Deer velvet is the soft, growing antler tissue produced by deer before the antler matures and hardens into bone. During this remarkable growth stage, the antler contains an active blood and nerve supply and is rich in naturally occurring proteins, collagen, amino acids, minerals and other biological compounds.

Deer velvet has been valued for centuries in traditional health practices and is now used as a dietary supplement by people looking to support normal joint function, mobility, general wellbeing, physical activity and the body’s natural maintenance and recovery processes.

At Canes Deer Velvet, our view of deer velvet is informed by published research, traditional knowledge and more than 25 years of first-hand experience producing and working with New Zealand deer velvet.

This guide explains what deer velvet is, what it contains, why Kathy Cane believes its combination of naturally occurring nutrients is important, and what current research can — and cannot — tell us about its effects.

What is deer velvet?

Deer naturally grow a new set of antlers each year.

During the rapid growth stage, these developing antlers are known as velvet antler or deer velvet. Deer Industry New Zealand describes velvet antler as growing antler covered in velvet-like hair and containing a live blood and nerve supply.

This makes deer velvet very different from mature hard antler.

Deer velvet

Is living, rapidly growing antler tissue.
Has an active blood and nerve supply.
Is covered in soft, fine hair.
Contains connective tissue, proteins, minerals and other naturally occurring compounds.
Is harvested before the antler becomes fully calcified.

Hard antler

Hard antler is the mature structure that develops after antler growth has finished and mineralisation has progressed.

The stage at which velvet is harvested therefore matters because the composition of growing antler changes as it develops.

Why is deer velvet unusual?

Few mammalian tissues grow as rapidly as deer antler.

A stag has to produce new bone, cartilage, connective tissue, skin, blood vessels and nerves during a relatively short period of annual antler growth.

This is one reason scientists have long been interested in deer velvet and its biological composition.

It is also central to Kathy Cane’s understanding of deer velvet.

Kathy’s position is that the nutritional value of velvet should not be viewed as a collection of isolated ingredients. Deer velvet develops as a complete biological tissue and contains a naturally occurring mixture of proteins, collagen, amino acids, minerals, lipids, glycosaminoglycans, growth-associated factors and other compounds.

Canes therefore views deer velvet as a whole-food-style nutritional matrix, with different components present together rather than being added individually to manufacture a particular supplement formula.

This does not mean that every biological process occurring inside a growing antler will automatically occur in a person taking deer velvet. It does, however, help explain why Canes believes the complete nutritional profile of deer velvet is more useful to consider than any one ingredient in isolation.

What nutrients and compounds are found in deer velvet?

Research and compositional analysis have identified a broad range of naturally occurring substances in deer velvet, including:

Collagen.
Other proteins and peptides.
Amino acids.
Glucosamine- and chondroitin-related compounds.
Glycosaminoglycans.
Calcium.
Phosphorus.
Magnesium.
Zinc.
Iron and other trace minerals.
Lipids and phospholipids.
Fatty acids.
Prostaglandins and related compounds.
Growth-associated factors.

Canes’ own deer velvet nutrient information also discusses collagen, glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin sulphate, growth factors, prostaglandins, amino acids, phospholipids, fatty acids and minerals as components associated with deer velvet.

The presence of these compounds helps explain why deer velvet has attracted interest in areas such as normal joint structure, connective tissue, physical activity, circulation, general wellbeing and recovery.

The next question, however, is important:

Does the presence of a nutrient automatically prove a particular health outcome?

No.

Composition tells us what deer velvet contains. Research into physiology tells us what those compounds do in biological systems. Human clinical research then asks whether consuming a particular deer velvet product produces a measurable outcome in people.

Those are related questions, but they are not identical.

Collagen in deer velvet

Collagen is a major structural protein in the body and forms part of skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bones and other connective tissues.

Research cited by Canes has identified several types of collagen in deer velvet, including Types I, II, III and X. Canes’ existing nutrient research describes deer velvet as approximately 25% collagen.

Kathy believes this is one reason deer velvet is relevant to people interested in supporting normal joint and connective-tissue structure.

The distinction Canes makes is that deer velvet is not simply a collagen supplement. The collagen occurs naturally alongside other proteins, minerals, glycosaminoglycans and growth-associated compounds within the antler tissue.

Glucosamine and chondroitin in deer velvet

Glucosamine- and chondroitin-related compounds occur naturally in connective tissues and are associated with the normal structure of cartilage and joints.

Canes identifies both glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate as naturally occurring components of deer velvet.

Kathy’s view is that their presence is particularly relevant because they occur within a broader nutritional matrix that also includes collagen, amino acids, minerals and other compounds used by the body in maintaining normal tissues.

This is different from claiming that deer velvet treats arthritis or repairs a damaged joint.

The Canes position is that supplying nutrients involved in normal joint and connective-tissue structure can support the body’s normal maintenance processes.

Growth factors and deer velvet

Growth-associated factors are one of the most distinctive and most debated areas of deer velvet research.

Canes’ research identifies naturally occurring factors including IGF-I and IGF-II in growing deer antler.

These compounds are associated with growth and development within biological tissues, which is unsurprising in an organ undergoing extremely rapid growth.

Kathy regards these compounds as an important part of what makes deer velvet different from a supplement containing only isolated collagen, glucosamine or minerals.

Her reasoning is that deer velvet naturally brings together structural nutrients and compounds associated with growth and tissue development within the same biological tissue.

There is an important scientific qualification.

The biological activity of a compound inside growing antler does not by itself establish what happens after that compound is consumed orally. Digestion, absorption, dose and bioavailability all affect whether a substance can produce a systemic effect.

For that reason, Canes considers growth factors an important part of the biological explanation worth investigating, rather than claiming that orally consumed deer velvet has been clinically proven to reproduce antler growth processes in the human body.

Deer velvet and the body’s normal inflammatory response

Canes’ research also identifies prostaglandins and chondroitin-related compounds in deer velvet.

Prostaglandins are signalling compounds involved in a wide range of normal physiological processes, including regulation of inflammatory responses.

Kathy’s interpretation of the available deer velvet research is that these naturally occurring compounds are relevant to the body’s normal management of inflammation following everyday physical stress and activity.

This is one reason Canes has traditionally positioned deer velvet for people interested in joint comfort, mobility and maintaining an active lifestyle.

This should be distinguished from claiming that deer velvet is a medicine that treats inflammation, arthritis or an injury.

What are the benefits of taking deer velvet?

Canes’ position is that deer velvet provides nutritional support across several related areas because of the range of naturally occurring nutrients and compounds within the growing antler.

Canes primarily associates deer velvet with support for:

Normal joint structure and function.
Mobility and an active lifestyle.
Normal connective-tissue maintenance.
The body’s normal maintenance and restoration processes.
Normal immune function.
Healthy circulation.
Physical activity and exercise.
Nutritional support during periods of greater physical demand.
General health and wellbeing.

These are support claims, not guarantees that every person taking deer velvet will experience a particular outcome.

Individual results can vary, and deer velvet should not be represented as a substitute for appropriate medical assessment or treatment of a disease or injury.

How does Kathy Cane understand deer velvet?

Kathy Cane is the owner of Canes Deer Velvet, a deer farmer with a nursing background, and has spent more than 25 years researching, producing and working directly with deer velvet.

Her approach is based on three sources of knowledge.

1. Published research

Kathy has spent many years reading deer velvet research and research relating to the individual nutrients and biological compounds found within velvet.

2. Understanding the whole product

Rather than looking at collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, minerals, amino acids or growth factors separately, Kathy considers how these components occur together naturally within growing antler.

3. Long-term practical experience

More than 25 years of involvement in producing and supplying deer velvet has given Kathy first-hand experience with velvet quality, farming, processing, customer questions and how people use the product.

Canes’ About page describes Kathy as a deer farmer with a nursing background and a strong interest in science and health, and states that she has studied the research relating to deer velvet and its interaction with the body.

This practical and research-based experience forms an important part of the Canes perspective.

It is not presented as a replacement for clinical research. It is an additional source of expertise that helps explain why Canes may interpret some aspects of deer velvet differently from simplified summaries found elsewhere online.

What does human clinical research say about deer velvet?

Human clinical research into deer velvet is relatively limited.

A 2012 systematic review indexed by PubMed examined randomised controlled trials involving deer and elk velvet supplements. It identified seven qualifying trials covering rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, sexual function and sporting performance.

Five reported no effect and two reported some positive findings that the reviewers did not consider convincing overall.

The authors concluded that claims for deer velvet were not, at that time, supported by rigorous human trial evidence overall, while noting that the osteoarthritis findings showed some promise.

That finding is important, but it also needs to be interpreted carefully.

Does the systematic review mean deer velvet has no benefits?

No. That is a stronger conclusion than the review itself establishes.

The review tells us that the small body of randomised controlled human trials available to the reviewers did not provide convincing evidence for the outcomes tested.

It does not establish that:

Deer velvet contains no useful nutrients.
All forms of deer velvet are identical.
Every traditional or nutritional use has been disproven.
Every possible health-support effect has been tested.
Every relevant dose has been adequately studied.
Absence of convincing evidence is the same as evidence of no effect.

The seven trials also involved different products, populations, doses and outcomes.

Canes therefore takes a more nuanced position:

The clinical research base is limited, but that is not the same as demonstrating that deer velvet has no nutritional or health-support value.

More high-quality human research would be useful, particularly research that clearly identifies the velvet source, processing method, dose and composition of the product being tested.

Why can deer velvet information online appear contradictory?

Different sources are often answering different questions.

One source may ask:

Has deer velvet been proven in large randomised clinical trials to treat a particular condition?

Another may ask:

What nutrients are present in growing deer antler?

Another may be describing traditional use, laboratory research, biological mechanisms or practical experience.

All of these sources may contain useful information, but problems arise when one type of evidence is presented as though it answers every other question.

Laboratory evidence should not automatically be described as a proven human clinical effect.
A lack of large human trials should not be presented as proof that deer velvet contains no biologically relevant compounds.
Traditional use should not be described as clinical proof.
Individual experiences should not be treated as controlled scientific evidence.
A systematic review of seven trials should not be interpreted as having tested every possible nutritional or physiological role of deer velvet.

The purpose of this Knowledge Index is to make those distinctions clearer.

Are all deer velvet supplements the same?

No.

Deer velvet supplements can differ substantially in:

Country of origin.
Farm and animal traceability.
Deer species.
Stage of antler growth at harvest.
Velvet grade.
Portions of the antler used.
Drying process.
Sterilisation.
Milling.
Manufacturing.
Quantity of dried velvet per capsule.
Additional ingredients.
Storage and handling.
How the stated product strength is calculated.

Those differences matter both when purchasing a supplement and when interpreting research.

A study involving one deer velvet preparation should not automatically be assumed to prove or disprove the properties of every other deer velvet product.

Read: How to Choose a Deer Velvet Supplement

How Canes Deer Velvet is different

Canes Deer Velvet is produced from velvet grown on the Cane family’s deer farm in Reporoa, New Zealand.

Canes has been producing deer velvet for more than 25 years and maintains ownership of its velvet through the production process. Current Canes product information states that its capsules contain velvet produced from the complete antler, including the tips.

According to the current Canes product information:

Each capsule contains 500 mg of dried deer velvet powder.
This is stated as equivalent to 1,850 mg of whole deer velvet antler.
The complete antler is used.
The velvet is freeze dried.
The dried velvet is finely milled.
Manufacturing partners operate under New Zealand-approved Risk Management Programme requirements and Good Manufacturing Practice controls.
Canes maintains traceability from its farm through processing.

These are first-party Canes product specifications and production statements.

View Canes Deer Velvet Capsules

How is deer velvet harvested in New Zealand?

Growing deer velvet is living, vascular tissue and must be removed under controlled conditions.

Deer Industry New Zealand states that velvet removal without veterinary supervision or anaesthesia is contrary to New Zealand animal-welfare requirements.

Animal welfare, hygiene, traceability and cold-chain management are therefore important parts of producing high-quality New Zealand deer velvet.

Canes states that its farm places particular emphasis on animal welfare, hygiene, cold-chain management and product traceability.

Is deer velvet a natural product?

Yes, deer velvet itself is a naturally grown animal material.

Stags naturally grow and replace their antlers as part of an annual cycle.

A deer velvet capsule is still a manufactured dietary supplement, however. The velvet must be harvested, stored, dried, processed and encapsulated.

For this reason, Canes recommends looking at both:

The quality and origin of the raw velvet.
The way the finished product has been processed and manufactured.

Is deer velvet the same as a collagen supplement?

No.

Deer velvet naturally contains collagen, but it also contains many other compounds.

Kathy’s view is that this is an important distinction.

Someone choosing isolated collagen is primarily supplementing collagen. Someone choosing deer velvet is consuming collagen as part of a naturally occurring matrix that also contains amino acids, minerals, glycosaminoglycans, lipids and growth-associated compounds.

Whether that wider composition makes deer velvet more appropriate for a particular person is a separate question and should not be assumed solely from composition.

Does deer velvet contain glucosamine and chondroitin?

Canes’ research identifies naturally occurring glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin sulphate in deer velvet.

These compounds are associated with normal cartilage and connective-tissue structure.

Canes sees their presence alongside collagen and other naturally occurring components as part of deer velvet’s relevance to normal joint support.

Does deer velvet contain growth factors?

Yes, growth-associated factors have been identified in deer antler velvet.

Canes regards these as an important part of the biological character of growing antler.

The significance of orally consuming these compounds in humans is less certain because digestion and bioavailability need to be considered.

For this reason, the presence of growth factors is biologically interesting, but it should not by itself be interpreted as proof that taking deer velvet directly stimulates human tissue growth or repair.

Can deer velvet support joint health?

Canes believes deer velvet can provide nutritional support for normal joint structure, mobility and connective-tissue maintenance because of the combination of collagen, glucosamine- and chondroitin-related compounds, amino acids, minerals and other naturally occurring components it provides.

This is different from claiming that deer velvet treats arthritis or cures joint disease.

People experiencing persistent or worsening joint pain should seek appropriate professional advice rather than relying solely on a dietary supplement.

Can deer velvet support recovery from physical activity?

Canes’ position is that deer velvet provides nutrients associated with normal tissue structure, protein metabolism and the body’s normal maintenance processes, making it relevant to people with active lifestyles.

Kathy also considers its broader mixture of naturally occurring compounds important when the body is under greater physical demand.

This should not be interpreted as a guarantee of faster recovery from an injury or as a substitute for appropriate nutrition, rest or professional treatment.

Read: Sports Recovery Supplements

Is deer velvet scientifically proven?

There is no useful yes-or-no answer to this question without specifying what claim is being tested.

It is well established that deer velvet is a complex growing tissue containing proteins, collagen, minerals and numerous biological compounds.

There is also substantial laboratory and biological research into deer antler growth and composition.

The human clinical evidence for specific health outcomes is considerably smaller and has not conclusively established many of the broad benefits sometimes attributed to deer velvet.

Canes therefore recommends looking at evidence claim by claim rather than treating either of these statements as sufficient:

“Deer velvet is scientifically proven to do everything claimed for it.”

“There is no evidence, so deer velvet does nothing.”

Neither accurately represents the full body of information.

How do I choose a deer velvet supplement?

Consider:

Where the velvet was produced.
Whether its origin is traceable.
How much actual dried deer velvet is in the capsule.
Whether product strength is expressed as dried weight or fresh-equivalent weight.
Which parts of the antler are used.
How the velvet is dried and processed.
What other ingredients are present.
What manufacturing controls apply.
What testing and specifications the supplier can provide.
Whether health claims are accompanied by a reasonable explanation or evidence.

See How to Choose a Deer Velvet Supplement

About the author

Kathy Cane is the owner of Canes Deer Velvet in Reporoa, New Zealand.

Kathy has a nursing background and more than 25 years of direct involvement in producing, researching and supplying deer velvet. Together with her family, she has been involved in deer farming in Reporoa for decades and has developed her knowledge through published research, industry involvement and first-hand experience with deer velvet production and customers.

Kathy writes and reviews Canes Deer Velvet’s educational content and welcomes questions about the research or reasoning behind the information presented.

Ask Kathy a question about deer velvet

Related resources

Health information note

Canes Deer Velvet is a dietary supplement. Information in this Knowledge Index is intended to explain deer velvet, its nutritional composition, the Canes perspective and relevant research. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure a disease or replace individual medical advice.

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What Is Deer Velvet? Nutrients, Benefits and What the Research Shows