WHAT IS THE VELVET ANTLER? MOOSE, ELK AND DEER PRODUCE NEW ANTLERS YEARLY (PRIMARILY MALES, EXCEPT IN CARIBOU/REINDEER). WHEN THE NEW ANTLER GROWS, IT IS COVERED WITH SHORT HAIR WHICH LOOKS LIKE �VELVET�, AND IT IS CALLED AS THE �VELVET ANTLER�. THESE GROW RAPIDLY FROM ABOUT MARCH OR APRIL UNTIL JULY. VELVET ANTLER REFERS PARTICULARLY TO THE WHOLE CARTILAGINOUS ANTLER AT A PRE-CALCIFIED STAGE, RATHER THAN THE VELVETY "SKIN" ON GROWING ANTLERS. THE ANTLER WILL BE HARDENED (CALCIFIED) AND FALL DOWN BEFORE SPRING. THE ANTLERS, BOTH CALCIFIED AND SOFT NEW ONE, ARE THE IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. AS THE ANTLER ARE RENEWABLE. REMOVING VELVET ANTLER DOES NOT HARM OR KILL STAGS. IN SOME COUNTRIES, SUCH AS AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND CANADA, DEER ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL ANESTHESIA AND RESTRAINED DURING ANTLER REMOVAL, AND THE PROCEDURE IS SUPERVISED BY LICENSED VETERINARIANS. TYPICALLY, THE ANTLER IS CUT OFF NEAR THE BASE AFTER IT IS ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF ITS POTENTIAL FULL SIZE, BETWEEN 55 TO 65 DAYS OF GROWTH. THIS IS SO THAT ANTLER IS HARVESTED BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT CALCIFICATION OCCURS. THE PROCEDURE IS GENERALLY DONE AROUND JUNE IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE AND DECEMBER IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. THE BENEFITS OF VELVET ELK ANTLER PURE CANADIAN (ALBERTA) ELK VELVET ANTLER POWDER IS LOADED WITH 24 AMINO ACIDS, CHONDROBLASTS, CHONDROITIN, SULFATE, GLUCOSAMINE SULFATE, GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS (MUCOPOOLYSACCHARIDES) AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS. VELVET ANTLER HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A NUTRITIONAL TONIC INGREDIENT AND HAS BEEN WIDELY USED IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE FOR MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS. TRADITIONALLY, IN ASIA, THE ANTLER IS DRIED AND SOLD AS SLICES. THEN, THE TEA WAS PREPARED BY BOILING SLICES IN WATER, USUALLY WITH OTHER HERBS AND INGREDIENTS. THIS TEA HAS LONG BEEN USED TO: - MODULATE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM - INCREASE BLOOD PRODUCTION IN ANEMIA - IMPROVE BLOOD CIRCULATION - IMPROVE MUSCLE STRENGTH AND MENTAL ALERTNESS - TREAT INFERTILITY IN WOMEN DEER VELVET ANTLER CAN BE DIVIDED INTO SECTIONS, EACH WITH UNIQUE MEDICAL PURPOSES IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. THE UPPER SECTION, CALLED A WAX PIECE, IS USED AS A GROWTH TONIC FOR CHILDREN. THE MIDDLE SECTION, CALLED A BLOOD PIECE, IS USED TO TREAT ADULTS WITH ARTHRITIS AND RELATED DISORDERS. THE BOTTOM SECTION, CALLED A BONE PIECE, IS USED FOR CALCIUM DEFICIENCY AND GERIATRIC THERAPIES. THE TIP IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND SOUGHT-AFTER PART OF THE ANTLER. IS IT SAFE? IS IT FREE OF CWD? CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE (CWD) IS A PROGRESSIVE, FATAL, DEGENERATIVE DISEASE OF THE BRAIN AFFECTING ELK, MULE DEER AND WHITE-TAILED DEER. CWD BELONGS TO A GROUP OF RELATED DISEASES CALLED TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES (TSES), WHICH INCLUDE SCRAPIE IN SHEEP AND GOATS, BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE) IN CATTLE AND CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE (CJD) IN HUMANS. CWD IS NOT THE SAME AS BSE. TSES ARE CAUSED BY ABNORMAL PROTEINS, CALLED PRIONS, WHICH ACCUMULATE IN THE BRAIN. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO TREATMENT OR VACCINE AVAILABLE. ALBERTA INITIATED A VOLUNTARY CWD SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM IN OCTOBER 1996. IN AUGUST 2002, ALBERTA�S MANDATORY CWD SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM WAS IMPLEMENTED. NUTRIDOM CANADIAN VELVET ELK ANTLER IS HARVESTED FROM REGISTERED ALBERTA ELK FARM. OVER 45,000 FARMED AND WILD CERVIDS IN ALBERTA UNDERGO MONTHLY CWD TESTING SINCE 1996. THESE DATA, ALONG WITH THE GUIDELINES FOR ELK ANTLER HARVESTING BY VETERINARIAN ASSOCIATION AND CFIA REGULATION ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC ON THE CHIEF PROVINCIAL VETERINARIAN WEBSITES. HOW IS IT SUPERIOR? - HIGHER POTENCY- 500MG OF ELK VELVET ANTLER POWDER WITH VEGETABLE CAPSULES. - HEALTH CANADA REVIEWED AND APPROVED- NPN # 80044338 - MADE IN SAFE ENVIRONMENT WITH GMP PRACTICES. - SAFE- DIRECTLY FROM ALBERTA ELK FARM PROVIDING SAFETY GUIDELINE AND CWD TESTING DATA FOR PUBLIC ON A MONTHLY BASIS. BENSKY D, CLAVEY, ST�GER E, GAMBLE A. CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE: MATERIA MEDICA. 3RD EDITION. SEATTLE (WA): EASTLAND PRESS, INCORPORATED; 2004. CHEN JK, CHEN TT. CHINESE MEDICAL HERBOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY. CRAMPTON L, EDITOR. CITY OF INDUSTRY (CA): ART OF MEDICINE PRESS INC.; 2004. CHEN JK, CHEN TT. CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS AND APPLICATIONS : PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS & CLINICAL RESEARCH. CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIF: ART OF MEDICINE PRESS; 2009. PPRC 2010: PHARMACOPOEIA OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. VOLUME 1, ENGLISH EDITION 2010. BEIJING (CN): THE STATE PHARMACOPOEIA COMMISSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. SCHEID V, BENSKY D, ELLIS A, BAROLET R. CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE : FORMULAS & STRATEGIES. 2ND EDITION. SEATTLE (WA): EASTLAND PRESS; 2009. This page is not intended to be a comprehensive review of the medicinal ingredient.