Deer Antler Supplements 101: The Uses, Benefits, and Risks, Explained - Digital Trends Report (2024)

Did you know that in the past, deer antler velvet was used to help with blood pressure, youthfulness, and fertility? Today, however, many bodybuilders and other people concerned about their health use deer antler supplements to improve their strength and other aspects of their health. While there are not many scientific studies to back the benefits that many claim deer antler supplements have, many still find that these supplements can improve their health in various ways.

If you’re wondering about the benefits of deer antler supplements andhow to choose deer antler supplements, keep reading more about them below.

What Are Deer Antler Supplements Exactly?

Deer antler supplements are primarily made from deer antler velvet. This velvet occurs on the surface of deer antlers. It is a fuzzy material that helps to protect the new cartilage and bone of a deer’s antlers.

Deer antlers are unique because they are one of the fastest-growing bones that exist in nature. Every year, deer shed their antlers only to grow them back the very next year. Interestingly, deer antler velvet has held an important place in ancient Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Only recently have people in the Western world discovered the potential benefits of this supplement. To make deer antler supplements, a professional will need to remove a deer’s antlers via surgery. This is done when the animal is rendered unconscious with the help of anesthesia.

This way, the animal does not feel any pain and is not aware of the situation. To get the most out of the antler, the antler is usually cut very close to the base of the animal’s head. Once this is done, the supplement manufacturer needs to carefully remove the velvet from the antler itself.

This can be difficult and time-consuming since the velvet is very delicate compared to the rest of the antler.

The Details

Once the supplement manufacturer removes the velvet, he will then need to dry it out. This will make it easier to grind the velvet into powder later on.

Once the velvet becomes a dry powder, it comes through a refining process that makes it usable as a supplement. Usually, deer antler supplements come in the form of capsules that you need to swallow whole. However, you may occasionally find some deer antler supplements in the form of liquids or sprays as well.

Butshould you take deer antler supplements? If youbuy deer antler supplements, how can you be sure that they’re right for you and your health?

The Benefits of Deer Antler Supplements

Deer antler velvet actually has many more important nutrients than you might expect. Certain types of deer antler velvet are actually rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are important for your overall health for a variety of reasons.

In particular, antioxidants fight against free radicals. Free radicals are nothing more than unstable atoms that occur in the body as a result of stress or environmental damage. Because free radicals are so unstable, they will try to stabilize themselves by interacting with whatever is closest to them.

Usually, this is a cell of some kind. When free radicals interact with cells, lipid peroxidation occurs. This damages the cell. Many scientific studies have linked free radicals to all sorts of ills such as certain cancers, body inflammation, and the acceleration of aging.

Deer Antler Supplements and Antioxidants

Antioxidants, on the other hand, are the kryptonite of free radicals. Antioxidants are not only able to reduce the damage caused by free radicals but also reduce the number of free radicals themselves. As you can imagine, this is very important when it comes to your health.

By reducing the damage and inflammation from free radicals, your body will be much healthier, especially as it ages. Besides being rich in antioxidants, deer antler velvet is also full of important amino acids. Amino acids make up proteins that can help keep the body strong, especially when it comes to muscle mass.

In particular, deer antler supplements seem to be good for the growth of bone and cartilage. In the same vein, it may be a good idea for treating osteoarthritis. This is because certain compounds in deer antler velvet seem to have important abilities when it comes to strengthening bones and cartilage.

How to Buy Deer Antler Supplements

When buying deer antler supplements, you’ll always want to make sure that you’re buying from a reputable seller. If the supplements seem too cheap, you might not be paying for what you think you’re paying for. There are many scam sellers online who will try to sell you deer antler supplements that aren’t actually made from real deer antler velvet.

Fortunately, there is a way you can avoid unprofessional sellers: online customer reviews. Most businesses online have customer reviews that you can look through before buying anything. If a supplement provider has a ton of negative reviews and unhappy customers, you can be sure that the provider isn’t very professional or reputable.

On the other hand, if the seller has a ton of positive reviews, it might be worth doing some more research on that particular provider. As long as a provider cares about his customers and provides high-quality supplements, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about when buying these supplements.

What You Need to Know About Deer Antler Supplements

Deer antler supplements can be great if you want to take your health into consideration. Deer antler velvet is full of antioxidants and other components that may be able to strengthen your bones and muscles.

To learn more, don’t hesitate to explore the rest of our website.

Deer Antler Supplements 101: The Uses, Benefits, and Risks, Explained - Digital Trends Report (2024)

FAQs

Does deer antler extract actually work? ›

But when it comes to sprays or pills, there's little evidence that deer antler offers performance enhancing benefits of any kind, says Alan Rogol, M.D., an endocrinologist at the University of Virginia.

Why is deer antler a banned substance? ›

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) does not explicitly prohibit deer antler velvet, but because some deer velvet products might contain the prohibited substance IGF-1, WADA advises that “athletes exercise extreme caution with this supplement because it could lead to a positive test.

What are the health benefits of deer antler? ›

For example, people commonly use it to improve strength, endurance, athletic performance, and repair injured muscles and tissues. The supplement is also claimed to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, promote youthfulness, improve fertility, and more.

Does deer antler have side effects? ›

No major side-effects have been reported in previous studies on humans lasting six months. Androgenic (male hormone type) side-effects have been noted in animal studies. The effect antler velvet might have on other medication hasn't been well studied.

Does deer antler increase testosterone? ›

Enhances Sexual Function

According to modern research, deer antler velvet has shown gonadotropic activity - meaning it affects the testes and ovaries. Studies by both Fisher and Wang indicate that deer antler velvet may increase testosterone levels in men and can help prevent some conditions associated with aging.

Is deer antler FDA approved? ›

The FDA has considered applications but does not currently recognize any therapeutic effects of velvet antler. Velvet antler products, however, may be marketed as dietary supplements or nutriceuticals.

Is deer antler steroids? ›

Therefore, deer antler velvet is sometimes considered a natural "steroid alternative" because its benefits include anabolic and performance enhancing effects. But it clearly does not meet the definition of an anabolic steroid.

Is deer antler a drug? ›

Deer velvet covers the growing bone and cartilage that becomes deer antlers. It's sometimes used as medicine in Western countries. Deer velvet contains multiple substances including the female sex hormones estrone and estradiol. It also contains substances that might help cells grow and function.

How long does deer antler stay in your system? ›

How long does deer antler velvet stay in your system? Deer antler velvet (capsules) is a food product. Its nutrients are digested into the body and expelled like any other food in 24 to 72 hours. It does not stay in the body and there is no way to detect it in the body.

Does deer antler increase estrogen? ›

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).

Is antler stronger than bone? ›

And when Currey measured the amount of energy that the dry antler could absorb in an impact, he was surprised and pleased to see that it could survive impacts 6 times greater than the impacts that shattered wet femur. The dry antler was tougher than wet bone and ideally suited to survive the stags' initial clash.

Is deer antler safe for humans? ›

Risks. Antler velvet may not be safe in people who should avoid supplemental estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone. The supplement may contain these hormones. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using this supplement.

Is deer antler safe? ›

Generally, touching a deer antler is not likely to cause illness or significant harm. However, there are a few potential risks to consider: Bacterial Contamination: Antlers can harbor bacteria, including E.

Is deer antler illegal? ›

Because antler sheds are important for healthy habitat, antler shed hunting is illegal in many places. If you buy antler products make sure they are legally sourced.

Is deer antler banned? ›

Earlier this month, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) lifted a ban on deer antler spray, a natural supplement that shot to the forefront when "Sports Illustrated" reported in January that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis allegedly used the substance to recover from a torn triceps muscle.

Is deer antler banned by NFL? ›

Deer-antler spray contains IGF-1, which is on the NFL's list of banned substances. Using the spray would be a violation of the NFL's steroids policy. During a podium session packed with news media, Lewis dismissed the story.

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