Beginner's Guide to Deer Placenta
Written by: Wan SofaSyifa
Reviewed by: Fenny Lim, BSc. (Hons) Nutrition, UKM
For context, when you see the word deer placenta or deer placenta capsules being thrown about, this usually refers to deer placenta extracts used in the health or beauty industry. Like sheep placenta, it is believed that many deer placenta benefits go beyond its cultural significance.
What is Deer Placenta
The deer placenta is the placenta of the deer that is extracted and consumed. The consumption of deer or sheep placenta is part of a phenomenon called placentophagy or placentophagia. While placentophagia is a common biological activity for certain animals, such as rabbits and rodents, human placentophagia is deeply rooted in traditional Asian culture.
Research on deer placenta is not as much as sheep placenta, but there are mainly two reasons it is gaining more attention;
- History of use – how long it has been used as a supplement
- Bioavailability – its compatibility with the human body
History of Use
All parts of the deer have been used in China for thousands of years as a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is mainly linked to one of the oldest medical texts in China, Bencao Gangmu, or the “Great Pharmacopeia,” written by Li Shijen. In the text, Li Shijen lists over 1,000 prescriptions featuring animals (sometimes humans) and plants [1].
Traditionally, like sheep placenta is prepared, deer placenta is dried and then powdered for consumption. Deer placenta is prescribed for men and women for various reasons, normally in tonic form.
Its prominence in history has prompted modern scientists, especially around Asia, to research more on its possible benefits.
Bioavailability
Regarding bioavailability, deers are one of the mammals highly compatible with humans. That is why other parts of the deer are also used as a supplement ingredient, such as its liver, heart, and in recent years, antlers. Its high bioavailability is believed to be why you can see the result of taking deer placenta consistently as early as two months.
What is Deer Placenta Used for?
As an organ that provides nutrients to the fetus, the deer placenta contains growth factors, amino acids, nucleic acids, multivitamins, hyaluronic acids, and other antioxidants. Based on the nutrients present and its long usage history, deer placenta is often used as;
Fertility Supplement
There is a certain flexibility to taking deer placenta as a fertility supplement. Because of its different nutrients, it may support both male and female fertility. A key factor in this belief is that the deer placenta contains growth factors.
Female Fertility
A 2022 research [2] mentions that growth factors play a significant part in female reproductive systems by;
- Increasing the yield of oocytes – cells in the ovum
- Enforcing the embryo’s quality
- Enhancing live births
Male Fertility
In 2021, research was conducted on female Wistar rats to study the increase in testosterone levels when the rats were fed with deer placenta supplements [3]. Another research was done a year earlier, in 2020, with male Wistar rats instead [4].
Across the span of 21 days and 28 days, respectively, it was found that deer placenta did increase the testosterone levels of both test subjects. Naturally produced testosterone may help with male fertility as it can increase vitality and libido in men.
Of course, as with other dietary supplements in the market, deer placenta is not to be treated as treatments or medications, and their results may vary based on;
- Your body’s natural composition
- Your normal diet and lifestyle
General Health Supplement
Deer placenta is rich in nutrients, and its high bioavailability makes it possible to be absorbed by your cells. Basic biology tells us that everything is made up of cells, so healthy and fully functioning cells are important for your health. The unique nutritional combinations available in deer placenta, especially the growth factors, allow deer placenta to protect, repair, and regenerate the cells.
There are two possibilities of how deer placenta can achieve this – the high bioavailability that allows it to penetrate most cells and the fact that most nutrients are antioxidants. A key ability of antioxidants is to prevent oxidative stress that may harm the cells. Some antioxidants and nutrients present in the deer placenta are;
- Amino acids
- Nucleic acids
- Hyaluronic acids
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Iron
- Phosphorous
- Zinc
- Copper
The presence of these nutrients allows the deer placenta to;
- Promote hormonal balance
- Improve wound healing
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve joint mobility
- Increase metabolism
While there are various testimonials on the effectiveness of deer placenta, most stem from the history of use. Formal scientific research on deer placenta is still being studied, so you should not, by any means, take placenta as part of treatment. You can take them to improve your daily diet so you may benefit from the nutrients it provides.
Beauty Supplement
Another purported use of the deer placenta is for beauty. The deer placenta is said to have an anti-aging effect on the body. The best basis for this is the presence of growth factors, amino acids, hyaluronic acid, vitamin B, and vitamin E.
Growth Factors and Beauty
In the body, growth factors are naturally produced. It is capable of wound regeneration, collagen growth, blood vessel growth, and wound healing. Introducing external growth factors in the body may help rejuvenate the body and reduce fine wrinkles. This is especially true if you’re using it beginning in your late twenties since your body’s ability to produce collagen lessens [5].
Amino Acids, Hyaluronic Acid, and Beauty
Hyaluronic acid has gained prominence recently as a major ingredient for skin moisturizing, skin elasticity, and general anti-aging. Less known is that a combination of hyaluronic acid and amino acids gives a more potent effect in terms of skin anti-aging. In research done in 2020 [6], it was found that the combination of these two ingredients can increase fibroblast activity.
Fibroblasts play an important role in skin repair and wound healing, so in addition to hyaluronic acid’s common benefit, this combination can help with skin inflammation and wounds [7].
Vitamins B, E, and Beauty
Since their first discovery, vitamins B and E have been a subject of interest for medicinal research. While vitamin B used to be studied extensively in general health, recent decades have explored the prevalence of vitamin B benefits for beauty. Different B vitamins can contribute to different aspects of beauty, such as;
- Vitamin B-3 (niacinamide) helps reduce age spots and discoloration
- Vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid) helps reduce acne and skin inflammation
While the benefits of vitamin B differ based on their type, vitamin E is mainly studied for its ability to reduce hyperpigmentation and skin scarring [8]. A combination of both vitamins may be able to give your skin a more youthful complexion.
Similar to other uses of the deer placenta mentioned above, its effectiveness varies from one person to another.
The Various Forms of Deer Placenta
So far, for commercial use, deer placentas can be found as oral supplements. Compared to sheep placenta, which is sometimes used as dermal fillers, further research is needed if we want to use deer placentas as treatment options. In the market, deer placenta supplements are gaining traction and can normally be found in pill form.
Misconceptions on Deer Placenta
Recently, a direct sales company came under fire because of their deer placenta products, with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banning the product sale across the states. To clear up misunderstandings about deer placenta, it is important to focus on why the product may be problematic rather than solely looking at its ingredients.
Unwarranted Claims
Deer placenta should be considered a dietary supplement, not a miracle drug or alternative treatment. The efficacy of any deer placenta supplement is also not the same from one person to another.
Loose Dosage Restrictions
While deer placenta dosage is not as highly regulated due to its status as a dietary supplement, one of the main concerns arising during the incident is when their marketers do not properly regulate the intake dosage.
While the dosage per capsule may vary, many industry players agree that the daily intake for deer placenta should not exceed 10,000mg. You should be wary of any products that exceed this daily recommended intake since it can lead to an overdose.
Should you have any doubts, we always recommend you ask your general practitioner or pharmacist for clarification. We advise you to always get a second opinion when encountering misleading or confusing information about deer placenta supplements.
CellLabs® Deer Placenta Line
Banking on over 19 years of experience, CellLabs® deer placenta line undergoes rigorous quality checking and verification with relevant authorities. You may find that each product we produce comes with 100mg of deer placenta extract per capsule (equivalent to 2,000mg of fresh deer placenta), and our recommended daily intake does not exceed 8,000mg a day.
The additional ingredients formulation and the extraction ratio make our products different. For example, the most affordable product in our deer placenta line is CellLabs® OriCenta which only features deer placenta as its ingredient.
Our premium product, CellLabs® POSH-D Centa features 11 additional ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and polygonum cuspidatum (a rich source of resveratrol). The additional ingredients and our trademark formulation are intended to give you more rounded nutritional benefits per capsule.
The Takeaway
Now, should you start taking deer placenta supplements? It all goes down to what you need it for. We recommend it as a dietary supplement to couples looking to conceive, as an anti-aging supplement, and to promote general health. However, you should manage your expectations properly, and your intake compliance should align with the recommendations provided to get the most out of your deer placenta supplement.
There’s no harm in getting a second opinion, and you should start taking deer placenta to complement your daily diet.
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