Velvet deer antler is the common
name of a product made from deer antlers growing during a period in which they
are covered with a soft velvety hair. New Zealand is the largest exporter of
velvet deer antler, carrying tens of millions of dollars to Asia and the United
States each year.
According to Asian tradition, the
velvet deer antler has "tonic" properties, which means it tends to
increase energy and vitality. More recently, it has been called an "
adaptogen ". This term, invented by a Soviet scientist, refers to a
hypothetical treatment that can be described as follows: An adaptogen should
help the body adapt to stresses of various kinds, whether heat, cold, exertion,
trauma, lack sleep, toxic exposure, radiation, infection, or psychological stress.
Furthermore, an adaptogen should cause no side effects, effective in treating a
wide variety of illnesses and help return an organism toward balance no matter
what may have gone wrong.
In the 1960s, an injectable form
of deer antler velvet was used by Japanese physicians to treat male sexual dysfunction
and now very much popular in the form of spray (BioAntler Spray). The
deer antler velvet started to become popular in the United States beginning in
the late 1990s. Nowadays, numerous books and websites claim that deer antler
velvet can enhance sexual performance by increasing levels of male hormones.
However, these statements are based on extremely preliminary investigation.
Only double-blind, placebo-controlled studies can actually prove a treatment
effective, and the only study of this type reported for deer antler failed to
find evidence of benefit.
In this study, 32 healthy men
aged 45-60 years received either deer antler velvet (1 gram daily) or placebo
for 12 weeks. The results showed no significant change in sexual function or
hormone levels male in the treated group compared with the placebo group.
Deer antler also contains cartilage.
Based on this, it has been promoted as a treatment for osteoarthritis; however,
the cartilage is not a proven treatment for this condition. Numerous other
proposed benefits of deer antler velvet are based on test tube or other forms
of evidence that are too preliminary to rely upon at all. These include
prevention of cancer, drug addiction support, immune support, liver protection,
treatment for osteoporosis, pain management, sports performance, and increase
in body muscles. Typical dose of deer
antler is 1 gram daily, taken all at once or divided throughout the day.
