Velvet antler has been extensively used in Asia and particularly China for over 2000 years, but its relevance to the lifestyle needs of the 21st century world is only now being explored. Currently there is considerable interest in velvet as a dietary supplement. This transcends the barriers that separate Eastern from Western medicine as consumers increasingly take a more holistic approach to health care and begin to explore tonics and remedies beyond the range traditionally available.
Traditionally, Asians have considered deer velvet to be a 'tonic', producing effects consistent with restoration of normal body processes, strengthening of the body (by support for mental and physical performance) and protection of the body. In recent years, international research has tended to support some of these possibilities while others remain unproven.
Deer velvet antler is a product in transition from an Asian medicine shrouded in mystery to a dietary supplement that is readily available off-the-shelf in many countries around the world. In New Zealand where the standards of deer farming rank among the best in the world, deer velvet has great potential as a dietary supplement, and it is a supplement that can be used to complement conventional Western therapies.