43 In our view, powder clumping is only a minor issue since it doesn't interfere with efficacy and barely affects taste. One of our testers even claimed to enjoy the clumps, describing them as "little flavor pockets, like boba." Still, it's something to keep in mind so you don't suspect any defects in your supplement when you try it.

Mixing your colostrum powder

Though lumps may not ruin the taste experience, we reckon that a lot of users would prefer to have a fully (or mostly) homogenized colostrum drink. To that end, try these methods to achieve a better-blended beverage:

• Start with less liquid. Pour just a finger's width into your cup, add the colostrum powder, and stir to create a slurry, using a spoon to press any clumps into the bottom or sides of the vessel. Once the drink is mixed, top it off. The initial lower liquid-to-powder ratio increases shear while you mix, allowing you to moisten more of the powder before it gels.
• Add an ice cube or two. The ice not only adds shear force but also prevents the powder from clinging to the sides of the cup.
• Use dairy (if you can tolerate the added lactose). One testing session found that a milk or yogurt base resulted in visibly reduced clumping.
• Go electric. A frother (like those sold by ARMRA and WonderCow) works fine, particularly when used along with the low-liquid method, but a blender would be the most foolproof approach.

Storing your colostrum supplement

The brands we discuss here say little about colostrum storage. The only direction we found was NOW Foods’ recommendation to keep your powder in a “cool, dry place after opening.” However, based on a 2022 study on storage-related changes in colostrum, we suggest parking your supplement in the refrigerator to slow or prevent degradation of its health effects.60

Other considerations concerning colostrum powder

One potential sore point with the powders pertains to ARMRA’s and WonderCow’s single-serving packets. Though they’re made for on-the-go convenience, the packets don't open easily by hand; there are no tear notches, so you may need to bite off a corner (and risk making a mess) or keep scissors at hand. Is it a dealbreaker? We don’t think so, but it’s an area where we wouldn’t mind seeing some changes.

If you prefer powders in bulk, you should know that serving volumes vary from brand to brand:

• ARMRA: roughly half a teaspoon (1g) of Unflavored powder, but more (2g) for flavored variants
• NOW Foods: two teaspoons (1.65g)
• WonderCow: two scoops, which is a little under two teaspoons (2g for Unflavored and 2.4g for Elderberry)

Then again, with the powders, serving size isn't so much of a concern that it impacts the user experience — these fairly small amounts of powder are all going to be mixed into something else anyway. Codeage, the only non-powder colostrum on our list, is really the one you may want to think over, as half a dozen capsules per day is a mighty handful. Codeage’s saving grace is its direct-to-mouth administration, with no need to stir, shake, or blend.

Best overall and best-tasting

At this time, ARMRA, along with WonderCow, is one of the relatively few supplement providers that deal exclusively in the colostrum space. ARMRA's pure colostrum product is Immune Revival, which is available in either a bulk jar (90-120 servings) or Travel Sticks (30 servings). Immune Revival boasts an IgG concentration of no less than 35% and potentially more than 40%. If we're to take the higher figure for granted, it would make Immune Revival the most immunoglobulin-rich (and, therefore, the most efficacious) colostrum supplement on our list. Even with the lower percentage, it competes fairly well with WonderCow in immunoglobulin content.

ARMRA's immunoglobulin concentration is just one differentiating feather in its cap. Here, we want to focus on four other positives:

What the clinical trial and research study showed

The clinical trial followed two groups of people as they used ARMRA colostrum over 12 weeks from September 2022 to March of the following year — 30 individuals with chronic gastrointestinal complaints and another 30 participants who attested to exercise at least three days out of the week.44 By the end of the trial, a significant majority saw improvements in gut symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation, and heartburn (72% of the gut health group); exercise performance markers like post-workout soreness, exhaustion, and recovery (57% of the physically active group); and other areas of well-being like energy, stress, burnout, focus, skin health, and hair health (60% of participants overall).3

The research study, meanwhile, documented how Immune Revival works on the cellular level. The researchers found that immune cells pretreated with ARMRA had a stronger defensive response to a bacterial trigger compared not only to baseline but also to cells treated with another colostrum supplement. The stronger defensive response "translates into elevated immune defense activity," or a greater potential for protection against pathogens.4

In fairness to competitors, funding for the research came from ARMRA itself, so there's a risk of bias that can't be ignored. The trial, in particular, leaves us wanting since it doesn’t appear to have been double-blind and placebo-controlled — the gold standard for clinical research. Still, studies of ARMRA’s effectiveness do give us important insights we’d otherwise lack. Also, the studies wouldn't have happened had ARMRA not paid for them, and no other company has funded studies of its products.

Customer reviews

It’s not all upsides with ARMRA, though. A concern worth mentioning is the company’s brand reputation. At the time of this writing, the company holds an F grade and a 1-star customer rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB) based on 15 reviews. The F grade is largely due to ARMRA's failure to respond to multiple complaints and inability to resolve the causes behind customers' gripes. The gripes themselves mostly have to do with incorrect billing, shipment errors, nonreceipt of orders, difficulty canceling subscriptions, and problems concerning refunds. Some of the issues seem to stem from misunderstandings of ARMRA's refund policy, which includes certain caveats you can read about in the following section or our full ARMRA review. Ultimately, we can’t draw significant conclusions from the customer reviews since they’re so limited in number, but ARMRA, to its credit, has successfully resolved many of the posters’ complaints.

ARMRA Immune Revival pricing, payment, and returns

Packaging, flavor, and purchase options all influence the price you pay for ARMRA Immune Revival. The chart below gives you the rundown. You'll notice the subscription option knocks just 5% off the one-time price (in comparison, subscription discounts with WonderCow and Codeage are 15%; NOW Foods doesn't offer a direct subscription option).

ARMRA’s upfront cost is the highest on our list, but a per-serving breakdown might provide a tempered perspective. The company recommends taking one serving per day, with the potential to titrate up to 2-4 servings based on your tolerance. If you stick with just one daily serving, a single jar could last you four months, effectively bringing the cost of Immune Revival down to around $26 per month at its lowest. So, at varying levels, you might consider ARMRA to be comparable in price to its competitors, even our budget pick, NOW Foods.

With a subscription, your delivery intervals are 15, 30, 45, and 60 days, and you can easily change delivery dates or pause deliveries through your account dashboard.

When the time comes to purchase your colostrum, ARMRA offers probably the widest range of payment options we've seen, all clearly displayed on the final checkout screen:

• Credit or debit card
• PayPal
• Shop Pay
• Google Pay
• Klarna (pay in four installments)
• Ethereum/Ether (cryptocurrency)
• HSA/FSA

None of our other top recommendations have such range, and few providers in the supplements market include crypto and HSA/FSA.

To return an ARMRA order, you must put in a written request to the company within 30 days of order receipt. In response, ARMRA will provide you with a return shipping label and instructions. Once ARMRA receives the return, you can expect a refund (less $6 for processing) within 10-15 days.

ARMRA does ship internationally, but international returns require the customer to cover the shipping costs. Another caveat: opened Stick Packs are refundable, but opened bulk jars are not, except in instances that your jar arrives damaged. In the event of a damaged shipment, ARMRA advises that you notify its customer support as soon as possible.

Other ARMRA colostrum products

ARMRA has several other colostrum or colostrum-adjacent items in its product lineup, including another colostrum-based powder supplement, branded accessories, and cost-saving bundles.

The other colostrum supplement is Performance Revival, a formula geared toward the physically active. It has the same quantity of bovine colostrum as Immune Revival but with the addition of raw cacao, black cumin, and tart cherry. The cacao may have only "questionable" potential as a performance aide, with more research being needed to make supportive conclusions,45 46 but the other two ingredients may help you see improvements in areas such as fatigue,47 inflammation,48 sleep quality,49 and strength recovery.50 To learn more about Performance Revival, check out our full ARMRA review.

ARMRA's branded accessories, running the gamut of form and function, include:

• Carafes ($32.99 each)
• Electric frothers (24.99 each)
• A pouch for your Travel Sticks ($24.99)
• A "High on IgG" T-shirt ($45.99)
• A "Got Colostrum?" crewneck sweatshirt ($65.99)
• An "ARMRA" tote bag ($28.99)

And the bundles, which let you save a few bucks on related items, consist of:

• The Peach Principle: one Peach Persimmon bulk jar plus a peach-colored carafe (a $152.98 value for $137.68)
• The Revival: one Unflavored Immune Revival bulk jar plus one box of Unflavored Travel Sticks (a $199.95 value for $149.98)
• The Transformer: one Unflavored Immune Revival bulk jar plus one Performance Revival bulk jar (a $189.98 value for $180.48)
• The Catalyst: one Unflavored Immune Revival bulk jar plus one box of Blood Orange Travel Sticks (a $209.95 value for $159.98)
• The Revitalizer: one Unflavored Immune Revival bulk jar plus one ARMRA Whirl frother (a $134.98 value for $125.99)

Runner-up for best overall

Our runner-up for overall best colostrum supplement is WonderCow, the only other one of our recommended brands that exclusively sells colostrum and colostrum-related products. Founded in 2021, it's also the youngest company on our list, yet it has rapidly become one of the most recognizable supplement brands, known for delivering a high standardized IgG concentration and superior flavor variety compared to most competitors (not including ARMRA).

WonderCow standardizes its IgG concentration at 40% (800mg) — much higher than NOW Foods' 25% and possibly even greater than ARMRA’s (again, ARMRA’s a bit ambiguous on the subject). Standardization provides a sense of transparency and certainty about the product you're using, which are definite upsides when it comes to any consumer product.

WonderCow also offers a touch of flavor variety, though not as much as ARMRA. Specifically, your choice is between Unflavored and Elderberry variants. The Unflavored powder leans just a bit toward the sweet side of the spectrum — that is, it’s “sweet” in the way milk is sweet — whereas ARMRA and NOW Foods are more on the savory side. Accordingly, plain WonderCow tends to taste best when mixed with dairy products like milk and yogurt. As for the Elderberry, we found it to be quite enjoyable. In cold water, it has a light, refreshing fruit juice characteristic; mixed in milk, it's similar (somehow, and according to one tester’s description) to Nesquik Strawberry.

The Elderberry flavor adds 80mg of elderberry extract to the usual 2,000mg of bovine colostrum found in WonderCow's Unflavored variety. With the extract comes a few added potential health benefits owing to its abundance of phenolic compounds. In a 2022 review published in Processes, the researchers identified several potential actions of phenolic compounds, including protections against:8

• Oxidative stress
• Bacterial and viral pathogens
• Diabetes

However, the quantity of extract in Elderberry isn’t exactly consistent with the doses used in clinical research. For example, a human study on elderberry's effects on viral respiratory infections used 500mg/day, which is more than six times the amount you get in WonderCow.9 With that in mind, you might consider the ingredient to play more of a background role in supporting colostrum's health benefits and not rely on it for the specific outcomes we've mentioned here.

Still, WonderCow has other upsides to recommend it. Its sustainable practices are a definite plus. Like ARMRA, the company sticks to a calf-first initiative. And, unlike ARMRA, WonderCow is a Carbon Fund partner because of its commitment to using renewable energy, upcycling nutritional by-products, regenerating soil, and recycling water. WonderCow also matches ARMRA in offering travel-friendly (albeit difficult-to-open) single-serving packets and outperforms ARMRA in terms of its BBB grading (an A- at the time of this writing).

WonderCow pricing, payment, and returns

As with ARMRA, the variability in WonderCow's product line means corresponding variety in cost. Check out the following table for a granular breakdown:

You can see that WonderCow's upfront prices are mostly lower than ARMRA's, but the per-serving breakdown tells a slightly different tale. Given WonderCow's serving-size recommendations, a single order of colostrum powder should last no more than 30 days, raising almost every per-serving price point above ARMRA's. Adjusting your delivery frequency to 60 days would bring the monthly cost of WonderCow Colostrum Powder down to $27.62, but that corresponds to just half a serving per day or a full serving every two days. WonderCow’s one absolute area of advantage in pricing regards its Elderberry travel packets, as the company doesn't charge extra for its flavored colostrum the way ARMRA does, and the subscription discount brings the cost below that of the ARMRA counterparts.

The payment options are more limited than ARMRA's, as well — credit card, PayPal, or Shop Pay — but the return policy is a little more generous. From the time you make your purchase, you have 60 days to return unopened items for a full refund, a process that entails emailing the company with a return/refund request. Also, WonderCow provides a satisfaction guarantee for every first-time order, so you have some security if you want to try each product in the line.

WonderCow doesn’t ship internationally at this time, but an item in its FAQ section mentions the possibility of international shipping sometime in the future.

Other WonderCow colostrum products

WonderCow's expanded product line comprises a handheld frother ($19.99) and WonderCream ($29.74-$34.99), a powdered coffee creamer. We can't imagine the frother is substantially different from others on the market, including ARMRA's, but WonderCream is a completely unique offering among our top recommendations that merits further examination.

WonderCream contains 4,000mg of coconut medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), 500mg of lion's mane mushroom, and half the usual amount of bovine colostrum. Coconut MCTs have demonstrated some capacity to help manage body weight, boost energy, and enhance athletic performance, while lion's mane mushroom may have anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, plus the potential to support brain, gut, and heart health.51 52 But, similar to the elderberry extract, the quantities featured in WonderCream don't always line up with clinical doses. One of the weight-management studies, for example, used 20g of coconut MCTs, which equals 20,000mg — five times the amount that WonderCow provides.53 That’s not to say that WonderCream can’t be beneficial, but rather that you may want to temper your expectations.

The question of heat arises with WonderCream, however. Coffee is typically served hot, and high temperatures can affect the bioactive compounds in colostrum. Knowing that, you can expect a degree of compromised efficacy with WonderCream unless you mix it exclusively with cold or room-temperature java.

A single bag of WonderCream nets 20 servings. At $29.74 for a subscription and $34.99 for a one-time purchase, the per-serving costs are $1.49 and $1.75, respectively. Subscription delivery intervals for WonderCream are more varied compared to the flagship colostrum powder, with 20-, 30-, 45-, and 60-day increments.

Best budget colostrum

NOW Foods Colostrum Powder — an ostensibly vanilla-flavored supplement that pretty much tastes like Unflavored ARMRA — is one of the many health products sold by the half-century-old company. Coming in an 85g jar (1,400mg of colostrum per serving) for just $25.99, it's easily the most budget-friendly colostrum supplement on our list, if not the market altogether.

Fortunately, the low cost doesn't come at the expense of safety. A significant component of NOW Foods' branding is its commitment to safety and quality assurance. We know of no other colostrum provider with in-house testing labs accredited by the ISO, an international, nongovernmental association that develops standards in a broad range of areas, including scientific testing processes. NOW Foods' transparency about its testing information is another factor that fosters assurance in the quality of its products in general, as are the two third-party certifications associated specifically with the colostrum powder:

• Intertek GMP Supplement Certification, verifying compliance with cGMP standards
• Kosher (Triangle K with Dairy) certification, formally designating kosher status

We'd also like to point out a couple of the measures that NOW Foods has taken to improve the customer experience. One is that its colostrum powder contains sunflower lecithin, a common homogenizer that may help improve solubility in liquids. The other is the likelihood that you can find NOW-brand colostrum in brick-and-mortar stores like Natural Grocers, a national chain with 168 locations in 21 states.54 That second item is especially welcome since the colostrum powder is frequently out of stock through the NOW Foods product page.

NOW Foods Colostrum Powder has its downsides, though. For one thing, the 25% IgG concentration is significantly lower than ARMRA and WonderCow, which corresponds to a lesser theoretical efficacy. For another, you don't have a subscription option when you purchase directly from NOW. If you’d prefer having a subscription or recurring delivery option available, you'll want to take to Amazon for your NOW Foods Colostrum needs.

NOW Foods Colostrum Powder pricing, payment, and returns

As mentioned, NOW Foods Colostrum powder costs just $25.99 for an 85g jar. Every jar amounts to around 52 servings, equaling a per-serving cost of $0.50. Seeing as NOW recommends 1-2 servings per day, a single order should last you 1-2 months.

If you purchase directly from NOW Foods, your payment options are limited to credit card, PayPal, and Venmo. Direct purchasing also qualifies you for a return, should you need one. The return policy applies only to new, unopened items within 30 days of purchase. The cost of return shipping is the customer's responsibility except in cases of damaged or wrongly shipped orders. In either instance, you can reach out to NOW Foods through its online contact portal or call 1-800-283-3500 to initiate the return process.

By the way, if you decide to purchase through Amazon, you should know that safety reasons prevent Amazon from accepting returns on powdered colostrum supplements. That’s the trade-off for having subscription access.

NOW Foods doesn't ship overseas, but its partner iHerb does.

Other NOW Foods colostrum products

NOW Foods' product line includes two capsule colostrum variants. One ($25.99) provides 500mg of dried bovine colostrum complex per serving. The other, called Super Colostrum ($27.99), delivers 1,000mg of bovine colostrum along with additional ingredients meant to maximize immune health:

• 200mg of arabinogalactan: a dietary fiber that may improve the IgG antibody response in humans, though the quantity here is lower than clinical doses62
• 200mg of olive leaf: an herb with potential antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties63
• 100mg of astragalus: an herb that may help support immune function64
• 100mg of eleuthero: a type of ginseng that can mitigate certain viral infections, improve mental alertness, and support physical performance65

Best capsule alternative

Right off the bat, we notice several major differentiating characteristics that set Codeage Immuno Colostrum apart from the competition. First, it's a capsule, not a powder. You scatter a few into your palm, wash it down with water, and live content in knowing that spills and clumps are someone else's concern. Capsules are probably the easiest to incorporate into any health and wellness regimen — but up to six per day is a lot to take. The saving grace is that the capsules aren't egregiously large; they're what we'd call "standard" size, measuring about three-quarters of an inch in length.

Second, Codeage as a company is the only one on our list with BBB accreditation and an A+ grade, some signature marks of a trustworthy brand.

Third, Codeage's sustainability focus is remarkable enough that it stands apart from those of its competitors. Most of the company's product packaging consists of high-density polyethylene, which the U.S. Department of Energy describes as a "non-transparent plastic" that's "widely accepted in municipal recycling programs."55 Codeage is also in the process of upgrading its shipping protocol to cornstarch-based mailers and kraft paper, compostable materials that can help reduce reliance on plastics. Such sustainability efforts are ongoing, too, and the company aims to increase its use of post-recycled materials, improve recyclability, and shorten the biodegradation of its containers in the years to come.

The final distinguishing factor, the unspecified immunoglobulin concentration, isn't so positive. The Immuno Colostrum product page says it contains "prized immunoglobulin-rich first milk" but says nothing about percentages. After reaching out to Codeage customer support, we discovered that nutrient assays aren't part of the company's testing process, and the range of immunoglobulins is anywhere from 50-150g per liter of liquid colostrum. Ultimately, this means that the product’s immunological efficacy isn't something we can objectively speak to. We greatly prefer the standardized IgG amounts from competitors, like ARMRA or WonderCow.

Codeage Immune Colostrum pricing, payment, and returns

Codeage Immuno Colostrum has a one-time purchase price of $49.99 and a subscription price of $42.49 (a 15% discount, the same as with WonderCow). A single container gives you 180 capsules; divided by the recommended serving size, the math adds up to $0.71-$1.41 per serving, with enough colostrum to last 30 days at the minimum and 60 days at the max.

Codeage's payment options are identical to WonderCow's — credit card, PayPal, and Shop Pay — but its return policy is somewhat complex. Here's what you need to know if you want a refund on your Codeage order:

• You have 30 days to request a refund for every one-item order.
• Bundles and packs are an exception. An unopened bundle or pack is eligible for a full refund within 30 days. If you've opened any individual items in the bundle or pack, you can get a prorated refund.
• Every individual customer qualifies for just one money-back guarantee in the life of their relationship with Codeage.
• If your order contains multiple items, then only one of them is eligible for a refund.
• The same rule applies to multiple orders per household; if you and your partner each order a container of Immuno Colostrum, only one of the containers can be refunded.
• Sale items, promotional items, and items purchased with a gift card aren't eligible for the 30-day money-back guarantee.

As long as you meet the criteria, you can initiate your return by emailing support or calling 1-856-263-3243. In your return, you should include your receipt or proof of purchase with your name and order number.

Other Codeage colostrum products

Codeage offers two other products that include colostrum in their formulations, each at a $39.99 price point:

• Multivitamin Recovery Elite Max: a multivitamin that includes 1,000mg of bovine colostrum — one-third the amount found in Immuno Colostrum
• GLP-Harmony Companion+: 200mg of bovine colostrum along with ingredients such as lion’s mane extract, shilajit extract, and blueberry powder to “help support digestive health, metabolic health, and vitality”

Maybe you're part of a population of people who shouldn't take colostrum, or perhaps you've tried colostrum to no avail. In that case, you might consider one of the following categories of alternatives.

ImmunoLin

Imagine colostrum minus the dairy, and you've got the gist of what ImmunoLin is. More specifically, it's a branded serum-derived immunoglobulin and protein isolate derived from cows. Not a great deal of research has been done on ImmunoLin, but the compositional breakdown suggests its potential efficacy is similar to, if not greater than, colostrum’s. According to one supplemental study, it has an IgG concentration of 46-53%, the same growth factors as colostrum, minimal fat, and zero lactose.56 Also, instead of lactoferrin, it has transferrin, which is structurally and functionally similar to the former.57 Given its characteristics, ImmunoLin may be the best colostrum substitute for people who are allergic to dairy or severely lactose intolerant.

Probiotics (For gut health)

Probably the best colostrum swap-out for gut health is a probiotic tailored to your unique gut microbiome — a term that refers to the collective trillions of microorganisms that reside in your gut. Viome, for example, has a comprehensive microbiome testing solution that analyzes your gut’s microorganisms and allows the company to formulate probiotic products optimized specifically for you. Alternatively, you can take an over-the-counter probiotic supplement to achieve general gut health improvements, though the results may not be exactly what you're looking for.

Vitamins and minerals (For immune health)

Vitamin and mineral supplements, whether taken individually or in a multivitamin, can be a good, cost-effective alternative to bovine colostrum. The Office of Dietary Supplements specifies that selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, D, and E are critical for proper immune health, and a deficiency in any one area can make you more susceptible to infections.58 Don't overlook dosages, though. When you shop for a supplement, make sure it meets the following recommended dietary allowances:

• Selenium: 55-70mcg
• Zinc: 8-12mg
• Vitamin A: 700-1,300mcg RAE
• Vitamin C: 75-120mg (an additional 35mg for people who smoke)
• Vitamin D: 15-20mcg
• Vitamin E: 15-19mg