Oh Deer!

In New Zealand, where Asian doctors, traders and deer farmers have been historically united in an unusual marriage of interests, breakthroughs in research have taken off.

These breakthroughs are being spearheaded by Dr. Jimmie Suttie, a noted expert in antler physiology. He says: "We believe that the healing function of deer velvet could be important for future human benefits. Given that deer antler velvet is the only mammalian organ that regenerates, this healing function may not be surprising."

Male deer grow and shed their antlers every year. This tremendous feat, which has no equal in the animal kingdom, is equivalent to humans growing, say, a mini exoskeleton through the tops of our heads every year. In full maturity, a stag's antlers can double its height, rising above the animal in great crenelations and calcified branches like the complex rigging of a mainsail. Used to fight for dominance and secure a female harem, antlers are so lethal that once entangled in battle, stags are sometimes unable to disengage and die of starvation trapped in the bony crowns of their enemy.

The swift growth rate of antlers -- sometimes over an inch per day -- has had intense scientific scrutiny. Growing antlers consist of warm, spongy cartilage covered in soft fur -- hence the word "velvet." The copious blood flow into this velvet, which is specific to the development of deer antlers and is present during the final forceful burst of calcification, is rich in nutrients, amino acids, protein collagen and a panoply of essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. It also contains small amounts of male and female hormones, natural steroids and a recently discovered "Insulin-like Growth Factor-1" or IGF-1. It is this velvet, at its peak nutritional and medicinal value, that is harvested for use by health practitioners.

A note on animal welfare during the harvest: People in the deer-velvet industry emphasize that antler removal does not harm deer and is common practice due to the danger antlers present. It is done in accordance with a code of practice supported by New Zealand's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee and performed in consultation with veterinarians, animal behavior specialists and other animal welfare organizations. Shortly after antler removal, deer are released to their herds and display natural behavior in their prairies. The antlers grow back the following year. Monica Emerich of the New Zealand Game Industry describes their New Zealand habitat as expansive prairies where deer graze on rye grass, clover and herbs. "New Zealand," she adds, "set up the world's first free-range deer farms in 1970 with no artificial feed additives, hormones or growth promoters used."

Dr. Suttie has been heading the deer-velvet research team in New Zealand for more than 10 years. It was Suttie who discovered IGF-1 and whose studies have confirmed the growth-promoting, anti-inflammatory and immuno-potentiating properties of velvet. Suttie's collaborators in Korea have also substantiated claims that velvet boosts stamina, reduces the negative effects of stress and may operate to enhance the activity of anti-cancer drugs (AIDs and velvet are also being studied). The Chinese have developed treatments for fracture repair, hepatitis and peptic-ulcer treatment with velvet, and will soon focus their attention on osteoporosis. In his understated manner, Suttie says, "I explain to people that velvet has three functions: normalizing body functions, maintaining normal functions, and at higher doses, boosting performance. Our work concerns the safety, efficacy and active ingredients in deer velvet as it impacts on human health and well-being. Velvet has outstanding market potential in these areas."

Given velvet's vast curative potential, Suttie is dismayed by any reference to its aphrodisiac properties, but additional research in Russia has revealed low levels of sex hormones in deer velvet, including testosterone and a Lutinizing hormone (LH) that help regulate the activity and vitality of the sex organs. Implications are not gender-specific; findings suggest that velvet might be a safer, less invasive, nontoxic alternative to hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). In Russia pantocrine is officially recommended for problems associated with menopause and menstruation. According to Alison Davidson, whose informative book "Velvet Antler: Nature's Superior Tonic" is perhaps the most comprehensive overview on the subject, "Women taking velvet have reported diminished symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome, even to the point where periods pass by almost unnoticed. They have also reported increased sexual interest and a sense of being in touch with deeper reserves of vital energy."

It is these "deeper reserves of vital energy" as they relate to increased sexual energy that have reinforced the aphrodisiac reputation of deer velvet, and clearly fueled growing interest in the West. Gold Mountain's Brown qualifies the common usage of the word "aphrodisiac" as a sexual stimulant as somewhat incorrect. "'Aphrodisiac' means an agent that builds up the vital energy," he says. "In herbology, 'aphrodisiac' can imply a libido increase, but it really is more properly defined as an agent that promotes the sexual function of men and women, including the reproductive function. There is nothing wrong with this, as it is the basis of life, and natural medicines have been treating sexual dysfunction for millennia. 'Aphrodisiac' is not a bad word; it is a technical term."

Next Page: Was it the deer velvet, or the absence, that made both our hearts grow fonder?

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