An Introduction to Deer Velvet and Its Traditional Uses
1. What is Deer Velvet?
Deer velvet refers to the soft, velvety covering found on the antlers of male deer during their annual growth cycle. Unlike the hard, calcified antlers seen during the mating season, velvet antlers are tender and covered in a dense layer of fur-like tissue that nourishes the developing bone underneath. This tissue is rich in growth factors, proteins, amino acids, and minerals essential for the rapid development of the antlers.
Above: a wild Red Stag on our farm. Beautiful, graceful animals though the antlers on this majestic mature male are calcified and hard, well past his early years when he underwent a natural annual renewal process when his antlers would be covered in the furry 'velvet' full of IGF-I, amino acids, collagen and minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc.
The growth cycle of antlers is fascinating and unique to members of the Cervidae family, such as deer, elk, and moose. Each year, a male deer begins the process with the growth of a cartilaginous structure that will eventually become the fully calcified antlers. The velvet covering aids in nourishing this rapidly growing tissue by providing oxygen and nutrients. As the antlers reach maturity, the velvet naturally sheds, leaving behind the hardened, bony antlers. This process occurs annually, making velvet a renewable resource until the male matures and removal of his antlers would become too painful (even under anesthesia) and also no longer contain the sought after nutrients in medicinally significant doses.
What makes deer velvet particularly intriguing is its ability to regenerate each year, unlike other body tissues, which undergo aging or scarring. This regenerative capacity has contributed to its reputation in traditional medicine as a powerful health tonic and restorative agent.
2. Deer Velvet in Traditional Medicine
Deer velvet has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and various other Asian healing practices, where it is regarded as a potent tonic and adaptogen. In TCM, deer velvet is believed to nourish the kidney and liver, tonify the blood, and support the body’s overall vitality. Its use dates back over two millennia, and it is often prescribed to promote longevity, enhance strength, and revitalize energy levels.
In Korean and Russian medicine, velvet is also valued for its adaptogenic properties, believed to help the body resist physical, chemical, and biological stressors. It has historically been used to combat fatigue, improve athletic performance, and maintain healthy joints. In addition, velvet is thought to support immune function, blood cell production, and cardiovascular health, making it a valuable addition to various therapeutic formulations.
Traditional health benefits of deer velvet include:
- Body Strengthening: Used as a general restorative tonic to improve physical stamina and vitality.
- Blood Cell Production: Its rich content of bioactive compounds supports the formation of red blood cells and enhances overall circulatory health.
- Immune Support: Velvet’s ability to regulate immune functions is a major reason for its use in boosting the body's resistance to infections and disease.
- Cardiovascular Health: Velvet has been included in remedies to improve heart health, supporting blood flow and reducing inflammation.
These applications have not only remained prevalent but have evolved as part of broader holistic health traditions in the East, influencing global wellness trends like various other health traditions of Eastern origin such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture and more recently meditation's close relative, mindfulness.
3. The Role of Deer Velvet in Modern Wellness
In the 21st century, deer velvet has experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the wellness and supplement industries. People are becoming increasingly aware of its holistic health benefits, aligning its historical uses with modern trends that emphasize natural healing, prevention, and longevity.
Today, deer velvet is marketed as a dietary supplement with various claimed benefits, including:
- Enhanced athletic performance: Athletes and bodybuilders who can afford quality deer velvet use it to improve stamina and recovery. Until recently it was a banned substance by most anti-doping agencies but fortunately this ban was lifted.
- Anti-aging properties: Due to its rich composition of collagen, amino acids, and growth factors, velvet is used to slow the aging process and promote healthier skin, bones, and joints.
- Improved mental clarity and stress resistance: As an adaptogen, velvet helps the body better cope with stress and enhance cognitive function.
The growing interest in natural supplements and alternative medicine has made deer velvet a sought-after ingredient in products designed to support overall well-being. People are turning to deer velvet not just for physical vitality, but for a more balanced, resilient lifestyle, where the emphasis is placed on both mental and physical health.
4. The Unique Growth Process of Deer Antlers
The unique growth process of deer antlers is a remarkable feat of nature. Every year, male deer grow a new set of antlers from a base called the pedicle, which is part of the skull. The growth begins in the spring (the months of September to November in New Zealand) and continues through the summer months, with antlers reaching their full size by late summer or early autumn (February/March in New Zealand). During this growth phase, the antlers are covered in velvet, a living tissue that supplies the developing antlers with the nutrients and oxygen they need to grow quickly.
How velvet is harvested is another crucial aspect of its appeal. The velvet is collected while the antlers are still in their soft, growing phase, usually before they are fully calcified. The process is done with anesthesia under the supervision of a specialist veterinarian in accordance with New Zealand's strict animal welfare laws to ensure that the animal is not harmed, and harvested sustainably/carefully to allow the antlers to continue growing.
During this rapid growth phase, the velvet contains a variety of nutritional and active components, including:
- Growth factors: These include Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-I), which plays a key role in cell growth and regeneration.
- Amino acids: Velvet is rich in essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein and contribute to muscle growth and tissue repair.
- Collagen: A major protein found in the velvet, collagen helps support the structure and integrity of bones, skin, and connective tissue.
- Minerals: Deer velvet is high in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc, which are essential for bone health and metabolism.
The combination of these bioactive compounds makes velvet a highly nutritious and multi-functional supplement, with significant potential benefits for bone health, joint support, and skin rejuvenation.
Deer velvet's role in the future of holistic health is very bright, as real-life users continue to confirm its efficacy to a broad audience while researchers explore its many potential benefits, with over 2,000 years of use in traditional medicine and wellness as its foundation. Its regenerative properties, rich nutritional profile, and adaptogenic effects have made it a prized tonic in cultures around the world, particularly in Asia, with modern users in the West especially including it in their diets for its multi-functional health benefits.
Stay tuned for upcoming articles in this series on the health benefits of deer velvet where we will delve deeper into the science behind its gaining popularity in health, wellness and athletic performance.