Deer Antler Velvet – A Sexual and Reproductive Tonic for Women?

While deer antler velvet extract “pantocrin” is regarded as the ultimate primal tonic for men, in Russia it is widely prescribed for women, especially in treating menstrual problems and reducing the effects of menopause.

Western medicine promotes hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) for women at menopause, which administers low doses of oestrogen to women in order to compensate for the dramatic drop in the amount of oestrogen being produced by the ovaries. It is a contentious therapy, with studies showing that in the short term HRT may treat the depleting effects of menopause but as reports show, it may unleash significantly greater health risks such as thrombosis and uterine cancer later in life.

Women seeking less invasive ways to correct hormonal issues during menopause, which can be a time of intense physical and psychological distress, may be pleased to find out that in Russia pantocrin and rantarin [deer velvet extracts] are officially recommended for menopausal problems, as well as for delayed and abnormal menstrual cycles.

Fulder states, “Pantocrin [deer velvet extract] was determined as being very useful in reduced sexual function and menopausal disorders of circulation, in depression and psychological problems, and pain in the joints.” Fulder continues that some of the menopausal females medicated in this way with deer velvet even began to menstrate.

Brekhman stated: “A number of reports particularly stressed the therapeutic effect of pantocrin [antler velvet extract] in various kinds of sex-related disorders in men and women, especially associated with climacteric syndrome.”

Women taking deer velvet have reported lowered symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome, even to the point where periods occur without discomfort. They have also reported heightened sexual interest, an intensity of erotic dreams, and a sense of being in touch with reserves of vital energy. This makes deer velvet a very desirable sex tonic for ladies.

While Pantocrin [antler velvet extract] administered to juvenile male mice caused an enlargement of their reproductive glands, similar experiments were carried out in Russia by Brekhman and Taneyeva to research the gonadotrophic action of pantocrin on female mice. From these experiments an increase was confirmed in the weight of the sex glands of the studied mice. and also an increased count of oestrus cycles.

Whether the effect is on man or woman, deer velvet antler appears to have a significant strengthening and balancing influence upon the hormones. As Teeguarden states, “pantocrin has been proven to be beneficial to metabolism, to the heart, central nervous system and brain, to the reproductive system.”

For thousands of years Chinese women have been prescribed deer antler velvet for low libido and “female reproductive debility”. Chinese women use antler velvet to increase fertility, then while pregnant to boost the wellbeing of mother and child. They take deer velvet during childbirth to aid in the baby’s delivery, and afterwards as a general tonic to improve breast mild production and restore and rejuvenate the mother’s energy and health.

In combination with natural herbal blood tonics like dong quai, deer velvet is an important addition to the woman’s pharmacopeia.