BACKGROUND Contents What is Deer Velvet Active Components History of Use Farming & Processing Conservation Issues Animal Welfare What is Deer Velvet Deer velvet is the immature antler of deer. It is named after the soft velvety fur that covered the antler during its rapid growth stage. Deer velvet is living tissue which can grow up to 2 cm per day. Harvested at the right time, deer velvet has strong tonic properties. Deer antler is unique in that it grows each spring, is cast in the late winter and is replaced the following spring by the same natural process. Starting as cartilage, the antler will eventually mature into hard bone and weigh as much as half of the stag's skeleton. The production of bioactive substances will reach a peak, then gradually goes down as more bone is formed.  Top Active Components Deer velvet is a natural product containing a wide range of components. Very few active components have been purified and studied thus far. It is very likely that many more active components will be identified in the future. Recent studies in NZ have revealed the presence of a wide variety of growth factors, including IGF, EGF, TGF, FGF8, BMP4 and NT3. These factors are likely responsible for the growth promoting and rejuvenative effects of deer velvet. Major minerals found in deer velvet include calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium and sodium. Trace minerals include manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium and cobalt. Every one of these minerals and trace elements is important to health. It is the lipid, or fat, where most of the valuable active components are found. Lipids identified in deer velvet include free fatty acids, mono-, di- and triglycerides, gangliosides, sphingomyelins, lecithin, phospholipids and prostaglandins. Sex hormones found in deer velvet include estrone, testosterone and a substance similar to progesterone. Deer velvet contains a variety of joint-building glycosaminoglycans including glucosamines, glucosaminoglycans, N-acetyl-glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate A. Blood building activities of deer velvet is often attributed to the presence of erythropoietin (or a substance with similar property). Lysophosphatatidyl choline is thought to be responsible for deer velvet's hypotensive activity. The protein in deer velvet consisted primarily of collagen II, a major structural component of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Free amino acids are essential for healthy cell growth and repair of tissues. Deer velvet contains a variety of amino acids, including all essential amino acids. Deer velvet also contains special proteins called polypeptides which have anti-inflammatory, bone- and cartilage-building properties. Traditional Chinese doctors knew quite well what deer velvet can do and how to use it. However, this knowledge is based on TCM principles and this is very different from the scientific approach of the West. Studies on individual active components are strictly the domain of Western researchers and clearly, more work needs to be done in this area.   Top History of Use Deer velvet is the most powerful animal-based medicinal substance in the Traditional Chinese Pharmacopoeia. A 2,000 year old silk scroll is the oldest documentary evidence of the medicinal use of deer velvet. Discovered in a Han Dynasty tomb in the Hunan province, this ancient document listed 52 different ailments for which deer velvet is prescribed. In The Pharmacopoeia of the Heavenly Husbandman (reputed to be written by the Emperor Shen Nong, the Divine Emperor, around 200 A.D.), deer velvet is classified as having sweet, salty and warm properties, and is connected with the functions of the Liver and Kidneys. This ancient work, one of the oldest surviving Chinese materia medica, is the foundation document for Chinese herbal medicine. Pen Ts'ao Kang Mu (published in the 16th century) is the most authoritative materia medica of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is still used as the standard textbook of Chinese medicine to this day. According to its author, the great naturalist-physician Li Shih Chen, deer velvet will increase the vital force, boost the will, strengthen the muscles and bones, cure general debility, impaired vision and hearing. Deer velvet was called the "pearl in the brow of the deer", in recognition of its medicinal value. Deer velvet is a standard medicinal item in almost every Chinese materia medica written since ancient times. In dynastic times, deer velvet was called the "Emperor's tonic" because of its wide-ranging restorative, nutritive and rejuvenative properties. Deer velvet is included in the latest official materia medica of the People's Republic of China. Deer velvet is also an important medicinal item in Korean and Japanese traditional medicine. The ancient Romans used deer velvet to treat epilepsy. Russian healers in the 17th century recommends reindeer velvet for "epilepsy, headaches, anemia, ulcers and rheumatism". Deer farming was started in Russia in the 1840s to meet the demand for deer velvet. An alcohol extract of deer velvet is used in modern Russian hospitals to treat a variety of medical problems.  Top Farming & Processing Deer farms were first established in New Zealand in the 1970s. The deer industry has expanded very quickly. Today, New Zealand has more than 50% of all the farmed deer in the world. It is also the worldwide leading exporter of deer products including venison and deer velvet. New Zealand specializes in free range farming of deer. Deer are raised naturally in open pastures ranging from 50 ha to over 1000 ha in size, free to roam around and feed on grass and herbs. Diet is supplemented with feeds and their well-being is monitored by animal health experts. New Zealand do not use unnatural additives and growth promotants on either the deer or pasture. New Zealand deer products are naturally the finest in the world. Wild deer provide the stocks for the first deer farms. Since then, farm-bred deer dominates the population in farms. Deer are imported from Yugoslavia, Hungary and the UK to improve the bloodlines of NZ farmed deer. Red deer remains the most common farmed deer, but increasing number of sika, fallow and wapiti (elk) can be found in NZ farms. While deer can provide both venison and deer velvet, farmers cannot have the best of both worlds. The stag must be at least 2 years old to give a reasonably-sized deer velvet. At this age, the venison will be too tough to market. With deer velvet, farmers gets a renewable source of income for up to 20 years. In the Orient, deer velvet is traditionally obtained from sika, fallow and red deer. The deer velvet from these three deer species is more highly valued than those from other members of the deer family. Elk and reindeer are also important sources of velvet. When harvested at the proper time, velvet from the various species differ slightly in their active components. After harvesting, deer velvet is quickly frozen to preserve its bioactivity. Processing involves slowly thawing the frozen deer velvet, removing the hairs and air- or freeze-drying to remove excess moisture. Deer velvet can be traded as a whole frozen or dried stick. Stagland deer velvet capsules contain the crushed powder of whole dried deer velvet. This dried powder contains all the bioactive substances found in deer velvet. Nothing is left out. Traditionally, deer velvet is often consumed as a powder. Stagland deer velvet capsules provide a convenient way of taking a pre-determined amount of deer velvet powder on a regular basis. Deer velvet is also consumed as either a water or alcohol extract. Deer velvet slices can be immersed in either cold or hot water, and the solution is called an aqueous extract of deer velvet. If immersed in alcohol, then we have an alcohol extract of deer velvet. Deer velvet can also be boiled alone or with other herbs. Extraction leaves out certain components of deer velvet. Aqueous extracts consist primarily of the sugar and protein from the whole deer velvet, while alcohol extracts contains the lipid or fat component. In both extracts, the minerals are left out. Deer velvet is too expensive to be used as a raw material for extracting individual nutrients. Most deer velvet products contain the whole deer velvet or some extracts of the whole deer velvet.   Top Conservation Issues Red deer were first introduced from the UK and Australia to New Zealand between 1851 and the early 1900s. Other deer species were also introduced to add variety. Intended as game animals, deer took to New Zealand like fish to water. Taking advantage of the mild climate, lush vegetation and lack of predators (except for human hunters), they spread quickly across the land. Deer is now well-established in many areas in New Zealand. However, they are not always welcomed. Because of the damage they inflict on native flora and fauna, the Department of Conservation regards them as pests to be eradicated. Wild deer has never been a reliable source of good quality deer velvet. The deer velvet trade has little impact on wild deer population in New Zealand and elsewhere. Just as sheep grow more wool each year, stags naturally grow new antlers each year. Unlike other animal products like glucosamine, chondroitin, shark cartilage and chitosan that require the destruction of animals and marine life, deer velvet is produced without causing death or permanent injury to deer. It is a completely renewable and environmentally friendly product.   Top Animal Welfare The harvesting of deer velvet is a privilege, not a right of deer velvet farmers. In New Zealand, they are harvested under veterinary supervision. After the deer velvet is cut, the stag is able to resume its normal activities almost immediately. The Velveting Code ensures that the animals are treated with dignity and respect, and that their welfare is held paramount at all times. Deer velvet is harvested to provide a valuable product for the neutraceutical market. Deer velvet harvesting is actually beneficial to farmed animals as fully matured antlers may cause harm to other animals within the herd. Deer are kept healthy and well-fed throughout the year, as this will affect the quality and size of their antlers.   Top

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Last Updated: 1 July 2002