If you’re interested in bovine colostrum but don’t tolerate lactose well, there’s an obvious question to answer first:

Does colostrum contain lactose?

Yes.

Bovine colostrum is a dairy product and naturally contains lactose. But the amount of lactose matters, and whole colostrum contains considerably less lactose by weight than whole milk powder according to the data presented in the Udderly Colostrum information guide.

Here’s what you should know before deciding whether it’s appropriate for you.

How much lactose is in whole colostrum?

The information guide provides the following comparison of lactose content per 100 grams:

Product	Approximate Lactose Content
Whole milk powder	40–45 g
Whole colostrum	15 g
Skim colostrum	5.9 g

The guide cites Peptide Immunotherapy: Colostrum: A Physician’s Reference Guide by Andrew M. Keech as the source for these figures.

The important point is that serving size changes the practical significance of those percentages.

You aren’t consuming 100 grams of Udderly Colostrum at a time.

How much lactose is in one serving?

The recommended serving of Udderly Colostrum powder is one 10-gram scoop.

Using the guide’s figure of approximately 15 grams of lactose per 100 grams of whole colostrum, a 10-gram serving would contain approximately:

1.5 grams of lactose.

That’s the figure presented in the information guide.

This doesn’t mean that everyone with lactose intolerance will tolerate the product. Individual tolerance varies considerably. But it provides a useful number for evaluating the product rather than simply assuming that a dairy-derived supplement contains the same amount of lactose as an equivalent amount of milk powder.

What is lactose intolerance?

Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar found in dairy products.

People who have difficulty digesting lactose can experience gastrointestinal symptoms after consuming it, and the amount that causes symptoms varies from person to person.

This individual variation is particularly important when evaluating colostrum.

There isn’t one universal amount of lactose that will cause symptoms in every lactose-intolerant person.

What does the research in the information guide say?

The guide cites research examining how much lactose lactose-intolerant individuals can tolerate.

In particular, it references a double-blind study by Hertzler, Huynh and Savaiano examining low amounts of lactose. The information guide reports that 13 healthy individuals with lactose intolerance were given up to 20 grams of lactose without significant symptoms.

That research provides useful context for understanding lactose dose and tolerance.

It should not, however, be interpreted as proving that every lactose-intolerant person will tolerate colostrum. The study investigated lactose tolerance rather than Udderly Colostrum specifically.

That’s an important distinction.

Does the timing of colostrum collection affect lactose?

Yes. The composition of colostrum changes after birth.

The information guide includes a table showing the proportions of different components at intervals following birth. Lactose is listed at 2.19% immediately after birth, with higher values recorded at later intervals.

The guide uses these data to illustrate why first-milking colostrum differs from the milk produced later in lactation.

This is another reason the term first milking matters when evaluating colostrum products.

First-milking colostrum isn’t ordinary milk

Colostrum gradually transitions toward ordinary milk following birth.

During that transition, several things change. The concentrations of proteins, immunoglobulins and other bioactive components change, as do the relative amounts of lactose and other nutritional components.

This is why it can be misleading to think about a colostrum supplement simply as powdered milk.

They’re both dairy-derived products, but their composition is different.

Lactose intolerance and milk allergy are not the same thing

This distinction is particularly important.

Lactose intolerance involves difficulty digesting lactose, the sugar naturally present in dairy.

A milk allergy involves an immune response to proteins in milk.

Udderly Colostrum contains milk. The product information in the guide specifically identifies Milk under its allergen statement.

Someone with a milk allergy therefore shouldn’t assume that a relatively low lactose content makes the product appropriate for them.

What else is in a 10-gram serving?

According to the product information in the guide, a 10-gram serving of whole bovine colostrum provides:

• 45 calories
• 2 g total fat
• 1.5 g saturated fat
• 20 mg cholesterol
• 2 g carbohydrate
• 2 g total sugars
• 5 g protein
• 25 mg sodium
• 10 g whole bovine colostrum

The guide also identifies 2,000 mg of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) per serving and lists colostrum polypeptides (PRPs) and lactoferrin among the product’s components.

The other ingredient is non-GMO sunflower lecithin.

Knowing the complete serving composition is useful when deciding whether a product fits your diet rather than evaluating lactose in isolation.

What should you do if you’re lactose intolerant?

There isn’t a single answer that applies to everyone.

Tolerance depends on the individual, and the information guide itself notes that there is no defined minimum amount of lactose that will produce a reaction in every lactose-intolerant person.

If you know that small quantities of lactose cause symptoms for you, the fact that a serving contains approximately 1.5 grams is particularly relevant.

If you’re uncertain about your tolerance or have a health concern, discuss the product with your healthcare practitioner before using it.

What if you’re pregnant or nursing?

The information guide advises pregnant or nursing individuals to consult their healthcare practitioner before using a nutritional supplement.

The product specifications elsewhere in the guide also state not to use the product during pregnancy and not to use it following an organ transplant.

Follow the current instructions on the actual product label, as those should be treated as the controlling directions for the product you’re purchasing.

The Udder Truth

Udderly Colostrum does contain lactose.

Based on the composition figures presented in the information guide, whole colostrum contains approximately 15 grams of lactose per 100 grams. At the recommended 10-gram serving size, that works out to approximately 1.5 grams of lactose per serving.

That’s substantially different from simply drinking an equivalent amount of ordinary milk or consuming whole milk powder, but it doesn’t guarantee tolerance.

Lactose intolerance varies from person to person.

Knowing the actual amount lets you make a more informed decision.