Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence on the effects of bovine colostrum (BC) supplementation on gastrointestinal (GI) diseases is conflicting. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review summarized the findings of clinical trials (CTs) on the effects of BC supplementation on GI diseases. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in online databases, including PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus, until March 2021 and updated until December 2023. CTs investigated BC's effect on any measurable symptomatic change in terms of GI health as the primary outcome variable or as one of the outcomes in any population eligible for this systematic review. RESULTS: Out of 6881 records, 22 CTs (uncontrolled = 4, cross-over = 1, and parallel = 17) with 1427 patients were enrolled in the systematic review. Diarrhea, the most frequently evaluated symptom (20 interventional arms), was decreased in frequency with BC supplementation in 15 of these arms. However, most studies reported no change in its duration. BC supplementation consistently reduced stool frequency across all seven studies. Abdominal pain relief was noted in four interventional arms but showed no improvement in five others. Assessment of other GI symptoms was limited, yielding inconclusive results. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited evidence on the effects of BC on GI diseases, with mixed findings. More well-designed controlled clinical trials are required to explore its effects.