LifeQuest Nutrients Inc.

The Standard in Velvet Elk Antler

Velvet Elk Antler— a Gift from Nature

History of Velvet Antler   

Velvet antler (cornu cervi) is a nutraceutical product made from the inner core of deer or elk (wapiti) antler in the velvet stage of growth. Every year, members of the deer family (cervidae) shed their antlers in spring and grow a new set by the summer. The antlers are in velvet during the growth phase and finally calcify into hard antler. Velvet antler is the fastest growing substance known to man. During the growth stage, elk antlers can grow at a rate of one to two inches per day!

 

Elk bull in velvet

In North America, velvet antler is considered a food supplement. In Asia, velvet antler is a medicinal ingredient fundamental to the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Velvet antler has been used for over a thousand years by the people in China and Korea as a tonic to maintain good health and strengthen a weakened body. Like many supplements, velvet antler products are available in capsule and liquid form. The more traditional form of slices is also popular, and is prepared by a steeping method in soups, teas and stews.

 

The first documented evidence of the use of velvet antler was found on a 2000-year old silk scroll recovered from a Han Tomb in Hunan Province in China. Another early example of velvet antler's use was found in a herbal classic book, Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, in which use of deer antler to treat numerous health concerns was discussed.

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on the belief that nature is divided into two opposing cycles called Yin and Yang. Yin is the restful phase where energy is replenished. Yang means action and activity, or using up energy. Yin and Yang must be properly balanced to maintain good health. The animal with the greatest Yang energy is the deer. Therefore, traditional Chinese culture reflects antler as being one of the most important medicinal substances available. Velvet antler is still a fundamental ingredient of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It continues to be used by millions of people in Asia for the same preventive and curative purposes as it has been for centuries.

 

Russian people began using velvet antler as a medicinal remedy in the second half of the 15th century. Antler or "pantui" was highly valued and often referred to by the people as "horns of gold." Upon recognizing the importance of velvet antler, Russian people began deer farming in the 1840's and continued until today. In the 1900's, Russian researchers did considerable work refining velvet antler. Their efforts led to the discovery of "pantocrin" in 1931. Pantocrin is an alcohol-based extract made from velvet antler. Its primary use is to increase stamina, strength and athletic performance.

 

North American velvet antler comes from farm-raised elk and red deer in Canada and the United States. The cervid farming industry is the most highly regulated and scrutinized of any livestock sector. Producers must comply with a myriad of federal and provincial/state regulations regarding animal identification, animal movement, disease testing and monitoring, and animal welfare issues.

 

 

Composition of Velvet Antler      

During a time of  velvet elk antlers harvesting—the antlers are like a really gold mine of rare minerals, proteins, and acids—in the combination find only here.

The active ingredients found in velvet antler include minerals and trace elements, growth hormones and growth factors, protein, collagen and lipids, and glycosaminoglycans.

 

Minerals and trace elements

 

    Calcium (Ca): provides structure for bones and teeth, and is essential for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting.

 

    Copper (Cu): necessary for red blood cell development, bones and nerves.

 

    Iron (Fe): essential for blood cells transporting oxygen throughout the body.

 

    Manganese (Mn): needed for the development of bones and connective tissue, and for normal functioning of the nervous system.

 

    Magnesium (Mg): needed in metabolic reactions and storing and releasing energy in cells.

 

    Phosphorus (P): provides structure for bones and teeth and is a component of nearly all metabolic reactions.

 

    Potassium (K): needed for nerve and muscle function.

 

    Selenium (Se): powerful antioxidant.

 

    Sulfur (S): is a component of various amino acids and insulin.

 

    Zinc (Zn): part of the enzymes involved in digestion and respiration, and is necessary for normal wound healing and skin health.

 

Growth hormones and growth factors

 

    Growth hormones affect growth and maintenance of bones, promoting protein and fat metabolism, stimulating cartilage growth, and thickening and lengthening bones in children.

 

    Growth factors or Somatomedins are small proteins produced naturally in the human body by the liver through stimulation of growth hormones. It has been theorized that most of the growth effects of the growth hormone can be attributed to its effect of stimulating production of IGF-1, rather than direct effects of growth hormone itself.

 

    Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1) or Somatomedin C is the most important of the four growth factors in the body. Pygmies and dwarfs are born with the inability to produce enough IFG-1, even though their growth hormone production seems normal.

 

    Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) has growth promoting actions on the skin. It is thought that at least some of the effects of normal aging - wrinkling and loss of elasticity in the skin - are due to the normal aging decline of growth hormone secretion and, therefore, decreased stimulation of production of EGF in the body.

 

Protein, collagen and lipids

 

    Protein (including all essential amino acids): are the structural materials in cells and aid in growth and repair of tissues.

 

    Collagen: a major structural component of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage.

 

    Lipids (all essential fatty acids including omega 3 and 6): build cell parts and boost energy for cellular activities.

 

    Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)

 

    Hyaluonic acid: is the cement material of connective tissue and a component of synovial fluid that cushions the joint.

 

    Chondroitin sulfate: extremely potent anti-inflammatory agent.

 

    Glucosamine sulfate: an amino sugar that occurs naturally in the body. It glue-like qualities help to hold tissues together. It is also a major component of synovial fluid, which lubricates and serves as a shock absorber for the joints.

 

    Erythropoeitin: a hormone produced in the kidneys and released into the bloodstream in response to low oxygen levels, thus helping to increase oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

 

    Prostaglandins: a chemical messenger produced in virtually all tissues, causing a broad range of positive effects on many of the body's defense systems.

 

    Phospholipids: effective structural materials in cell membranes. They also help to facilitate the passage of fat in and out of cells and blood.

 

    Glycosphingolipids: involved in cell metabolism and growth.

 

 

Those all factors makes velvet elk antlers as a great food supplement not only for people but also for animals: dogs, cats and horses.

by Cindy Ewashkiw, D.T., and Marion Allen, Phd, RN.

Copies of this booklet are available from LifeQuest Nutrients INC.

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PO BOX 1916, STN MAIN EDMONTON, AB T5J 2P3

 

Phone; (780) 426-4757

 

E-mail: elk@polonia.cc