Armra is a dietary supplement made from colostrum, which is the milk produced by female mammals prior during pregnancy and after birth.
It’s more nutrient-rich than regular breastmilk, and Armra describes their supplements as “Your Revival of Health” and suggests that their products can “build back” the immune barrier.
But is colostrum safe to take as a supplement? Does it have proven health benefits? Do Armra’s supplements contain any unhealthy ingredients? And what was our honest experience testing Armra colostrum for a month?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review research studies on colostrum to determine if it’s safe and effective for improving human health.
We'll also share our experience purchasing Armra and testing it for a month, and compare Armra to other popular gut health supplements like Supergut?
Key takeaways:
- Colostrum can support optimal health
- We can't find evidence that Armra is superior to typical colostrum
- We do not currently recommend Armra
Can Colostrum Actually Improve Health?
Most of the clinical trials we can find on the use of bovine colostrum (this means colostrum sourced from cattle which is the type used in Armra) relate to its therapeutic use to treat diseases rather than everyday, preventative use.
A meta-study published in the Nutrients journal analyzed results from over 90 clinical trials on colostrum supplementation, and concluded that bovine colostrum can help treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and infectious diarrhea.
Another systematic review from the Nutrients journal examined the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation in both sick and healthy patient populations.
In both populations, bovine colostrum supplementation was found to reduce intestinal permeability.
This is important because intestinal permeability, which refers to the widening of tight junctions in the digestive tract, can cause food proteins to enter the bloodstream which can cause food allergy and inflammation.
Bovine colostrum appears to be a safe and well-tolerated dietary supplement, at least in healthy individuals.
A 2022 clinical trial tested the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation over a 12 week period, and the researchers concluded that the supplement “has a good safety and tolerability profile and can be used as a daily nutritional supplement safely”.
Overall it does appear from clinical research that colostrum can improve health in both sick and healthy populations, and that it doesn’t cause any severe side effects.
It’s a nutrient-dense, whole food. We would recommend that patients with any pre-existing conditions speak with their doctor before supplementing with bovine colostrum.
We Tested Armra
As the author of this article, I wanted to try Armra myself to give my take on its taste and effects.
I ordered the unflavored colostrum sticks:
One major plus is that they are actually entirely unflavored (since I'd imagine unprocessed colostrum doesn't taste great), so the drink mixes just tasted like water with a slightly thicker consistency.
I didn't notice any particular effects as a result of supplementation with Armra, but this is marketed as an immune system support product and I did not get sick while taking it.
I'm generally healthy and don't get sick otherwise, so it's challenging to parse out whether Armra benefited my body in any specific way.
Overall, I would not purchase this product again given my age and health status, but if I were older or if I were prone to regularly getting sick, I would definitely consider purchasing this product.
I consider it to be a healthier alternative to commercial "immune support" products that are often laden with unhealthy additives.
Armra Ingredient Analysis
Armra sells bovine colostrum supplements in a flavored and unflavored version.
The ingredients for the unflavored version are shown below:
image source: https://armra.com/
The colostrum dose of 1 gram (g) per serving appears relatively low.
The meta-review we cited in the previous section analyzed data from 26 clinical trials, and only two of these trials used a dose as low as 1 g daily.
The active ingredient in Armra is listed as “Proprietary Immune Bioactives from Bovine Colostrum.”
The Science page on Armra’s website describes the brand’s process of creating their proprietary ingredient:
“We remove unnecessary compounds from bovine colostrum like casein and fat, and enhance the concentrations of essential bioactives.”
Casein protein may be inflammatory to the gut according to a medical review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
This suggests that Armra may be less inflammatory than regular colostrum, but we await clinical trial data before concluding so.
Armra does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials published in peer-reviewed medical or scientific journals.
The unflavored version has zero inactive ingredients, so this is the version we consider to be the healthiest.
Citric acid is included in the flavored version, and has been shown in a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
We do not currently recommend Armra supplements and would recommend that consumers interested in colostrum supplementation choose a grass-fed, whole colostrum brand instead of this product.
Until Armra publishes clinical studies in peer-reviewed medical or scientific journals proving that their “Proprietary Immune Bioactives” are superior to the same dose of colostrum, we do not see any logical reason to purchase this product.
Armra vs. Popular Gut Health Supps
Here's how Armra compares to other popular gut health supplements in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Supergut
Contains more ingredients we consider potentially unhealthy than Armra, including natural flavor, which was described in a medical review as inclusive of preservatives.
We consider Armra to be the healthier choice.
Winner: Armra
IBGard
IBGard contains a research-backed active ingredient for reduced intestinal inflammation.
However, it also contains synthetic food dyes and a colorant which is banned in the EU for use as a food additive.
Armra has the advantage from a health perspective.
Winner: Armra
Nu Biome
Contains two inactive ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Armra is the healthier option.
Winner: Armra
Our Clean Gut Health Picks
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top gut health supplement.
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ contains 100% soluble fiber, which was described as "one of the most important nutrients for the gut microbiota" in a clinical review published in the Molecules journal.
Manukora MGO 850+ is our top whole food gut health pick.
A 2024 clinical trial reported that manuka honey ingestion "correlates with beneficial modulation of gut microbiota composition."
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Armra Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Colostrum is clinically shown to support optimal gut health
- Offers unflavored version
- Unflavored version has no unhealthy ingredients
- Removal of casein protein may aid individuals with sensitive gut
- Healthier than competitor products
- We tested it and it's truly unflavored
- We tested it and didn't get sick while taking it during winter
Cons:
- Potentially underdosed active ingredient
- Unclear if "Proprietary Bioactives" are superior to regular colostrum
- Flavored version contains citric acid
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
