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CompletedNCT04040010Updated Nov 6, 2020

The Effects of Bovine Colostrum in Bone Metabolism in Humans

An interventional study of Colostrum supplementation for bone loss in Osteopenia and Osteoporosis, sponsored by Petros Dinas. Completed at 1 site in Greece. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-11-06.

Sponsored by Petros Dinas · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Osteoporosis constitutes a major public health concern. For instance, in European Union 1 in 3 women and at least 1 in 6 men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture during their lifespan. The burden of osteoporosis is estimated to raise 25% by 2025. Worldwide, by 2050, the incidence of osteoporotic fractures is expected to increase 240% in women and 310% in men compared to 1990. The aforementioned estimates might indicate the existence of some gaps related to current products on the market for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Actually, the use of the approved pharmacological agents for osteoporosis have been decreasing in European Union and worldwide. Patients are becoming increasingly reluctant to take medicines; even those with severe osteoporosis are refusing treatment. Recent published reports on the matter revealed that patients fear the side effects of current pharmacological agents. Actually, therapy with bisphosphonates, the most prescribed medication for the treatment of postmenopausal, glucocorticoid-induced and male osteoporosis has been associated with severe side effects as osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femoral fractures.

Colostrum, a milky substance produced by mammals, known to be responsible for the development of the immune and skeleton systems of the offspring, has on its constituent's lactoferrin (LF). This multi-functional protein has been shown to affect both bone resorbing and bone formation pathways. The safety and tolerance on the use of bovine colostrum in humans (children and adults) have been well documented; it has a 'Generally Recognized As Safe' status from the United States Food and Drug Administration. Allergies and lactose intolerance, which are main shortcomings of milk consumption, have not been reported in relation to colostrum. Actually, human colostrum and bovine colostrum share the same bioactive components, but bovine sources are more potent than that of human. In accordance, bovine colostrum supplementation has been used in several therapeutic applications as gastrointestinal disorders, allergies and autoimmune diseases, viral and bacterial illnesses, and HIV-associated immunomodulation HIV. However, the effectiveness of bovine colostrum (as a whole and not only LF) to reduce bone losses has not been considered yet. Therefore, this study aims at analyzing the effects of bovine colostrum in diminishing bone mass losses in humans.

Read the detailed description

Postmenopausal women (without any bone condition), osteopenia and osteoporosis patients (female and male) will be invited to join the study. Participants enrolling the project will be first measured on the following parameters: 1) general characteristics (age, sex, medical history); 2) bone mass parameters through Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); 3) bone formation and resorption markers (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, N-telopeptides and urine deoxypyridinoline). After measuring the aforementioned parameters, consenting participants will be randomized into the following groups: Group 1: postmenopausal women taking colostrum supplementation; Group 2: postmenopausal women taking placebo; Group 3: osteopenia patients taking colostrum supplementation; Group 4: osteopenia patients taking placebo; Group 5: osteoporosis patients taking colostrum supplementation; Group 6: osteoporosis patients taking placebo. Power calculations (90% power, 0.05%) were performed in order to calculate the sample size needed in each group (considering stratification according to group, a minimum of 7 participants in each group are needed). Following 5 months intervention, participants will be re-assessed on the following parameters: 1) general characteristics (age, sex, medical history); 2) bone mass parameters through Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); 3) bone formation and resorption markers (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, N-telopeptides and urine deoxypyridinoline).

02

Conditions studied

  • Osteopenia
  • Osteoporosis

Keywords

  • bone metabolism
  • Postmenopausal women
  • bone markers
  • bovine colostrum
  • DXA
03

In context

Osteoporosis

1,640 studies on the registry are indexed under Osteoporosis; 212 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 95 across 1,133 interventional studies indexed under Osteoporosis.

Browse Osteoporosis studies →

Lead sponsor

Petros Dinas is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Postmenopausal women (no menses for the last year at least);
  • Osteoporosis patients (female): T-score\<-2.5 at the femoral neck (or other anatomical site);
  • Osteoporosis patients (male): T-score\<-2.5 at the femoral neck (or other anatomical site)
  • Osteopenia patients (female): T-score\<-1.0 at the femoral neck (or other anatomical site);
  • Osteopenia patients (male): T-score\<-1.0 at the femoral neck (or other anatomical site)
  • Patients taking drugs/ supplements for osteoporosis will be accepted in the study after going through a wash-up period

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women with irregular menses (i.e. with no established menopause)
  • Patients taking medications for other diseases known to interfere with bone metabolism
  • Patients with other chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes)
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Care provider)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Postmenopausal women colostrum supplement

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

  • Experimental
    Osteoporosis patients colostrum supplement

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

  • Experimental
    Osteopenia patients colostrum supplement

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

  • Placebo comparator
    Postmenopausal women placebo

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

  • Placebo comparator
    Osteoporosis patients placebo

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

  • Placebo comparator
    Osteopenia patients placebo

    Dietary Supplement: Colostrum supplementation for bone loss

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementColostrum supplementation for bone loss

    Participants in the interventions groups (i.e. colostrum supplementation) will take a colostrum mixture for 5 months (5 times per week; a total of 250ml per day in liquid form). Participants in the placebo groups (i.e. controls) will be taking a placebo mixture (a total of 250ml per day in liquid form per dose) for the same period of time.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change of alkaline phosphatase (μg/L)

    The alkaline phosphatase (μg/L) will be analyzed via human serum samples using an appropriate ELISA kit

    Time frame: Change from baseline of alkaline phosphatase at five months

  2. Change of osteocalcin (μg/L)

    The osteocalcin (μg/L) will be analyzed via human serum samples using an appropriate ELISA kit

    Time frame: Change from baseline of osteocalcin at five months

  3. Change of deoxypyridinoline (mmol/L)

    The deoxypyridinoline (mmol/L) will be analyzed via human serum samples using an appropriate ELISA kit

    Time frame: Change from baseline of deoxypyridinoline at five months

  4. Change of C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) (pg/mL)

    The C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) (pg/mL) will be analyzed via human serum samples using an appropriate ELISA kit

    Time frame: Change from baseline of C-terminal telopeptide at five months

  5. Change of bone mineral density (g/cm2)

    The bone mineral density (g/cm2) will be analyzed via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan

    Time frame: Change from baseline of bone mineral density at five months

  6. Change of bone mineral content (gr)

    The bone mineral content (gr) will be analyzed via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan

    Time frame: Change from baseline of bone mineral content at five months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • FAME Lab, Department of Exercise Science, University of Thessaly
    Tríkala, Thessaly 42100, Greece
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 6, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04040010
Lead sponsor
Petros Dinas
Collaborators
European Commission
Responsible party
Petros Dinas (Senior Researcher in human physiology, University of Thessaly) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Jul 31, 2019
Start date
Sep 1, 2019
Primary completion
Feb 29, 2020
Completion
Feb 29, 2020
Last update
Nov 6, 2020

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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