There are several thousand herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, deer antler velvet is one of the most important and one of the primary ingredients. It has been used for over two thousand years for its unique tonic and stimulating effects. As a highly regarded remedy for many conditions, deer antler velvet has many effects on the body. It is regarded as a tonic, or restorative substance, used to strengthen the body and promote the body’s adaptability to stress. It is used by million of people in Asia. Now the Western world has found that deer antler velvet can promote strength and stamina, maintain good health and prevent illness.
Deer antler velvet has been studied since the 1930’s in Russia. More recently New Zealand is the leader in deer antler velvet research and application. Studies have shown that deer antler velvet:
- stimulates the immune system
- reduces inflammation and pain
- contains growth factors
- increases strength and endurance
- reduces the side effects of chemotherapy
There is much misinformation and exaggeration on the benefits of deer antler velvet. Below we have pulled information together from trusted sources, WebMD, Drugs.com and Antler Farms, to show the true benefits of taking deer antler velvet.
From AntlerFarms.com:
Deer antler velvet is a natural adaptogen. It restores homeostasis to an unbalanced body by helping where it is needed. Deer antler velvet has an effect on many systems of the body given its complex chemical composition. The active ingredients in deer antler velvet are mostly precursors that are required by the body to process substances that maintain its health and wellbeing.
Modern scientific research indicates that deer antler velvet can help you:
- improve general health
- increase blood supply and circulation
- reduce blood pressure
- increase energy levels and endurance
- increase muscular development and strength
- improve flexibility and joint mobility
- increase muscle recovery
- prevent and reduce inflammation
- improve sexual health
- promote development of skeletal system
- stimulate immune system function
- improve mental health
- support anti aging
From WebMD:
Deer velvet is used to boost strength and endurance, improve the way the immune system works, counter the effects of stress, and promote rapid recovery from illness. It is also used at the onset of winter to ward off infections.
Other uses include treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, muscle aches and pains, asthma, indigestion, weak bones (osteoporosis), headache, liver and kidney disorders, cold hands and feet, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, chronic skin ulcers, and overactive bladder. It is also used to promote youthfulness, sharpen thinking skills, protect the liver from toxins, stimulate production and circulation of blood, and increase the number of red blood cells.
Some people use deer velvet to increase levels of certain sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone), improve fertility, increase interest in sexual activity (as an aphrodisiac), and treat male sexual performance problems (erectile dysfunction, ED). Women use deer velvet to reduce the dose of estrogen they need in hormone replacement therapy. They also use it for menstrual and menopause problems, vaginal discharges, and uterine bleeding.
In children, deer velvet is used as a tonic for children with “failure to thrive,” mental retardation, learning disabilities, slow growth, or bone problems including rickets.
In herbal combinations, deer velvet is used to improve athletic performance; to improve eyesight and hearing; to reduce stress; and to treat arthritis, osteoporosis, “tired blood” (anemia), women’s reproductive disorders including premenstrual syndrome (PMS), ED, and skin conditions. Herbal combinations including deer velvet are also used to increase blood circulation to the brain and to delay or reduce signs of aging such as tissue, bone, and muscle degeneration, and declining mental skills.”
From Drugs.com
The use of velvet antler was scientifically supported in compliance with FDA regulations for its beneficial effects in treating arthritis. Other therapeutically valuable actions include immune stimulation, antiaging, protective and rejuvenating effects, and beneficial effects in blood and circulation.
In Chinese medicine, deer velvet has been used to treat impotence, female disorders, urinary problems, skin ailments, and knee weakness. It is also employed as a tonic in children with learning disabilities or insufficient growth. Koreans use antler velvet to treat anemia and impotence and to stimulate the immune system, treat impotence, improve heart function, muscle tone, lung efficiency, and nerve function.
Velvet antler’s effects on cell growth and repair have been investigated in several areas. Antler regeneration not only involves bone, but nerves as well, which can grow up to 1 cm/day, an exceptional rate of growth.
In velvet antler, expression of neurotropin-3 mRNA in the growing process has been studied. Pantocrin, a preparation of deer velvet, improved induced, whiplash-type injury in rats and rabbits by enhancing glycolysis in nervous tissue. Insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2) are important mediators for antler growth as well. Insulin-like growth factors and their receptors have been isolated from deer blood during periods of antler growth. These growth factors augment cell division, suggesting a possible role in cell regeneration and repair processes in humans. In chickens administered velvet antler, growth rate and testes weight were both increased.
