Deer antler is the name that is used to describe the antler velvet which is harvested from the antlers of growing moose, elk, deer and caribou.
The antlers are actually removed from the animals before they transform into a solid bone. It is important to note that the velvet is harvested with no harm coming to the animal.
“Generally, researchers have agreed that deer antler velvet actually stimulates the body’s own system in order to strengthen, protect and restore some functions that are out of balance.”
It is interesting to know that the deer antler can act as a natural adaptogen, that is able to restore homeostasis to an unbalanced body by helping where it is really needed.
Considering its complex chemical composition, deer antler velvet has an effect on many systems of the body. The active ingredients in deer antler velvet are mostly precursors that are needed by the body to process the substances that maintain its health, and well-being. Deer antler velvet is not a synthetic or foreign substance; it is 100 percent natural food. It is, therefore, safer and much better at bringing the body to homeostasis than any other drug, because it is indeed a whole food that acts on the entire body.
Although this product is considered new and innovative to Americans and many other Western cultures, it has been around for a very long time.
For over 2000 years, deer antler velvet has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it is still a fundamental ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine today.
Other countries from around the world have used deer antler velvet as a treatment for a wide range of medical conditions, proving that it is a safe and effective treatment.
The History of Deer Antler Velvet
Antler is a word that is derived from the Latin word “Anteoculae,” which means, “in front of the eyes.”
Antlers are present in almost all the members of the deer family, Cervidae.
Believe it or not, the first time it was documented that deer antler velvet is medicinal was on a scroll that was recovered from a tomb in Hunan China, which dates back to 2000 years ago!
The use of deer antler velvet dates back to the Han Dynasty 206 BC to 220 AD.
A 16th-century medical text, Pen Ts’ao Kang Mu, listed several antler preparations which include tinctures, ointments, and pills.
In Chinese medicine, deer antler velvet has been used as a tonic to improve bone health, reduce swelling, treat impotence, and nourish the blood.
Benefits of Deer Antler Velvet
Research suggests that deer antler velvet possesses a positive effect on athletic performance, which is the reason the product has become more common in Western culture in recent year.
This includes increases in muscular strength, aerobic capacity, endurance and recovery time.
In China, Russia, and Korea, deer antler is often used by athletes to enhance their performance.
Presently, in the United States, more athletes are also looking to deer antler velvet as a training aid, and a promoter of recovery from injury, physical activity and also injury prevention.
There are several ways that deer antler can improve athletic performance.
For example, it can improve athletic performance by: supporting the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, by assisting strength and endurance, boosting the immune system, and by facilitating minor tissue damage.
There have been series of tests to determine the effectiveness of deer antler velvet, and more recent tests confirm the deer antler velvet’s effect on muscle endurance, and strength.
Other studies have also reported an increase in heart strength after using deer antler velvet; while heart rate, the volume of blood pumped, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure cardiac output and other parameters remained unchanged!
Enhances Bone and Joint Health
Osteoarthritis is a health condition that is caused by the loss of cartilage in bone joints. In normal joints, the cartilage acts as a buffer between bones.
Normally, the body replenishes cartilage as it wears away. However, when osteoarthritis occurs, cartilage deteriorates much faster than the body can replace it.
Eventually, this trend causes the bones to rub together causing pain, swelling, and the loss of joint mobility.
Most treatments for osteoarthritis try to reduce the pain and maintain joint function, however, these treatments do little to restore full joint health.
It is believed by most researchers that the imbalance between cartilage erosion and regeneration in osteoarthritis being suffered by people is as a result of a lack of Glycosaminoglycan. Glycosaminoglycan plays a major role in the structural integrity of cartilage, since it appears to inhibit enzymes that deplete cartilage nutrition.
According to New Zealand research reports, although the mechanism is not yet known, deer antler velvet has shown strong anti-inflammatory effects; making it very useful for people with osteoarthritis issues.
Recent clinical tests indicate that oral ingestion of a Glycosaminoglycan-peptide complex, or compounds such as glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, (which can be found in deer antler velvet) may help to stimulate cartilage repair.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of deer antler velvet in 1999 as a scientifically supported and compliant treatment, due to its beneficial effects in the treatment of arthritis “to support healthy joint structure and function.”
Anti-Aging Benefits
Available information suggests that deer antler velvet supplements inhibited the activity of some known enzymes that are associated with aging. It also increases the synthesis of kidney and liver protein, by promoting the activity of other specific enzymes.
Wang Ben-Ziang in 1988 discovered that deer antler velvet decreased the activity of enzymes that are associated with the aging process, increased the level of liver superoxide dismutase (a free radical scavenging enzyme), and also increased kidney and liver protein synthesis by enhancing enzyme activity.
All these effects are proofs of anti-aging!
If you are looking for another natural aid to help with your deer antler velvet treatment, using a contrast shower consistently is an excellent option! Contrast showers have many incredible anti-aging effects, and are one of the best natural ways to rejuvenate your body!
Combining deer antler velvet with another natural treatment such as a contrast shower is anexcellent way to keep your body young, longer!
Concluding Thoughts
Deer antler velvet may be a new product in the United States, but it is actually an ancient and incredible medicine. Deer antler velvet has many unique health properties that can assist the body in a wide variety of ways.
