According to research, there is a proven incompatibility between the production of stress hormones and the production of sex hormones. Thus they preserve sexual capacity during the stresses of life. The extraordinary worldwide publicity and demand for the 'impotence pill' Viagra reveals something of the hidden depth of this problem. But while such drugs may be a temporary fix there are side effects reported, and while other treatments, such as injections of testosterone, may affect a temporary solution in restoring sexual capacity for older men, it goes hand in hand with the possibility of speeding up the decline of the body's own production of sex hormone. There are many anecdotal accounts on file from men who having taken antler velvet to increase energy, or to lower blood pressure, or alleviate the pain of arthritis, have enjoyed the bonus of greatly increased sexual interest and capacity.
Velvet builds endurance, it seems, on every level.
Along with the natural hormones and substances with steroid like properties found in velvet antler are a wide range of minerals, nutrients and other bioactive properties, giving rise to the claims in Chinese medicine that it is an ultimate energy tonic, toning the kidney, liver and brain, strengthening the heart, increasing blood circulation and invigorating the dynamic Yang energy. Not only a medicine for the body, it is also believed to strengthen the mind and the central nervous system and to have a positive effect on the spirit. When Chinese medicine refers to a herb or remedy being associated with the Kidneys and Liver, it is not just referring to the physical organs of the kidneys and liver. Rather it refers to very specific energy flows through the body which involve these organs - a system of channels or pathways through which the vital force or ch'i circulates from one organ to another. These pathways are known as meridians and are used in the traditional arts of acupuncture and acupressure.