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Copyright © 1999 Betty Kamen by Nutrition Encounter, Novato, CA 94948
All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means or for any reason without the consent of the publisher. The information contained is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this newsletter. Please consult your health professional for any matter relating to your health. Readers who fail to consult with appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The information and opinions provided are believed to be accurate and sound, based on our best judgment. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

Statements made in this issue have not necessarily been evaluated by the FDA. Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Deer Antler Velvet and Libido

An ancient scroll recommends deer antler for 52 different diseases. Today, it has been scientifically proven to strengthen muscle contractions, improve nerve impulses, regulate blood pressure, and treat arthritis. But I want to tell you why I believe that an extract produced from deer antler should take the place of Viagra!

The Drug Viagra

We are all familiar with the story of the drug Viagra -- initially released for a cardiac problem -- and its unexpected side effect of erectile benefit. As the information about this remarkable drug spread, jokes surfaced, and so did a lot of other important news.

Perhaps the most surprising fact was that more than half of all men in the United States, aged 40 to 70, have some degree of erectile dysfunction -- explaining the incredible patient demand for the drug. And the problem appears to be global -- the drug has been accepted in 50 countries!

An amusing aside concerns a Brazilian mayor who, anxious to increase his local population, offered to give the costly drug away at no charge. One American Viagra user figured that visiting this town for just a few weeks would cover his fare!

Media frenzy was fuelled by endorsements from prominent individuals. In the United States, 160,000 physicians prescribed the drug in the first few months of its release. Plus, as can be validated by surfing the Internet, the drug is available to anyone who wants it -- prescription in hand or no.

A recent report indicates that, if given the choice, men would rather go deaf or blind or be seriously ill than become impotent: they would rather suffer hearing loss, develop cataracts, endure high blood pressure, or cope with the joint pain of arthritis -- or not even play golf than experience impotency!

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, is defined as difficulty having or maintaining an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse.

But Viagra is not without its problems, the least of which is high cost.

For many men, erectile dysfunction is a distressing condition often associated with other illnesses (Lancet (5 Sept 1998). Treatment has been far from perfect and often esthetically unappealing. Today's remedies include:

• vacuum constriction devices (to create atmospheric pressure to engorge the penis)
• injection therapy (to expand arteries and relax penile tissue for an increase in blood flow to the parts of the penis that cause an erection)
• implants that are bendable or inflatable
• intraurethral suppositories

So it's no surprise that men have been willing to deal with Viagra's side effects of headache, flushing, and dyspepsia. Not so easy, however, to deal with the heart attacks and more critical problems.

The cardiovascular effects of Viagra are potentially hazardous for patients with certain medical profiles, such as those with active coronary ischemia (decreased blood flow to the heart). It is also contraindicated for those with myocardial infarction, borderline low blood pressure, those on multi-drug, anti-hypertensive programs, and for patients on specific drugs that can prolong the half-life of Viagra (so that it stays in the system longer).

Even some men who have a clean bill of health after testing emerge with life-threatening problems. The first case cited was that of a man who had no high blood pressure, no diabetes, and no previous heart disease. He did not smoke and he drank only moderately. After just one tablet of Viagra, he experienced a myocardial infarction.

Current data indicate that side effects may not disappear when no longer taking the drug, and that the drug may also have other, as-yet-unknown adverse outcomes. Hopefully, these risks will be revealed over time.

Keep in mind that antagonistic drug reactions remain a leading cause of admission to hospitals and the potential cause of death in this country. FDA-approved drugs are rated as the third most common cause of death. Each new mechanism of drug action presents a new risk of toxicity. (Lancet, 19 Dec 1998)

It is also essential to recognize that not everyone benefits from Viagra. It is no panacea, nor is it an aphrodisiac. Viagra does not increase sexual desire or libido.

Worse, Viagra does nothing to solve the problem. Like drugs in general, it serves to relieve a symptom.

Reasons for Impotence

During the past decade, we have made many advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction resulting in impotence. Here's what we know:

~ Drugs

Drugs, such as antidepressants, sedatives, ulcer medications, appetite suppressants, beta blockers, diuretics, antiarrythmic and antihypertensives are reported to induce impotence. In fact, more than 200 medications that are in use today have sexual dysfunction side effects, including impotence and decreased libido.

~ Hormone imbalances; decreased testosterone

In today's world, hormone ratio irregularities appear to be par for the course, especially as we age. Chief abnormalities of sex hormones include a decrease in serum testosterone and an increase in serum estrogen accompanied by an increase in the ratio of estrogen to testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone that is believed to make us desire sex in the first place -- for women as well as men. Although the exact mechanism is not known, testosterone appears to stimulate the nerves and skeletal muscles responsible for erection.

~ Hormone therapy

Impotence is likely with almost every kind of hormone therapy. Ninety percent of men on hormone therapy lose sexual drive and the ability to have an erection. Hormone therapy is often used to control prostate cancer.

~ Prostate cancer

Surgical curative treatment of localized prostate cancer can result in impotence. Sadly, prostate cancer is on the increase, with the increase having nothing to do with better diagnostic tools. (British Journal of Cancer 1999;79:13-17)

~ Alcohol

The physical effect of alcohol intake is relevant to the elevated rates of impotence. (Addictive Behavior 1998 May-Jun;23:419-25)

~ Adrenal dysfunction

Abnormal adrenal metabolism can result in low levels of testosterone. This in turn, can lead to impotence.

~ Diabetes

Erectile impotence is more common in the diabetic than in the general population, occurring at a younger age and often associated with ejaculatory problems. Unfortunately, diabetes is increasing in our country, day by day.

~ Neurological and vascular problems

Both neurogenic and vascular factors are important in the pathogenesis of erectile failure.

~ Prostaglandin deficiencies

Prostaglandin E1 is now used as a form of therapy for erectile failure.

~ Nitric acid insufficiency

Insufficient production of nitric oxide (important for metabolic function) may result in an impaired erection or complete impotence.

~ Cholesterol-lowering Statin Drugs

Adverse drug reactions relating to other organ systems are known side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Reactions include impotence. (Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 1997 Sep 20;117:3210-3)

~ Subnormal oxygenation of arterial blood; growth factor tie-in

Erectile function is dependent on a critical balance of smooth muscle to connective tissue. Growth factor plays a role in maintaining this tissue balance. (International Journal Impotence Research 1998 Jun;10:113-20)

~ General nutrient imbalances

Nothing in the body can function optimally in the presence of any nutrient deficiency, overt or subtle.

~ Emotional problems

Human sexuality is a complex process.

Feelings of well being, rather than depression or fatigue, are essential ingredients.

The good news is that impotence does not have to be a permanent situation!

An Age-Old Solution: Deer Antler Velvet

Okay, so now we know that the problem is common, affecting up to 30 million men in the USA alone (American Journal of Medicine 1998 Aug;105:135-44 ), and that it is a multifactorial disease. We also know that Viagra is fraught with dangers.

Development of new medical therapies for erectile dysfunction is ongoing, and within the next few years we expect to see the introduction of more medications for treatment of the problem. Research is focusing on drugs that act on the penile circulation or those that work centrally on the portion of the brain involved in producing erections. (Postgraduate Medicine 1998 Aug;104:55-8, 61-2, 65-6)

We all know there is a patient preference for the least invasive forms of therapy, and certainly those who read this newsletter know that there are safe and natural ways to overcome physical problems, including erectile dysfunction.

We don't have to, nor should we, go back to the drug drawing board. We just have to look at why deer antler velvet is one important answer.

What Is Deer Antler Velvet?

Deer antler velvet sounds like the kind of ingredient that should go into the caldron right after "eye of newt" and just before "toe of frog." At first impression, the uninformed might be tempted to put the users of antler products on the "far out" nutritional fringe. And yet this substance has a credible history of effective use in Chinese herbal medicine that goes back at least two millennia as one of the most powerful animal-based medicines in the Traditional Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It continues to be widely used in China, Korea, Japan, and Russia.

We think of antlers as an inert growth of material with no biological activity. This is more or less true, but the velvet is an entirely different kind of tissue than the actual antler material itself.

Male deer grow a new set of antlers every year. Unlike most mammalian tissue, which contains an internal circulatory system to provide blood and nutrients, the blood flow to new antlers is on the outside of the antler. In addition to antler bone, support tissues such as nerves also regenerate.

Research has shown the presence of multiple growth factors in the growing deer antler, plus the action of testosterone in the processes involved.

The velvet is a fuzzy membrane that contains and distributes this external supply of blood and nutrients to support the new antler's growth. And this growth rate is extremely rapid: on a large male, a 20-pound set of antlers can grow in three to four months.

The velvet falls off as mating season approaches, and the fully mineralized antlers become the inert structures we perceive them to be.

So the antler velvet, in sharp contrast to the antlers themselves, is a tissue of extremely high and specialized bioactivity. It is rich with precursors for growth hormone, leutinizing hormone (the hormone stimulating testosterone synthesis), and prostaglandins.

Antler velvet even contains factors that could be effective against cancer and arthritis similar to those found in shark cartilage.

Remember that antler growth is part of the deer's preparation for sexual competition. It's no wonder that Chinese medicine places antler derivatives near the top of the yang scale! (In Chinese philosophy, yang is aligned with masculinity.)

How does it work?

It's not surprising that several modes of action are at work with such a complicated substance. Some of the therapeutic properties of deer antler velvet appear to be similar to those of cartilage. Of particular interest, however, is the relatively high level of insulin-like growth factor found in deer antler.

In addition to the beneficial growth hormones, the following substances are also found in deer antler velvet:

• prostaglandins, which help control a wide range of physiological functions, including reduction of inflammation -- especially important to athletes and arthritis sufferers.
• velvatins, which include a nucleoside, demonstrated to have value in cancer therapy and AIDS treatment. Nucleosides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, the masters of cellular function.
• lysophosphatidyl choline, responsible for at least part of its hypotensive activity
• pantocrine, shown in a 1974 Russian study by Dr. Arcady Koltun to increase athletic performance and to have marked anti-inflammatory activity.
• N-acetyl-glucosomine sulfate, a promoter of wound healing (and helpful for arthritics).
• chondroitin sulfate, which, with glucosomine, is also an effective agent against arthritis. Chondroitin sulfate in particular has been claimed to reverse atherosclerosis and dramatically improve circulation.

Asians consider the function of velvet deer antler as a tonic -- something that restores, strengthens, and protects. It has been shown to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood, extend the load-bearing limit and general performance of athletes, and improve mental capacity (Chinese students take velvet antler while studying for exams).

The antler is also known to produce a number of cytokines -- important cells of the immune system. (My new book on immunity, to be released in a few months, explores the significance of cytokines.)

It is theorized that velvet antler may operate to regulate blood flow at a local level.

A 1988 study shows that velvet antler could increase plasma testosterone in test animals!

As with any natural healing substance, no single efficacy of velvet antler can explain all of its incredible effects. But if you go back and look at the reasons for impotence, you can see how deer antler velvet can help to solve the problem!

Many questions remain unanswered. Among them, as suggested in research articles (Anatomical Rec 1995 Mar;241:291-302):

1. How could these improbable appendages have evolved mechanisms to commit suicide, jettison the corpse, and regenerate new ones every year?
2. What causes the scalp to transform into velvet skin as a deer's first antlers develop?
3. Why do healing stumps give rise to antler buds instead of scar tissue?
4. How is it that tropical deer regenerate antlers at any time of year while in temperate zones deer do so in seasonal unison?
5. How do deer find enough calcium to make such massive antlers in only a few months?

Only those deer that have healthy testosterone metabolism produce healthy antlers. Does this have something to do with the power of velvet deer antler to offer help for impotence for humans when the velvet deer antler is used as a supplement?

How is deer antler velvet used in today's world?

In Korea and Japan, deer antler velvet is commonly used to:

• increase blood production in the treatment of anemia
• modulate the immune system
• treat infertility in women
• treat impotence in men
• improve blood circulation
• improve muscle tone and glandular functions
• increase lung efficiency
• increase muscular strength and nerve function

Traditional Chinese medicine calls for its use to treat impotence and infertility.

Is deer antler only for males?

Both male and female hormones are found in deer antler velvet. It is equally beneficial for both men and women. (Testosterone is known to enhance libido in both men and women!)

Animal friendliness

In modern times many antler products are regarded as "elite" natural remedies -- partly due to their scarcity and expense, but also because of the uncomfortable opposition between the concern for endangered species and the interest in natural healing.

In the case of deer antler velvet, modern harvest methods do not affect wild populations and do not destroy any animals. In fact, no pain or stress to the deer is evident when the velvet antler is removed, suggesting that this could be a useful "animal friendly" alternative for obtaining nutritional substances that are difficult to get from non-animal sources.

Other parts of the antler are also used as nutritional supplements. The antler, however, is the only appendage that can be regenerated by advanced mammals.

But let's take a wider view of the problem of human health and the modern diet. It appears that a great many animal parts other than those normally eaten by "civilized" humans contain an equally large variety of beneficial health factors. Wild predators rarely leave much behind when they make a kill -- not even the bones. Is it possible that many of our chronic health problems are related to throwing away the most valuable parts of our food?

Perhaps the potion boiling in that caldron with the "eye of newt" and "toe of frog" would be a better brew than we imagine.

Betty Kamen's book, the Remarkable Healing Power of Velvet Antler is now available. It can be ordered online (check Books at this website) or from amazon.com, or from your local health store. The book is $12.95 (plus $4.00 shipping and handling). It's a great gift for anyone for the holidays, and especially relevant for any of our 50,000,000 Americans with arthritis. (Yes, even the FDA says that the chondroitin sulfate and the collagen that velvet antler contains can help joint function. Learn how in Betty's newest book.)

www.bettykamen.com