Within the first two days of giving birth, new mom, Cali Thomas, sat in her delivery room feeding her daughter "liquid gold."
"After I delivered my daughter, she survived two days off of drinking what the nurses called 'liquid gold' until my milk came in," Thomas said. "I found out later it was actually called colostrum and very important to my baby's health. That's why the nurses called it gold"
Colostrum, a nutrient-rich milk, is the first milk produced by mammals after giving birth. What is essential to a baby's first few days of life, has become the latest trend in nutrition science, creating a new craze on social media platforms like TikTok.
This "liquid gold" is not like regular breast milk. Instead it is a thick liquid filled with various nutrients that is fed to newborns after birth to ensure the baby is getting what they need to survive and grow, according to registered dietitian Bekah Leger.
"Colostrum is different from regular breast milk because it has more proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals than general mature milk that helps with the development of your baby's immune system," said Leger. "These nutrients are known to help with protecting the immune system, promoting growth, and overall stunting better health for your baby."
Because of the nutritional benefits of colostrum for babies, it is no wonder why individuals are now taking colostrum in the form of supplements for the same benefits.
To be clear, these supplements are not made from human colostrum, but from cow colostrum instead, creating what some would call "bovine buzz" on the internet.
Platforms, like TikTok, have become flooded with videos on the benefits of taking cow colostrum as a dietary and nutritional supplement.
TikTok influencer and brand content creator, Leighton Adamites, spends most of her free time creating short videos on the popular social media platform. Being an avid user of TikTok, she is always in the know of trends and new products found within the TikTok shop.
More recently, she has noticed a rise in the videos that promote cow colostrum supplements.
"I see videos all of the time promoting supplements, I have even had random companies - no big ones - try to get me to promote wellness supplements like powdered greens," said Adamites. "One brand I see all the time on my feed is Miracle Moo. It is claimed to be a cure all for many gut health problems."
The idea behind taking these cow colostrum supplements is to get the same benefits like newborn babies, but what does science say?
"Research is very limited on supplements, and even though it is known to be beneficial to newborn babies, current research does not support that these supplements have the same benefits in adults," said Leger.
Amy Jo Riggs-Deckard, Georgia Southern professor of nutrition and food science, warns her students and others that any supplement should be taken with caution because they are not studied enough to know if they have any real nutritional and health benefits.
"There is limited research on the bulk of supplements, and they do not require FDA approval," said Riggs-Deckard. "I always tell my students and clients to be cautious when using them for this reason."
Riggs-Deckard also commented on the fact that there are only a few supplement companies that have actually opted to do research studies that support their claims to try and to prove their validity, but not enough, leaving many of the supplements on the shelves in a dim-lit light.
There is no way the quality of these cow colostrums are ensured safe for the consumer. They could potentially contain other unknown additives.
"There is a research study that tested greens powder supplements and it found that most of them are contaminated with heavy metals because there is no FDA regulation of purity standards,"said Leger. "With colostrum, who knows where it is coming from. Companies are not required to list out the active ingredients."
So with a lack of science proof and regulation from the FDA, how have these supplements become so darn popular? The simple answer is due to the role of social media and buyer education.
"The lack of education among the consumer and unfortunately social media marketing plays a role in the choices the consumer makes," said Leger. "People want a miracle drug to be a quick fix to their problems, so a company will pay creators to vouch for their product on social media, but in reality they are buying into schemes from companies that only want to make money."
Adamites' experience as a content creator promoting products for companies also reveals the truth behind these videos posted.
"I personally always try the product that I am promoting. I want to tell the truth to my followers. However, I know several creators that don't do this and are only in it to make money," said Adamites. "This only helps out the companies, giving them good reviews and making people want to buy the product."
This reveals how social media has created a cycle of misinformation and deception for consumers in order to receive financial gain.
So even though it is not scientifically proven to have nutritional value, is taking cow colostrum safe?
"Taking these supplements is likely safe, but anyone taking it should be cautious due to the lack of research," said Riggs-Deckard.
Moo-ving forward, Leger recommends that the cows should be left alone and consumers should always check with health professionals instead of consulting social media influencers when they have questions about fads in nutrition science.
As for Thomas, mentioned earlier, she is thankful for that "liquid gold" and its benefits for her baby's growth, but she would never take colostrum supplements herself.
"I'm not too sure about the cow colostrum, I just think it's weird," said Thomas.