| ANTLER VELVET MAY PROTECT LIVER FROM DISEASE Elk velvet has played an important role in traditional medicine in
Korea, China and Russia for centuries, but the claims for its ability to enhance the
immune system, for example, have been mainly based on anecdotal evidence. A University of
Saskatchewan professor of physiology, however, has recently found scientific evidence that
elk velvet may protect the liver from disease.
Dr. Susan Hemmings, who has established a research program
committed to assessing the impact of neutraceuticals on the liver, is a member of the
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine. Her interest in and work with elk velvet,
however, was prompted by a curiosity that extends to all aspects of her life.
"I was at a mini trade show in our community, and
stopped at a booth where antler velvet was being promoted," she explains. "First
they corrected my misunderstanding of antler velvet – I thought it was the velvet on
the outside of the elk antler but I learned it is the inner core of antler harvested
during the velvet stage – and then they explained the final product. I was interested
100 per cent."
For example, the composition of the antler core intrigued
her: at the velvet stage, it has not ossified into bone but is a gelatinous material that
is highly vascular and full of nutrients, including growth factors. She could visualise it
as a nutraceutical.
"But first I had three questions: is it safe? Does it
do anything good or harmful to the liver? And could it protect against liver disease,
which is the fourth leading cause of death by disease because there is no treatment or
cure for it."
Because the liver is so easily damaged, Hemming's first
concern was the toxicity of antler velvet. Her research, however, detected no signs of any
negative effect on the health of the animal and no evidence of any toxic effect on the
liver.
"Then we looked at a liver enzyme that is a marker
indicating damage to and cancer of the liver. In our study, this marker was noticeably
reduced, which made me wonder whether this change indicated that antler velvet made the
liver resistant to damage."
"So, we carried out tests in which a liver poison was
administered to animals given antler velvet and to animals not given antler velvet. We
found that those animals given antler velvet had much less liver damage than the others.
Our conclusion is that antler velvet increases the liver's resistance to damage, which is
the basis of all liver disease."
"We have extracted biologically active proteins from
the powdered antler velvet so now we have to determine what it is that produces the
preventative effect. That's exciting because the processing of antler velvet uses heat,
yet these proteins are still biologically active," says Hemmings.
To date, this research has been unfunded but Hemmings is
currently waiting for financial support before proceeding with the next steps of her
research. If she obtains funding, she will expand the previous studies to, for example,
administer antler velvet and examine the development of the animal from birth to death,
paying particular attention to the reproductive system.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Susan Hemmings, Professor
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine
University of Saskatchewan
107 Wiggins Road
Saskatoon, Sask., S7N 5E5
Telephone:306-966-6560
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