What is deer antler velvet

Deer antler velvet is the epidermis that covers the inner structure of the growing bone and cartilage of deer’s antlers ¹. In traditional Chinese medicine, people use deer velvet as medicine for a wide range of health problems such as to treat impotence, to treat male erectile dysfunction, mammary hyperplasia, mastitis, uterine fibroids, aphrodisiac, urinary problems, skin ailments, knee weakness, anti-aging, tonify the kidney, invigorate the spleen, strengthen bones and muscles, improve athletic performance, children’s mumps and promote blood flow ². Deer velvet has also been used as a tonic in children with learning disabilities or insufficient growth. Koreans use deer antler velvet (generally referred to as “Nokyong”) to treat anemia and impotence and to stimulate the immune system, treat impotence, improve heart function, muscle tone, lung efficiency, and nerve function. But there is no scientific evidence to support these uses ³. Deer velvet contains multiple substances including the female sex hormones estrone and estradiol. It also contains substances which may help cells grow and function. Several studies also reveal a variety of growth factors in deer antler velvet including insulin like growth factor, transforming growth factor beta, fibroblast growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein, vascular endothelial growth factor, and nerve growth factors ⁴. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study on deer velvet by Conaglen et al. ⁵, found no benefit in healthy men with no sexual dysfunction.

Deer antler velvet is the only mammal organ which can continuous regenerate ⁶. This tissue grows each spring on male sika deer (Cervus nippon), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), North American elk/wapiti (Cervus canadensis) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) and should be removed by a veterinarian or certified farmer according to the National Velvetting Standards Body Code of Practice. The age of antler at the time of removal is between 40-85 days from previous harvest or casting. Overall, deer antler velvet derived from the antler tip and upper sections are lower in ash, calcium, and phosphorous than the mid and base sections. In contrast, the tip has greater lipid, nitrogen reflecting protein content, and selenium than all other sections. Finally, the tip and upper sections of the velvet antler are rich sources of iron ⁷. Deer antler velvet powder is pulverised, dried deer antler, including velvet.

Reviews of the composition of deer velvet have been published ⁸. The composition consists of inorganic materials and minerals, polysaccharides, amino acids and other proteins, and lipids and polysaccharides ². Of particular pharmacological interest are the constituents collagen and glycosaminoglycan ⁹ and the prostaglandin content ¹⁰. Epidermal growth factor has been isolated from sika deer (Cervus nippon) velvet antler ¹¹.

Both in vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies have demonstrated that deer antler possess immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-fatigue, anti-osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-stress, anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, hematopoietic modulatory activities and the therapeutic effect on mammary hyperplasia ².

Does deer antler velvet work?

Deer antler contains chondroitin sulfate, a compound that may help treat arthritis. Prostaglandins, also present in velvet antler, are known for their anti-inflammatory effects. Other therapeutically valuable actions include immune stimulation, anti-aging, protective and rejuvenating effects, and beneficial effects in blood and circulation. Research reveals no clinical data at this time regarding the therapeutic benefits of deer antler velvet.

There is currently insufficient evidence to rate effectiveness of deer antler velvet for:

• Athletic performance. Early research shows that taking deer velvet extract or powder does not improve strength in active males. However, it might improve endurance by a small amount.
• Sexual desire. Early research shows that taking deer velvet powder does not improve sexual function or desire in men.
• Acne.
• Asthma.
• Cancer.
• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol.
• Immune system function.
• Indigestion.
• Muscle aches and pains.
• Other conditions.

A range of biological activities of deer velvet has been demonstrated in mice models, including anti-aging ¹², anti-bacterial ¹³ and anti-inflammatory effects ¹⁴, protection against liver damage ¹⁵, hematopoietic activity ¹⁶, acceleration of wound healing ¹⁷ and reduction of grade and metastasis of azoxymethane-induced colon cancer ¹⁸. Fraser et al. ¹⁹ concluded that deer antler velvet supplementation decreased the grade and metastasis of azoxymethane-induced colon cancer in male rats.

The deer antler velvet extract has been considered as a candidate for inhibiting cancer growth ²⁰. Hu et al. ²¹ showed a reduction in telomerase gene expression and cell cycle arrest with a new monomeric peptide that effectively inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation. Tang et al. ²² observed a decrease in the expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and for the first time, the anti-migration activity of deer antler velvet on prostate cancer. Yang et al. ²³ showed that deer antler velvet extract specifically reduced tumor growth in cell cultures of prostate cancer as effectively as a chemotherapeutic drug (cisplatin), but it promoted growth in non-cancerous (embryonic) cells. Similarly, Tang et al. ²⁴ found that deer antler velvet extract reduced tumor volume and weight as effectively as cisplatin in xenograft mouse models for prostate cancer, and hence, suggested that it may be a potential treatment to reduce metastasis in humans. In their review of deer antler, Landete-Castillejos et al. ²⁵ suggested that, because antlers have a number of fast-growing types of tissues, deer antler velvet extract may be effective against many types of cancer. This study ²⁰ demonstrated that deer antler velvet exerted a anti-cancer effect on glioblastoma cells.

Deer antler velvet dosage

The appropriate dose of deer velvet depends on several factors such as your age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for deer velvet. A recent study used 2 to 6 capsules containing 215 mg of deer velvet per day. A study in athletes used 1,500 mg deer velvet preparation twice daily ²⁶. In rheumatoid arthritis 1 g daily has been studied ²⁷. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Deer antler velvet side effects

Deer antler velvet extract is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth for up to 12 weeks. It is not known what possible side effects deer velvet might have.

Toxicity studies of deer antler velvet powder in rats have been assessed. A 2 g/kg body weight dose demonstrated no mortality or adverse events on a short-term (14 days) basis. In a 90-day study, a 1 g/kg/day regimen also found no observable, significant adverse effects, except for a minor change in liver weight ²⁸.

Special precautions and warnings

• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking deer velvet if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
• Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Deer velvet might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don’t use deer velvet.

It is generally believed that the use of deer antler velvet should be avoided in men with hormone-sensitive diseases, such as prostate cancer ²².

Interactions with medications

Be watchful when using deer antler velvet with this combination.

• Birth control pills (contraceptive drugs): Some birth control pills contain the hormone estrogen. Deer velvet contains hormones. Taking deer velvet along with birth control pills might change the effects of birth control pills. If you take birth control pills along with deer velvet, use an additional form of birth control such as a condom.
• Estrogens: Deer velvet contains a small amount of hormones. Taking deer velvet along with estrogen pills might change the effects of estrogen pills. Some estrogen pills include conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol, estradiol, and others.

References

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