What is deer antler

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A growth factor that kicks in when we eat less seems to play a major role in how long we live, according to a study done on mice.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Health Effects and Safety. What it is Nutrition Benefits Side effects Dosage Bottom line In recent years, deer antler supplements — more specifically, deer velvet extracts and powders — have been gaining popularity among bodybuilders and athletes looking to increase their strength and endurance.

What is deer antler velvet? Potential benefits. Potential side effects and concerns. How much to take. The bottom line. Read this next. The 6 Best Supplements to Gain Muscle. If the velvet is cut or removed during this time, it bleeds profusely and is very painful for the deer. Meanwhile, mineral deposits such as calcium and phosphorus gradually fill in and replace the spongy tissue, turning the antlers into true bone. As summer turns to fall, the increasing bone deposition starts to cut off the blood supply to the velvet.

When this is complete, the velvet dries up and sheds from the antlers. The stag may rub its antlers against trees to facilitate the shedding, and deer have been observed eating their shed velvet. In traditional Chinese medicine, antler velvet has been used medicinally for thousands of years. In short, science supports theoretical health benefits.

In particular, velvet is rich in insulin-like growth factor 1 IGF-1 , a hormone that potentially offers anti-aging and performance-enhancing effects, but which may promote cancer development.

Here is just a shortlist of what people take antler velvet for:. In addition to molecular analysis, there have been numerous animal studies that have demonstrated better vascular healing after cardiac events [v] , injury prevention through anti-inflammatory properties [vi] , and suppression of prostate cancer cell activity [vii].

While this seems promising, please consider:. Humans tend to capitalize on something that looks wonderful, but often overlook its impact on the source.

Ancient medical wisdom advises: Above all, do no harm. While use of antler velvet appears to be harm-free for humans, if deer could talk what would they say? Harvesting velvet the process is called velveting is done before the antlers fully harden. Velveting involves. The animal is sedated, restrained, and given an appropriate local anesthetic to prevent pain.

After an appropriate time delay that allows the anesthetic to take effect, a rubber tourniquet is applied to the base of each antler, and the antler is surgically removed.

The harvested velvet is then frozen, sterilized, sliced and then manufactured to what are the available forms in the market today. I am skeptical that the stags feel no side effects, including pain and trauma. In countries where deer farming is part of agribusiness, velveting practices are regulated by laws intended to enforce humane treatment.

Finally, consider the ultimate impact on the natural genetic hardiness of deer. During breeding season, stags do battle with their antlers in competition for access to does. A stag with no antlers still has a testosterone surge needed for mating, but stands no chance to prove himself a worthy sire. If not removed, the antlers will become very hard and sharp. The extract is frozen and then shipped to manufacturers that will turn it into a spray. Lentini, the CEO of Nutronics Labs , a company that markets itself as selling the world's strongest and purest deer antler spray, claims to have introduced the elixir to the United States nearly two decades ago.

WADA tested the company's lowest-strength deer antler spray to make their latest ruling, according to Lentini. He claims that a quick spritz of his product under the tongue several times a day can help with countless ailments. It can be used to recover from injuries, reduce inflammation in the brain from concussions, heal sprains or torn ligaments faster, speed up the metabolism, promote flexible joints, help build a healthier heart, and relieve arthritis, says Lentini, who has been administering the concoction into his mouth up to four times a day for 17 years.

The product smells like lemon-scented cleaner and bears a resemblance to murky pond water. I hesitantly tried the stuff and found it surprisingly palatable, with a lemon taste, but not too sour and slightly sweet.

The directions say to take 14 drops under the tongue, three times a day, but I stopped after one dose — so I probably don't have a good chance of reaping the benefits, if there are any. While there's plenty of data that IGF-1 is a growth hormone in humans, the question is whether in a mouth spray it could make its way to our muscles intact. Even if IGF-1 dropped under the tongue makes it into the blood stream, data is lacking as to what impacts it has, if any.

In a study of mice, scientists at Baylor College in Houston found evidence that IGF-1 promotes the repair of damaged muscle This proves nothing with regards to taking the growth hormone through the mouth. Human IGF-1 studies are even more uncertain. Cohen has his own doubts about the ability of deer antler velvet to increase the levels of IGF-1, or any other growth factors, in the human body.

Cohen guesses that even if you consume high levels of IGF-1, most if not all of the substance would be destroyed after hitting the acid in our stomach and before entering the blood system, which is how compounds we ingest reach the muscles. Nutronics says it has a special formula that penetrates the mucous membrane in the mouth and delivers the chemical directly into the bloodstream within minutes by bypassing the digestive system and liver.

Nutronics lists papers and books written by Alex Duarte on its website, not all of which have been peer-reviewed and most are decades old.