A Q&A with the Innovative MD Who Introduced Us to Bovine Colostrum

We recently had the privilege of chatting with Sarah Rahal, MD, the founder of ARMRA, a company focused on colostrum products. Below, Dr. Rahal shares her journey from pediatric neurologist to founder—along with the health crisis that changed her life.

This interview has been edited and condensed—you can listen to our full chat on The goop Podcast here. As always, consult your doctor about individual health concerns and before you begin taking a new supplement.

When—and why—did you first start researching bovine colostrum?

I trained as a pediatric neurologist and have a background specifically in chronic pain and headaches in kids. I ran a very busy practice out of Columbia and Mount Sinai in New York before I ultimately left: While I was practicing, I got sick with my own severe gut health issues, which had been brewing for probably since my teenage years. But I always chalked it up to stress—and then you’re in medical school and you’re in residency and working 40 hour shifts at a time. It’s abnormal to not be sick and suffering under those circumstances. I wrote things off, but I was suffering from intractable, unexplainable bouts of very severe abdominal pain that would leave me in the bathroom for hours, unable to move.

So I left medicine. My goal at the time was to build something that could serve more people than I ever could one-on-one in an office. That’s really where I started researching, at the time, milk, because I saw it as such a ripe area for disruption. Eighty percent of kids receive infant formula at some time in their development. And if you read the label on any of these formulas, the ingredients are things like corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, and seed oils. We can do so much better than that.

I was doing a lot of research on milk, specifically colostrum, which is the first milk all mammals produce for about 48 to 72 hours after delivery. It’s food, but it’s so much more than that. It’s full of bioactive compounds, micronutrients, antibodies, immunoglobulins, tissue growth factors, and regenerative peptides that can’t be found anywhere else in nature. I wasn’t just seeing studies saying colostrum is helpful for babies—over 5,000 research publications were talking about its benefits at other ages.

What does research say so far about the benefits of ARMRA Colostrum?

In addition to the 5,000 published studies on colostrum, we’ve done our own clinical research on ARMRA specifically, which revealed compelling outcomes. In just three months of taking two scoops a day, 86 percent of participants in our study reported feeling relief with bloating, and 80-87 percent reported feeling an improvement in their muscle building, endurance, and recovery.

Muscle is an interesting one because what I learned is that colostrum has been traded on the black market for decades because it is well known among elite athletes for its growth factors and peptides, which are exceptional at accelerating lean muscle building and tissue recovery and repair after intense exercise. I think that’s remarkable, especially as we think more about the importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age.

What else did you learn while you were recovering from your health crisis? How did it change your wellness routines?

I eat a whole-food and anti-inflammatory diet. Generally I avoid grains, sugar, seed oils, and conventional dairy; though I’ll have some raw dairy. I predominantly consume wild animal protein, a lot of fruits, and some vegetables. I really let my body decide.

My appetite for things is very much dictated by the weather and the circumstances in my environment. I’m not very prescriptive about things. I trust where my intuition leads me.

Where does ARMRA source its bovine colostrum?

We’re diligent about ARMRA Colostrum being sourced here in the United States from grass-fed cows on family-owned dairy farms. We don’t just do that because it’s a nice thing to say on the box—I put ARMRA Colostrum in my body every single day, I rely on it. The product I use for myself is what I make available in my business for my customers. I care deeply about the thrival of the animal that the colostrum comes from, because healthy animals in a healthy environment make healthy food.

That’s one of our principles. And it’s all upcycled: This is a question that we get a lot. Unlike humans, cows produce colostrum in surplus. Baby calves can only consume about 50 percent of the colostrum that’s produced. The rest is considered a waste product in the dairy industry. We purchase that surplus from the farmers and that’s what we use to make ARMRA Colostrum.

What do your workdays look like now?

I am working all day spreading the word about colostrum. There’s so much education to do. It’s a privilege and an opportunity. It’s about setting the stage for how colostrum will be thought about for years to come.

What are your ambitions for the company?

ARMRA Colostrum should be in every single household. Everyone deserves the opportunity to feel what it means to thrive in their body. I cherish that so deeply now, having been on the other side of feeling trapped and handcuffed in my body. I can use my experience for something good, and that is my mission; it is my lightwork. I do believe everything happens for a reason. I believe things happen for us, not to us, and I’m eager for the next chapter.

This article is for informational purposes only, even if and regardless of whether it features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. The views expressed in this article are the views of the expert and do not necessarily represent the views of goop.