What Is an Elk Velvet Antler?

During the spring season elk's antlers enter the "velvet" stage, according to the High Wire Ranch website. Under conditions that do not harm the elk and before the antler begins to calcify, the velvet antler is harvested from domestically raised elk.

History

• Elk velvet antler use in the Orient dates back more than 10,000 years, according to the Meadow Creek Elk Farms website. Elk velvet antler use for health reasons is more than 2,000 years old and dates back well before the 1700s in European and English medications. In the 1920s, northern Mexico's Cora Indian tribes ate scrapings of elk velvet antler for medicinal purposes. Russia, Korea, Manchuria, China and Mongolia are major producers of medicinal elk velvet antler today.

Composition

• Naturally occurring in elk velvet antler are essential amino acids, fatty acids such as linolenic acid, various minerals including magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorus, according to Meadow Creek Elk Farms. Also present are major structural lipids or fats, collagen (a protein fiber substance of the body's connective tissue), glucosamine sulfate, anti-inflammatory agents and proteoglycans, which are important for joint cartilage and elasticity.

Health Benefits

• There have been research studies and reports associated with elk velvet antler as an important health care product, according to the High Wire Ranch. Elk velvet antler may fortify the immune system, fight liver disease, enrich the blood, increase energy levels and help with mood disorders. Elk velvet antler may also aid joint and bone health with the management of pain associated with arthritis and the growth and development of muscle and bone growth.

Other Benefits

• According to Meadow Creek Elk Farms, elk velvet antler may be used to remedy sexual disorders in men such as premature ejaculation, impotency, hypertrophy of the prostate gland and watery semen. In women, elk velvet antler may be used to treat menstrual disorders and menopause. Other conditions that elk velvet antlers may treat include slow growth in children, weight, lumbago and cold extremities.

Athletic Use

• Elk velvet antler has been shown to burn more fat, increase muscle mass and reduce muscle recovery time in several clinical athlete studies, according to the High Wire Ranch. Elk velvet antler can promote more rapid recovery after an injury or high-exercise activities and can reduce inflammation in high-stress situations. In fact, in 2000 Russia's Olympic Committee approved the use of elk velvet antler in training its sportsmen, according to Meadow Creek Elk Farms.