Deer antler velvet contains hormone that speeds muscle recovery
BY SUZY COHEN Dear Pharmacist
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Dear Pharmacist, My hero is Ray
Lewis of the Super Bowl champion
Baltimore Ravens, and I heard he took
deer antler velvet to recover from his
muscle injuries faster. Do you recommend
this? — D.D., Baltimore
I’ve never recommended
deer antler velvet extract, but
it’s sold at health food stores
and online. Deer antler spray
was thrust into the spotlight
with reports alleging Lewis
ordered the supplement as a
sublingual spray and a pill to
help him recover from a torn
tricep injury.
Deer antlers grow incredibly
fast. The dietary supplements
(when authentic) harvest
antler velvet from growing
deer, moose, elk and caribou.
The antlers are removed from
the animal before they form
solid bone, and the velvet is
removed. It can be painful, and
I’m worried that new demand
will shortcut proper harvesting
techniques. After processing,
the extract contains calcium,
magnesium and zinc as well as
glucosamine, chondroitin and
collagen, all of which support
bone health. This crazy stuff is
banned by the NCAA and the
NFL. Why? Because it contains
IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor
1), a hormone that boosts
testosterone. It’s the IGF-1 that
is banned, not deer antler.
This is a good time to tell you
that IGF-1 is a totally natural
growth hormone. It’s circulating
in your blood as we speak
and happens to increase muscle
strength and improve muscle
recovery while breaking down
carbs faster. You can measure
IGF-1 with a blood test.
Antler velvet tends to mildly
increase levels of your sex
hormone testosterone. Is it a
substitute for Viagra? A little
extra “T” does improve desire
and sexual function, but I
doubt it will put enough lead in
your pencil if your arteries are
truly clogged.
As for women, deer antler
velvet supplements may
increase estrogen levels. If
you need it for menopausal
concerns, I guess you could ask
your doctor about this supplement.
It could worsen any kind
of hormone-sensitive condition
such as uterine fibroids or
cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis,
fibrocystic breast
disease or breast cancer.
info@dearpharmacist.com
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