SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: Does the Deer Velvet Antler Spray N...

SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone: Ask Dr. Andro: Does the Deer Velvet Antler Spray N...: Question from Lerner: "Dr. Andro, check out the following link . It's about deer antler (which I didn't find being discussed i...

So what, Dr. Andro? Does it work?

As much as I would like to provide you with a definite answer, the only thing I can tell you for sure are the following facts:

1. there is IGF-1 in whole deer antler
2. IGF-1 survives passage through the intestines of rats even if it is not
   micro-encapsulated
3. non-micro-encapsulated IGF-1 can be taken up in the jejunum, the ileum and
   the large intestine at surprisingly high rates
4. protease inhibitors, above all, the readily available and reasonably priced
   peptidase inhibitor casein can improve bioavailability even further

I  would yet have to speculate on

1. whether or not the deer velvet antler extract used in The Ultimate
   Spray was derived from parts of the antler that actually contain more than
   trace amounts of IGF-1,
2. how much IGF-1 actually is in one serving,
3. how effective the "natural" and probably partly bound (to IGF1 binding
   globulins) form of IGF-1 in the product is compared to synthetic, free
   rhIGF-1,
4. if the liposomal encapsulation does in fact improve and not maybe even
   hinder absorption,
5. and, last but not least, if the amount of IGF-1 reaching the bloodstream
   would aactually be able to produce physiological effects

in order to answer Lerner's question. So, now that you got the facts, its up to you,
students of the SuppVersity, to make up your mind on whether or not there
is more behind this lurid yahoo news-story than just a clever marketing stunt.