到 2026 年初，在名人与网红宣传推动下，牛初乳已从小众保健概念变成美国成长迅速的补充剂类别。NielsenIQ 数据显示，在截至 2026 年 1 月 3 日的 52 周内，消费者在单一牛初乳补充剂上的支出超过 $19 million，较两年前仅略高于 $612,000 的水准成长超过 3,000%；同时，把牛初乳作为其中一种成分的产品又增加了约 $3 million。这波热潮在 2024 与 2025 年的高能见度背书下被进一步放大，也受到高端定价带动，例如 Armra 每日 4 匙、每月约 $110 的方案。

Armra 于 2021 年线上推出，将自己定位为早期类别建立者，并宣称对皮肤、头发、免疫力与肠道健康有广泛益处，但相对于其主张规模，所引用的证据偏弱。公司表示有超过 5,000 项研究支持牛初乳，并列出约 60 项；然而其中许多样本小、以动物为主、与产业有关联，或并非直接研究牛初乳；据报至少有 10 项列出的内容甚至完全未提到牛初乳。批评者认为，经过数十年研究后，若效果真的强，较大型人体试验本应更可能产生更清楚结果；他们也将此描述为补充剂常见模式：先快速炒热，之后在更严格检视下仅见有限或无效。

关键市场讯号是成长率而非市场规模：牛初乳在 2 年内从约 $0.6 million 升至合并类别销售超过 $22 million，幅度惊人，但相较于褪黑激素在 2025 年超过 $1 billion 的销售仍属极小。趋势对比非常明显：同一个 2 年区间内，褪黑激素约下滑 1%，而牛初乳暴增超过 30x，显示这更像由行销与社会认同驱动的动能循环，而非定论已定的科学。医疗上的警示仍很重要，因为补充剂在上市前疗效审查比药品宽松、潜在污染风险较高、可能出现牛奶过敏反应，而且回报的益处可能部分来自安慰剂效应，尤其是对于高成本、主要依赖站内超过 20,000 则 5 星评价而非强健随机证据支持的产品。

Celebrity and influencer promotion has turned bovine colostrum from a niche wellness idea into a fast-growing US supplement category by early 2026. NielsenIQ data show consumers spent over $19 million on standalone colostrum supplements in the 52 weeks ended January 3, 2026, up more than 3,000% from just over $612,000 two years earlier, while products containing colostrum as one ingredient added about $3 million. The boom has been amplified by high-visibility endorsements in 2024 and 2025, and by premium pricing such as Armra’s roughly $110 per month regimen for 4 scoops per day.

Armra, launched online in 2021, positions itself as an early category builder and claims broad benefits for skin, hair, immunity, and gut health, but the evidence cited is weak relative to the scale of claims. The company says more than 5,000 studies support colostrum and lists about 60, yet many are small, animal-based, industry-linked, or not directly about colostrum; at least 10 listed items reportedly do not mention colostrum at all. Critics argue that after decades of study, if effects were strong, larger human trials would likely have produced clearer results, and they describe a recurring supplement pattern: rapid hype first, then modest or null effects under closer scrutiny.

The key market signal is growth rate, not market size: colostrum’s increase from about $0.6 million to $22 million-plus combined category sales in 2 years is dramatic, but it remains tiny versus melatonin’s more than $1 billion in 2025 sales. Trend contrast is stark, with melatonin down about 1% over the same 2-year window while colostrum surged over 30x, suggesting a momentum cycle driven more by marketing and social proof than settled science. Medical caveats remain important because supplements face lighter premarket efficacy scrutiny than drugs, potential contamination risk is higher, milk-allergy reactions are possible, and reported benefits may partly reflect placebo effects, especially for high-cost products backed by over 20,000 5-star on-site reviews rather than robust randomized evidence.