Physical Health

What’s good enough for Jennifer Aniston is good enough for us. So when word broke out that she’s obsessed with the health-tracking device Oura Ring, let’s just say we were pretty much sold right then and there. But being the wellness diehards that we are, we had to put the gadget to the test ourselves (it’s practically our wellness editor Josie’s job to weed out the fads from the legit trends, after all). Sure, it makes a solid fashion statement, but does it deliver on all its health metric promises? Could such a small piece of jewelry disguised as wearable technology really accurately measure our sleep patterns, predict our menstrual cycles, and monitor our physical activity? Read on for our editors’ honest reviews of the Oura Ring and whether it lives up to the hype. 

What Is the Oura Ring, and How Does It Work?
From Apple Watches to Fitbits and Whoops to Oura Rings, it seems there’s a tracker for every need and type of health-curious individual out there. So what makes the Oura Ring stand out? For starters, it’s not worn around your wrists like most health-monitoring devices. Rather, it’s a ring that weighs in at just 0.1 pounds and comes in sizes 6-13 and in five colors: silver, black, matte black, gold, and rose gold.
Advertised as inspiring “awareness of the intimate connection between mind and body,” it tracks sleep, activity, recovery, and your cycle in real-time by measuring from the palm side of your finger (where the pulse signal is strong) and provides three daily scores: sleep, readiness, and activity. According to Oura Ring’s website, “Your scores tell you how your body feels and what your body needs, every second of every day.” In other words, the Oura Ring takes the guesswork out of when it’s time to push yourself, when you need rest and recovery, and when you might be getting sick by taking into consideration 20 different body signals—think: temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep—using infrared light, body temperature, and 3D accelerometer sensors. 
Oura’s Infrared Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor sends light through LEDs into the skin and captures how much light is reflected back from your arteries to determine your heart’s activity, including resting heart rate, heart rate variability (AKA the constant variation in time between your heartbeats), and respiration. Heart rate variability can indicate whether you’re in a relaxed or stressed state, and when combined with body temperature, can be used to gather information about sleep. By monitoring your nighttime skin temperature, the Oura Ring takes note of your body temperature, which provides insights into the inner workings of the body, such as how well your body is recovering, if you’re coming down with an illness, or if hormones are hard at work. So that’s the science, but does it actually work in practice?
 
Our Editors’ Honest Reviews:

I’ve been an Apple Watch apologist for as long as I can remember. Like everyone else, I got it to track my workouts, kept it to use the “find my iPhone” function whenever I misplaced my phone five times a day. But I fell off the boat when I was tired of being shamed by my step count and calories burnt (or lack thereof). But the biggest grief I have about my Apple Watch is a pretty shallow one: That thing is tacky as hell and if it didn’t fit the vibes of my office getup, date night fit, or girl’s day uniform, it didn’t make the cut and fed directly into my lack of consistency.

Why I wanted the Oura Ring:
Last summer while on a hot girl walk with my best gal pal, I noticed a new, chunky gold ring sitting prettily on her middle finger. Naturally, because I’m nosy and easily influenced, I waited a mere 30 seconds before I asked where she got it. When I discovered it was a wellness tracker my jaw was on the floor. Before impulsively hitting add to cart, I did my research, weighed the pros and cons, and finally got one for myself almost a whole year later.
My initial attraction to the Oura Ring was the aesthetic. I loved the idea of being able to have consistent tracking, no matter my outfit, and that it didn’t look like an unsightly tracker at all. After learning more about Oura’s insights (particularly, how it tracked your sleep), I knew that was an untapped area of data that I wanted to improve, and that definitely sold me in the end.

How it compares to other tracking I’ve tried:
I’ve had the Oura Ring for almost two months and I’ve been using both the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch simultaneously so that I could get a grasp on how they directly compared. While I prefer the Oura Ring by a decent amount, I will note that the biggest adjustment that I had when switching over was having to open my Oura Ring app instead of relying on a screen from the device itself. As far as actual analytics go, Oura Ring gives you so much more health data than the Apple Watch. I’m talking sleep insights, activity data, and temperature tracking (which is huge if you track your cycle). It pulls so much more data than just calories, steps, and heart rate, plus, it’s easy on the eyes which makes me much more likely to use it.

My experience:
Before I picked out my Oura Ring size, I used their free ring sizing kit which I highly recommend since you’ll be wearing it nearly all day and it’s not adjustable. They note that it works best on your pointer finger, though I have seen some users wear them on their middle or ring fingers as well. I sat with the different ring sizes for about a week to be sure and landed on the size seven for my left pointer finger (a bit bigger than my usual size to account for swelling while sleeping and traveling). The app was super easy to navigate and after a few minutes of exploring the intro resources on the app and a quick 90-minute charge for the week, I had a great handle on how it worked to take it for a spin.

What I liked:
To me, the biggest selling point of the Oura Ring is the fact that your numbered goals adjust every day depending on how much your body is recovered. So many times with the Apple Watch I’d be discouraged that in order to feel the validation of closing my rings, I’d have to hit the same goals every day despite a horrible night of sleep, feeling like trash on my period, or being incredibly sore after a hard workout the day before. The Oura Ring adjusts your activity goal each day based on your other analytics and I’ve found that this has allowed me to work with my body, rather than against it.
The sleep data that the Oura Ring pulls has also been a game-changer for me. Every morning, I click on my app to see my sleep score. If it’s low, I skip my workout for the morning and use the extra time to snooze or I’ll schedule a nap for later. If it’s optimal, I’ll make the most of my morning and my activity plans for the day. The Oura Ring sleep score is based on your total sleep, time in bed, sleep efficiency (percentage of time spent awake vs. asleep in bed), your resting heart rate, and how long you were in different sleep stages—truly things I never thought about before using this wellness tracker.
I could talk about the pros of the Oura Ring all day: the user-friendly app, the ability to sync with the Natural Cycles app, how long the battery lasts in comparison to how long you have to charge it, the overall look and feel of it, and more. If I could go back and do it all over again, I 100 percent would. After two months of using it, I know I’ve just barely scratched the surface of all it can do like using tags to log my periods, track how I felt, note what I ate/drank, monitor symptoms I experienced on certain dates, keep a record of my emotions, track when I had sex, etc.

What I didn’t like:
The reality is that no tracking device is perfect and while I love my Oura Ring, there are some things I wish I could change about it. The first is that, atop the lofty price, you do have to pay monthly for the app (after the free trial, it’s $5.99 per month). While you can take advantage of some functions without the app, in order to get the most out of your ring, you’ll definitely want the subscription.
This one is probably user error but I was super excited to link my Oura Ring to the Natural Cycles App and I attempted to sign up, only to find out there was no way to track if you’re still currently on birth control (guilty as charged), so that perceived benefit is kind of out for me at this phase of my life. If you’re off birth control and in the market, you’re in luck. Just know that this (in addition to paying monthly for the Oura App) is another cost which I’m secretly glad to not have charged to my account at this given moment.
I’ve heard mixed reviews about Oura’s activity tracking and here’s my two cents on it: it’s a little clunky compared to the Apple Watch. Overall, it captures the correct amount of calories burned (compared to the numbers I’m seeing on my Apple Watch), but figuring out how to track my workouts isn’t as easy to figure out and seems to be done retroactively as opposed to in the moment. Once again, could be user error but as a pretty average person, I’d assume others may have trouble here as well.
Another note: Having my Oura Ring and Apple Watch both connected to my iPhone’s Bluetooth absolutely annihilates my phone battery. On an average day, I’m at 59 percent by 10 a.m., so I’m hoping this will get better once I part ways with my Apple Watch.

Final verdict:
Knowing I had 30 days to return what I consider to be a large investment, I was reviewing the Oura Ring super critically and it still passed all of my tests. This tracker is more intuitive than trackers I’ve used in the past and has motivated my wellness journey without making me obsess over it. I love how inconspicuous it is and how much it’s helped me to take accountability for my health beyond my activity tracking. And for those reasons and more, I’ll be an Oura Ring stan forevermore.

I have to begin this honest review with full transparency: I am morally against activity trackers. Not to yuck anyone’s yum (because at the end of the day, I believe the most important health rule is you do you), but I have seen too many clients develop unhealthy relationships with their FitBits and Apple Watches, such as feeling bad about themselves if they didn’t “burn enough calories,” pushing through their body screaming at them to rest just to get the points, or feeling like a workout doesn’t “count” if you didn’t track it.
I also believe the wellness industry has taught us for so long that we are not the experts of our own bodies; we need to buy supplements, follow diets or workout programs, and track steps and calories to affirm if we are healthy or not healthy. I worry that all these devices and programs and products are deprogramming the ability to listen to our own bodies. A fact I know to be true: Our bodies are always communicating with us what they need to be healthy–no device needed. I totally get that people like numbers and measurable goals to get them motivated to move more or get to bed earlier, but my inner health coach really wants to ask, why aren’t you motivated for simply the reason that your body feels good? I digress. 
So that is why I also wanted Ashley to share her honest review, so you, dear reader, could hear multiple different angles to ultimately decide for yourself what does and does not deserve to be part of your healthiest life.
With that all being said, I am also a big believer in testing instead of guessing when it comes to your health, so I was intrigued by the Oura Ring’s claims to track a number of functions to get a more holistic view–a major upgrade from the step tracker and heart rate monitor predecessors. Since the Oura Ring has caught so much buzz (among our office and across the country), I wanted to try it out for myself to see if it is a beneficial tool for optimal health, or if it’s yet another expense that causes more stress than wellbeing. Ahead, my experience (as open-minded as possible, I swear!). 

Why I wanted the Oura Ring:
The main appeal to me was how it tracks temperature. Since going off of oral birth control a year ago, I’ve been using Natural Cycles to track my ovulation (for pregnancy prevention and cycle syncing purposes to know which phase I’m in). I took my temperature with a thermometer under my tongue every morning and manually plug it into the app, but there was some user error (mostly since there were many mornings I forgot) so I was intrigued that the Oura Ring automatically tracked temperature, and probably with more accuracy. 
Also, I liked the idea of a “readiness score” since it acknowledges your body is different every day (something those other trackers don’t take into account), and I was curious about sleep tracking too. Plus, the app also has guided meditations, breathwork, and sleep sounds, which I knew I would definitely use. I’m down for anything that has a more well-rounded approach (AKA rest and stress relief is just as–if not more–important than activity) rather than the toxic productivity of fitness trackers past.

How it compares to other tracking I’ve tried:
No surprise, I have limited personal experience with other activity trackers, besides a heart rate monitor I used for OrangeTheory and spinning workouts through college and my early 20s when I mistakenly believed the calorie-burn number it gave me dictated whether or not I worked hard enough (read: whether or not I could feel good about myself that day). I have also used the SleepCycle app in the past, which I started a few years ago when I was waking up from eight hours of sleep still feeling exhausted. The app would measure sleep cycles (light, REM, or deep) via vibes your body gives off..?? (IDK the science, but now that I think about it, I’m curious…)
So the Oura Ring is obviously way more accurate since it’s on your body and tracking via heart rate, temperature, blood oxygen levels, etc. You also get a lot more insight into your sleep, such as the exact time you spend in each sleep cycle, time asleep, average oxygen saturation, heart rate, breathing regularity, sleep efficiency, etc. 

My experience:
The fit and physical ring: There’s no denying that the Oura Ring is 10 times chicer and more practical than its competitors. I couldn’t keep on a watch or tracking bracelet every day even if I wanted to (and ruin a good outfit!?) but a chic ring that could easily pass for a piece of jewelry? Sold. I’m used to wearing rings, so I barely even noticed it was there after a couple of days. It is definitely worth using their free sizing kit because you want the ring to fit perfectly if it’s going to be on your finger 24/7. I went with a size 8 for my middle finger (my regular size). Also, charging is NBD (I was worried about this part because I forget to charge things often). There’s a little stand (no plugging the device in, just place it over the holder) that I set the ring on while I brush my teeth every night. It says it takes about 20 minutes to fully charge and the battery lasts for about a week, so you could also just do one charging session per week, but I find it super easy to do a couple-minute spurts of charging daily. 
The app: I do not want to spend more time on my phone than I need to, but the app was pretty easy to figure out. I also loved how you could click on anything and it would explain in-depth (but in layman’s terms) what that means. I think this is super important since it’s teaching you to understand your body, rather than depending on a score to give you a thumbs up or thumbs down. Another factor I liked: When clicking on what different numbers mean, it often says “It is recommended that you follow your long-term regularity, rather than just one day’s data” which probably no one else reads beside me but I liked because it’s reminding you not to panic about one day’s “poor” score–the body is a holistic being and should be viewed as such. No fear-mongering here! 

What I liked:
The temperature tracking is certainly a game-changer. The Oura Ring connects to the Natural Cycles app, so I don’t need to remember to track my temperature–my temperature shows up every morning (and is probably more accurate than a thermometer). The Oura Ring app does have its own “Period Predictions Section” to predict when you get your period, and tells you which day of your cycle you’re on (I’m on day 22 right now–you’re welcome), but the Natural Cycles app itself is slightly more accurate when it comes to period predictions (but that may be because it has a year’s worth of data for my cycle, rather than a few months like Oura), so the Oura Ring wouldn’t totally replace other ovulation/period tracking apps for me, but certainly helps with the tracking, and provides basic insights.
The sleep insight was also interesting. It could be very beneficial for people who think they’re getting enough sleep but still don’t feel well-rested because it may give you insight into why (i.e. is it taking a long time to fall asleep? Are you not spending enough time in deep sleep? Is your sleep time optimal, but your sleep efficiency is low?). Of course, it doesn’t actually fix the problem, but it does give you more insight to go to your doctor to find a solution. Part of me still thinks, you already know if you get optimal sleep or not–your body tells you if you’re well rested or need more/better sleep, but I understand that having the specific insight into what exactly is off may be helpful when trying to identify next steps to solve a problem.
The “readiness” was also an interesting feature–it’s giving you insight into whether you can do a tough HIIT workout and tackle a difficult project, or if your body needs to take it slow and rest (again, something I think we are able to figure out on our own if we just listen to our bodies, but I get it–sometimes we don’t listen). Also if you consistently get low readiness days, I think it can serve as a good wakeup call to take better care of yourself, which is helpful too in a world where people regularly reach burnout like it’s NBD. 

What I didn’t like:
You knew this was coming: the activity tracking was not my fav. But let me tell you why. I walk a lot most days. I like to think I’m pretty good at getting in movement. Even on days when I would walk on my desk treadmill for 45 minutes, do a 60-minute workout class, take my dog out a few times, and get up and move around the apartment consistently to take work breaks (not to brag), it would still say I was at 7,000ish steps. Maybe it’s just me being overly confident, but I think it had to be way more than that, so I’m thinking the step count isn’t the most accurate. But also, let’s say it is accurate–I moved as much as I possibly could to feel good without feeling depleted. I don’t need an objective number telling me I needed to do more.
Also, the notification to get up and move around when I’ve been sitting for “too long?” I don’t need that kind of negativity. The truth is that yes, it’s important to live a less sedentary life and the reminder can be helpful here and there, but there are a lot of times when I know relaxing is actually the option that’s better for my body, like when I’m on day one of my period, or am feeling depleted and rewatching the Vanderpump Rules finale for the fifth time would actually make me feel better than getting up and moving my body.

Final verdict:
I’ll probably still wear the Oura Ring when I sleep (to keep an eye on my patterns to identify any issues as they come up in the future and to track my cycle), but I don’t know if I feel the need to wear it during the day to track fitness levels. I admit, I felt satisfaction when I hit the “activity goal” but I also had to check in with myself–if I didn’t have a score or an app telling me “good job!” would my body feel good about the amount of movement I did that day? Would it tell me it wanted more or less? To me, that gives me a better chance of reaching my optimal wellness than a number or score.
I know I sound like a broken record, but listening to my body will always come before listening to a device. If you can take the helpful parts (sleep insights, temperature tracking, etc.) and leave behind the negative parts (movement alerts when you don’t want to) then I believe the Oura Ring could be a useful tool in understanding your body more. However, be super honest with yourself, and make sure you’re not becoming too obsessed with getting “good scores” that you stop listening to your body, or worse, go against what your body is telling you. 

A Beginner’s Guide to Biohacking More

From dining alfresco all season to sundresses on repeat, absolutely nothing can put a damper on summertime–except incessant bloating, an embarrassing breakout, or an annoying runny nose. Enter supplements to help address all of your summer wellness concerns. But the last thing you want to do is cramp your Hot Girl Summer era by being bogged down by countless supplements (anyone else overwhelmed AF by all the powders and pills TikTok tells us we need?). So I turned to Dr. Nicole Avena, a nutrition expert and member of SmartyPants Vitamins’ Scientific Advisory Board, to share which supplements and nutrients to hone in on for summer.
PSA: Every body is different with unique needs, so be sure to consult your doctor to create a personalized supplement routine that works best for you. That said, use the following list as a jumping-off point to help address some common summer wellness woes, alongside a nutrient-dense diet. Ahead, five expert-approved supplements to upgrade your summer routine. Health goals? Check. “That Girl” status? Check.  
 

Meet the expert
Dr. Nicole Avena
research neuroscientist and nutrition expert
Dr. Nicole Avena is a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of childhood nutrition, diet during pregnancy, and food addiction. In addition to a number of best-selling books, including What to Eat When You Want to Get Pregnant, and over 90 scholarly journal articles, she regularly appears on a variety of television and radio programs.

 
Vitamin C
Whether your summer bucket-list plans include jet-setting to Italy or soaking up the sun at your local beach, consider vitamin C a must-have essential. “Vitamin C is a great immune booster and can help with any bugs on your adventures,” Dr. Avena affirmed. “Vitamin C also helps to maintain skin health throughout the summer and heal sunburn, as it is a great antioxidant.” Because vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps protect your cells against the effects of free radicals which are molecules produced when your body breaks down food into energy, or is exposed to air pollution or ultraviolet light from the sun.
Because our bodies don’t produce vitamin C, we need to depend on food sources (think: citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, red and green peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and broccoli) or an oral supplement to load up on the nutrient. For an adult woman, the average daily recommended amount of vitamin C is 75 mg.
 

Vitamin A
While most people can get enough vitamin A from consuming foods such as meats, fish, eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, and green leafy vegetables, people with cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease are more prone to vitamin A deficiency. “In the summer, vitamin A is especially important, because it helps protect against sun damage to the eyes and allows you to see colors brighter and clearer,” Dr. Avena explained. “Vitamin A is also anti-inflammatory, which can help with any extra stress from the environment.”
Vitamin A dietary supplements usually come in the form of retinyl palmitate (preformed vitamin A) and beta-carotene (provitamin A) or a combination of the two. As for how much vitamin A adult women need, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends 700 mcg daily. 
 

Probiotics
Let’s be real: There’s nothing worse while traveling than dealing with digestive drama, especially bloating and an upset stomach (OK, flight delays rank high up there too). And a top bloating offender is an imbalanced gut microbiome (read: an imbalance of good versus bad bacteria in your gut). Cue probiotics, or living microorganisms that promote gut health—whether in supplement form or from food sources—which can tip the balance in favor of less gaseous bacterial strains, resulting in less gas and bloat. “Probiotics help support a healthy gut microbiome and can prevent GI upset,” Dr. Avena echoed. But it doesn’t hurt to load up on fermented, probiotic-rich foods, including sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, and sourdough bread.
Newsflash: Not all probiotics are created equal and how each individual will respond to them will vary. To keep your digestive system in check, opt for high-quality probiotics and take them as directed. When researching the best probiotics for you, consider the types of bacterial strains used, which strains and/or brand names have been studied for their effectiveness, and how the probiotics need to be stored. Check out the US Probiotic Guide to steer you in the right direction for the best probiotics for your needs and goals, and always choose one that is free of additives.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
We’re typically more active in the summer (Pickleball, anyone?), and we need our bodies in tip-top shape if we’re going to achieve any of our health goals and make the most of summer 2023, right? Our bodies need omega-3 fatty acids for many functions, especially when we’re active, because it helps with everything from muscle activity to cell growth to increased energy. But that’s not all. Dr. Avena explained omega-3 fatty acids are great for hydrating and protecting the skin, thanks to their anti-inflammatory benefits. Research has shown that fish oil supplements can even reduce sun-induced inflammation and may provide sunburn relief (but no, that is not a reason to ditch the SPF). 
Omega-3 fatty acids can’t be produced by the body, so we have to source it from foods like mackerel, salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts or supplements such as fish oil, which comes in liquid, capsule, or pill form. In our research, we found there is no official established recommendation on the amount of fish oil you should take; however, many health organizations have set their own guidelines for omega-3 intake that generally range between 250–500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA daily.

Melatonin
Melatonin acts as the body’s naturally-produced hormone that tells the body it’s time to go to sleep. In supplement form, melatonin can help you feel sleepy, which can come in handy when you’re off your normal sleep schedule or battling jet lag. “If you’re switching time zones or even spending extra time watching late-night movies at home, melatonin is a great supporting player for sleep,” Dr. Avena conveyed. “Sleep plays a big role in our energy levels and mood, so getting enough is essential.” Studies show that melatonin can lengthen total sleep time, shorten the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, and enhance sleep quality.
The right dosage can vary from person to person, so speak to your doctor before implementing the sleep aid. If you’re using melatonin to improve sleep quality, Healthline suggests taking it 30 minutes before bedtime for maximum effectiveness. Also, it’s typically recommended to use melatonin on an as-needed basis (i.e. when you’re struggling with jet lag while traveling or if it feels harder to fall asleep at your regular bedtime when the sun sets later) rather than daily. Your body should produce the melatonin it needs on its own, so discuss more long-term solutions with your doctor if you’re continually having difficulty with sleep. 

Please consult a doctor or a mental health professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

The Trendy New Supplement Everyone’s Talking About for Insane Health Benefits More

There’s no denying that collagen has been riding a wave of popularity over the last few years, but a new supplement that’s hit the wellness scene is giving it a run for its money. Cue the drum roll, please… Introducing colostrum, the superfood that protects and strengthens your body’s defenses, guarding against infections, inflammation, everyday toxins, allergens, and processed ingredients (sounds pretty magical, if you ask me). 
While you may know of colostrum in the context of the nourishment given to newborns by their mothers, we’re honing in on the bovine variety that delivers benefits adults can get in on—from improving gut health to enhancing athletic performance (stay tuned for more health perks). Read on to find out what doctors and dietitians have to say about what colostrum is, its benefits, and how often it should be taken to get the most out of it. 
 

In this article

 
What is Colostrum?
Often referred to as “liquid gold” for its health benefits and nutritional value, “colostrum is a natural superfood produced by all mammals in the first 48-72 hours after giving birth,” explained Dr. Sarah Rahal, MD, a board-certified neurologist and the CEO and Founder of ARMRA. “It’s the first nutrition we receive in life and contains 200+ essential nutrients, like antibodies, prebiotics, peptides, amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and other natural immune factors, that our bodies need to thrive and work synergistically to enhance all facets of health. For 300 million years, colostrum has served the vital function of protecting and strengthening the mucosal barriers—a barrier of protection lining your mouth, sinuses, lungs, and gut—by creating a tight seal around them, blocking modern-day threats like air pollutants, agricultural pesticides, and chemicals in our food, water, home, body products, medications, and processed food ingredients.”
So what’s the difference between human and bovine colostrum? Dr. Rahal explained that human and bovine colostrum (which, FYI, usually come from cows) are highly similar in terms of their bioactive components. Translation: They’re both packed with vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, disease-fighting proteins, growth hormones, and digestive enzymes that give our bodies a boost in preventing disease. However, because of the differences in physiology between the species, there are key differences in the relative amounts/concentrations of nutrients. “For example, there are different ratios of prebiotics, which serve to optimize the growth of different species’ microbiomes, in human versus bovine colostrum,” Dr. Rahal conveyed.
In supplement form, bovine colostrum is pasteurized and dried into capsules or powders that can be mixed with liquids, such as coffee or smoothies. And research shows that taking bovine colostrum supplements may promote immunity, help fight infections, and improve gut health throughout life, according to Healthline. 
 
What Are the Benefits?

Supports immunity
Cold and flu season or not, reducing your chances of coming down with the sniffles or a virus is a win. Enter: colostrum. “Colostrum works by strengthening the immune barriers along the entire inside surface of the body, our first line of defense against everything inhaled and ingested from the outside world,” Dr. Rahal explained. “This creates a tight seal that guards against the everyday environmental toxins and pollutants that can threaten health and drive inflammation, the underlying root of almost all modern diseases.”
Mary Sabat MS, RDN, LD, a nutritionist and ACE-certified trainer, also revealed that colostrum contains high levels of antibodies, immunoglobulins, and other immune-enhancing substances that can help fight off infections and reduce the severity of allergies.

Fortifies gut health
Real talk: Digestive discomfort is all-too-common (looking at you, belly bloat) and can be a real party pooper (pun intended). The good news? Colostrum could be the answer to a happy gut. “Colostrum contains growth factors and bioactive compounds that can promote the growth and repair of the intestinal lining,” Sabat stated. But the gut goodness doesn’t stop there. Katherine Gomez, a registered dietitian, cited that colostrum may encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria, enhance gut barrier function, and aid digestion and nutrient absorption. 

Fuels athletic performance
Could colostrum be the new pre-workout to give you an edge in your workouts? “Some studies suggest that colostrum supplementation in adult athletes may enhance exercise performance, increase lean muscle mass, and support post-exercise recovery,” Sabat affirmed. “It contains factors like growth factors, amino acids, and cytokines that may contribute to these effects.” Consider the 25-7-2 StairMaster Workout crushed. 

Promotes anti-aging 
If the Hailey Bieber glow is something you’re after (who isn’t?), colostrum may be the beauty holy grail. “Colostrum includes a variety of antioxidants and growth factors that may have anti-aging properties that could help minimize oxidative stress and enhance tissue repair and regeneration,” Gomez noted. Hello, radiance and skin plumpness. Goodbye, fine lines and wrinkles. 

Reduces inflammation
PSA: Chronic inflammation is the invisible culprit of many health woes (think: diseases, gastrointestinal issues, depression, and anxiety). The silver lining is that colostrum is particularly high in lactoferrin, AKA a powerful inflammation moderator that rises in our bodies during times of increased inflammation. “Colostrum contains anti-inflammatory substances, including cytokines and growth factors, which may help reduce inflammation in the body,” Sabat echoed. “This could potentially benefit adults with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.”

What Dosage Is Right For Me?
As with most (if not all) supplements, the recommended dosage and frequency of colostrum intake for adults can vary depending on factors such as the specific product, individual needs, and health goals, Sabat voiced. “The dosage recommendations may range from a few grams to several grams per day,” she continued. “It’s important to start with the lower end of the dosage range and gradually increase as needed. Some individuals may benefit from taking colostrum daily, while others may find periodic use or cycling more appropriate.” For that reason, consult your doctor on the best course of action for you. 
The main takeaway? Because colostrum supplements can differ in composition and quality, look for reputable brands that source colostrum from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows or other mammals that are free from antibiotics and artificial growth hormones.

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Please consult a doctor or a mental health professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

New Study Says Taking This Supplement Can Reverse Biological Age by a Year More