Quackery Books

The following links are meant to bring to your attention the lengths that Canadian researchers might go to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, if research is funded by companies that produce a so-called "natural product", it would not be very likely that a university with the scientific stature of the University of Alberta would be an integral part it. We were wrong! In this particular case, at least three University of Alberta researchers have been named in a myriad of web sites for their involvement in "Elk Velvet Antlers". Though some of these researchers may have actually done the research, we don't know if they have benefited from their association with the large number of companies that sell the stuff. Some of the "elkers" are MLM, while other have gone public. Along the way, people have been swept up into the fuzzy world of elk velvet. I caution you, that I could find not a single reference on these sites that told us what the evidence was for the strange beliefs in the power of this strange product. Go ahead, buy the stuff if you dare, but if I were you, I wouldn't take anything that would purport to increase your testosterone level at the same time it is said to be safe for pregnant women? Above all, it only a food product, and anyone from the University of Alberta who claims that it has medicinal qualities should be run out of town with an elk antler run up his butt, until those claims are verified by other researchers.

DESIGNER FOOD CONCEPT ANTLER RESEARCH GROUP Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2P5 Tel : 780-492-0378 Fax: 780-492-9130 The Designer Food Concept Antler Research Group is a multi-disciplinary research unit associated with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science in University of Alberta located at Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. Our primary focus is on the research and development of velvet antlers to evaluate the feasibility as nutraceucticals, functional and medical foods. In 1995, Canadian deer farms produced an estimated 15 metric tonnes of velvet antlers for export to Korea which accounts for approximately 85% of the amount of velvet antlers circulated in international market. World consumption has remained static, or has decreased. Despite the current economic opportunity, prospects for developing a western nutraceutical market have been dampened by incomplete understanding of the chemical and pharmacological properties of velvet antler. The key to survive the antler industry depends on the research and development of antler.....

Dietfraud.com comments: Somehow, their webmaster has stopped typing. I wonder if he ran out of things to say. Basically, agri-business's "scientists" had encouraged thousands of ranchers to raise elk for their antlers, and then the market fell apart, and they had to find some North American, or European suckers to buy the stuff. I wonder if Alberta had a seacoast, if they would have farmed for sea lion or narwhal penis parts to help rescue their ranchers? Secondly, the researchers at places like the U. of Alberta had to do something to prove to that taxpayers that there are uses other than ravaging the land for money. Somehow they didn't want to make another mistake, like other agricultural booboos. Hey, it doesn't pollute, it doesn't destroy the landscape, and if the elk antlers fall off by themselves, they might make great Christmas tree ornaments. Maybe since the Great One has a contract with Tylenol and Budweiser Beer, he might be headed back to Edmonton to stand on the steps of the police department for another few million dollars, eh? Check the mission statement carefully, and ask yourself one question, how could the university allow the use of it name, research, logos, etc. to sell something that has not been proved to do anything that dozens of companies claim? If you were the President of the University of Alberta, what would you say?

V.I.P. - Velvet Independent Processors Jay Novacek in scene from video, proudly displaying his handgunning techniques to TV camera Seeing Is Believing! - Dean Skinner, the voice of Velvet Independent Processors in Wilkie, Saskatchewan describes his goals for VIP in the world elk antler wars. Fresh from his antler to antler battle with Dr. Terry Polevoy on CKNW in Vancouver, he stakes his company's claims on the 3,000 year old "remedy". Of course back then, folks died from beriberi, and starved to death. I assume that those who took elk antler survived. "The last thing we want to see is the elk industry going to the dogs!” Skinner adds jokingly in reference to recent use of elk velvet in pet food products. In 1998, 60% of the velvet produced in North America was not sold or processed. Only consistency, integrity and quality can lead to the establishment of a flourishing industry. (Is that why VIP went after Jay Novacek, retired Dallas Cowboy, talk show host, Texas Hunting Directory co-owner and youth football camp director? When he isn't hawking elk velvet, he's slicking down with emu oil. Remember all those other well-known Cowboys who juiced up, beefed up, and did all sorts of crazy things the next time you hire a spokeperson for your horny products. Edmonton police recruits Strength training parameters in Edmonton police recruits following supplementation with elk velvet antler. You will notice that when you click this, it takes you to the hoome of www.elkantler.net. This is the site that had placed the great seal of the University on its web site without permission. Following our complaint - the site was taken down on December 9, 1999. Do you know what's really funny here, the site has been up for months, and the university never had the mind to ask that it be removed. If anyone wants to see what it really looked like, just email me. For those of you who would like to see what the site looked like originally, click here (but we didn't save the seal of the U of A) "This preliminary study has been concerned with the elevation of plasma testosterone in male police recruits during a nine-week course of nutritional supplementation with velvet antler. While muscle strength was not increased, a heightened endogenous production of testosterone as a result of nutritional supplementation with velvet antler was produced. This is preliminary research and the authors of this report recommend further studies to substantiate their findings. Therefore, it is with caution we release these results. Asians have used velvet antler as a traditional medicine for over 2000 years with little evidence of adverse effects. However, inasmuch as the long-term side effects of velvet antler have not been established in North America, the chronic use of velvet antler as a nutritional supplement should be made judiciously." (Ed. note: Who authorized the use of the University of Alberta logo, and the full text of the article. Did this commercial site ask permission. Are any of the researchers involved in this particular site?) Look who's funding them now? This site allegedly funded the study at the University of Alberta - they used the logo as well. They include a handy list of other media links that discuss their amazing discovery. Wow. What do we pay physical education professors to do at publicly funded universities while our hospitals are torn apart by politics. THE EDMONTON SUN - DECEMBER 10, 1998 EAT YOUR ELK ANTLERS. THEY'LL PUT HAIR ON YOUR CHEST U of A football players had to stop talking elk antlers because they were producing too much testosterone which could be mistaken for steroids use in testing. U of A researcher Dr. Brian Fisher quoted. What is creditable research? - Alberta Elk Association - These people are shedding tears because the price of elk velvet in Korea has gone down the tubes. "The good news is that there is a huge, untapped, multi-billion dollar market for our products right at our doorstep - in Canada and the United States. A review of the scientific literature suggests that elk velvet antler has health and performance benefits for both humans and animals. What we need is research to verify these benefits and to develop new products/markets." (So, the AEA wants research. That hasn't stopped them from supporting the sale of elk velvet, despite it's potential dangers, lack of peer reviewed research findings.) University of Alberta does more research Antler has been an essential ingredient in herbal medicine for thousands of years. It is used for preventative and curative purposes in the treatment of wounds, pain, arthritis, inflammation, and stress, and even to slow the aging process. It is of timely and great importance to explore the ancient medical claims from traditional medicine by using modern scientific research tools and methodologies. The immediate goal is to lay the foundation of a collaborative R&D program between the university and participating groups from the North American antler industry. The Canadian elk industry has contributed keen interest and financial support to the University of Alberta research group to explore the potential use of antler products in the treatment of a variety of human illnesses. (This site is full of references, however none of them prove anything. It's just a list of articles about various diseases and conditions.) First Annual Antler Science and Product Symposium 2000 - Edmonton, Alberta - April 9-12, 2000 Check out the sponsors, this is some really serious stuff here. The Provincial government, the Feds, and a number of elk associations will be there. There will be presentations on arthritis and rheumatism, improving the performance of breeding mice, immune function, cardiovascular diseases, cures for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, anti-angiogenic effect on cancer prevention. This site uses testimonials by Paul Kelly, a competitive cyclist - You can link to their copy of Fisher's police recruit study done at the University of Alberta. Permission was obtained to reprint the entire article from the magazine called Canadian Elk & Deer - Winter 1999, page 35. However, we can't find it on their site, and we don't know who Dr. Eugene Shippen, M.D. actually is who authored the article on the web site. Betty Kamen - oh where, oh where is your PhD? - What did you teach, and why are you so smart, and the rest of us so dumb? Oh, I see that the fuzzy stuff is now "underground" material. Is there some deep dark secret that you don't want the world to know about elk velvet antlers? "Deer antler velvet sounds like the kind of ingredient that should go into the caldron right after "eye of newt" and just before "toe of frog." At first impression, the uninformed might be tempted to put the users of antler products on the "far out" nutritional fringe." Or is this the real reason?: "An ancient scroll recommends deer antler for 52 different diseases. Today, it has been scientifically proven to strengthen muscle contractions, improve nerve impulses, regulate blood pressure, and treat arthritis." Is that why Tim Gorski of Health Care Reality Check is such a big believer in her? Innersense - makes no sense Testimonials from the testicularly challenged? "As well as taking away tiredness and boosting Iron levels throughout her pregnancy, velvet also helped to combat painful varicose veins, " says Sue. "I had shooting pains right down my legs, but after three weeks of taking the velvet the pains disappeared and the veins went down to almost nothing ... It's great to be able to take something throughout Pre and while breastfeeding and feet confident it is safe and healthy for your baby - Velvet has been prescribed to pregnant mothers by Korean doctors for centuries - " "I am 74 years old. A friend suggested that I take the ISI elk velvet product for a full 90-day program. So far I have been taking it for a month, and I feel just as if I'm 50 again! It's almost hard to explain the effect the velvet has had on me. I have noticed the swelling in my hands reduce to almost nothing. My energy level is up and my mind seems clearer. Recently I had an accident and fractured my hip. After the operation I continued the velvet, which seemed to keep my blood pressure down and helped me to a quick recovery. I recommend it to people in my age group, as they all have some aches and pains." Hey folks, if it swims in the sea and grows on an elk - we can provide it for you - even though it will deplete the oceans of sharks, and cause pain and injury to mammals on land. Even Earl "the vitamin bible" Mindell thinks it's the best thing since Viagra, eh? - There is about as much credibility to his claims as there are to any claims made by these folks. O.K. so we're hired guns and academic scabs, you have to hear us out Q: Hello everyone, my name is Steve Kurylo and I want to welcome you to this informative talk. We have with us a very exciting and prestigious speaker this afternoon. Dr. Bob Hudson is the Professor of Wildlife Productivity and Management in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Alberta Dr. Hudson will be speaking to us about velvet antler, but before we begin, I 'd like to share his biography with you. Dr. Hudson is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, he holds a Ph.D. in Zoology in animal sciences. Dr. Hudson has published over look articles dealing with wildlife and conservation. He's currently the conference President of the Seventh Word Conference on animal production, he's been a consultant to numerous activities dealing with the management planning for the World Bank on large herbivores, he's been a consultant to the Dutch Foreign Aid dealing with the integration of wildlife into a commercial irrigation scheme, and in Kenya, he was a consultant to the integration of wildlife crops and livestock in the Setengetti Mara Ecosystem. When asked about the results of studies, he says "I think the experiences have been well documented, so there are many cases and this includes clinical trials. For example, it has been used in athletes to increase performance, there have also been clinical traits that suggest students perform better because their concentration is somewhat better because they are feeling better." (Come, come now Dr. Hudson, do you read Chinese? What makes you qualified to make medical claims, and why don't you get a spelling checker. Give us the real truth here, Dr. Hudson. Are you on a retainer from this company? Are you a distributor?) Trade show with a velvety touch Elk velvet trade show targets the Far East - there site mentions scientific proof and press releases, but there are none to be found. But, there are pictures of lots of people who don't look like they are from St. Cloud or Minneapolis. And, they will be glad to sell you a book and take your order. Government Follies Celentis - New Zealand Crown Corporation horns in on business On October 31, 2000 Celentis, announced that they develop and market "a range of nutritional extracts from deer tissues, for the health food market." They contain IGF-1 and other bioactive agents. Velvet antler research is separately funded by a joint GIB and research venture known as VARNZ. (I guess that stands for Velvet Antler Research New Zealand, or it might be some secret government agency. But, there's something funny here. They don't say what those bioactive things actually do, or if there are side effects, or if they have been screened for elk wasting disease (the elk form of BSE). Government warnings about antler products FDA charges Elk Velvet marketers Velvet Deer Antler was claimed to top be effective against arthritis, cancer, multiple scerosis, and a long list of other diseases and conditions. Electric Essense was claimed to stop bleeding when applied to wounds, stop bleeding inside the digestive tract, prevent anthrax, and kill ear infections. U.S. FDA warns about CWD (chronic wasting disease in elk and deer) - this file is in .rtf, and you can either save it or look at it with word processor America's "Mad Deer" Epidemic: A Public Health Time Bomb Set to Explode? Although the apparent increase in CJD deaths in the US hasn't yet set off a major food safety or public health crisis, The New York Times, USA Today, and CNN television have recently reported on an emerging epidemic of Mad Deer Disease and Mad Elk Disease (technically called Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD) in the Rocky Mountain area of the US. Not only have up to 7% of mule tail deer and 1.5% of elk in areas of Colorado and Wyoming been diagnosed as having Mad Deer/Elk Disease (in comparison 1-2% of cattle had Mad Cow Disease in England at the height of the epidemic there), but the highly-publicized death in March of Doug McEwen, a 30 year-old deer hunter in Utah from CJD--and reports of several other young deer hunters with CJD across the country--has unnerved hunters and wildlife officials as well as the entire beef and blood plasma industry. (The World Health Organization warns that Mad Cow-like diseases can likely spread through blood transfusions). Doug McEwen was an avid blood donor, and his blood plasma products--marketed by the Bayer corporation--ended up in more than 20 countries. In March the Canadian government temporarily quarantined all blood plasma from the US because of the McKuen case. Meanwhile US authorities are considering a ban on blood plasma products from the UK. and barring anyone who's been to the U.K. since 1980 from donating blood.On May 25, CBS News in New York ran a story on yet another young US deer hunter, 27 year-old Jay Whitlock, who is dying of CJD. Over the past several years Colorado state wildlife officials have warned deer and elk hunters to send them the heads of animals that they've killed in order that they may be tested for CWD. But while the government delays and prevaricates several million Americans--especially hunters and their families--continue to eat venison and elk on a regular basis. Meanwhile thousands of sport hunting and "road kill" deer and elk are routinely rendered into animal and pet feed. Scientists warn that Mad Deer/Elk Disease is likely to spread into cattle and sheep because the prion proteins in these mammals are so similar. Captive elk have already infected wild deer, apparently from fence line contact. Government officials have tried to play down the emerging CWD crisis, claiming there's no connection between the McKuen case (the Centers for Disease Control claim it's "normal" for several in a billion people to die from CJD while still in their twenties or thirties) and the CWD epidemic in deer and elk, and emphasize that most infected deer and elk are concentrated in a limited area in Colorado and Wyoming. But according to a February 23, 1999 story in the New York Times "Weighing 'Mad Cow' Risks in American Deer and Elk" by Sandra Blakeslee: "Game farms are another story. The disease is found in captive deer and elk herds in three states -- South Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma-- and in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, said Dr. Beth Williams, the nation's leading expert on chronic wasting disease, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. The disease was reported in the mid-1960's at the Wildlife Research Station in Fort Collins, Colorado, where it eventually wiped out 90 percent of the animals. But before people knew what was happening, many infected animals were sold to game farms or zoos elsewhere for breeding, thus spreading the infection. Ranchers made large profits selling antlers to Asia, where they are used in making herbal remedies and aphrodisiacs." Stay tuned for further developments. The Biodemocracy - formerly the Campaign for Food Safety would like thank Steve Urow for his incredible volunteer efforts since 1995 in maintaining and updating the www.purefood.org website. The CFS site now gets over 125,000 hits per month. Steve is also the founder and web master for the non-profit www.greenpeople.org - a directory of eco-friendly businesses and organizations. Search www.purefood.org for "elk antler" Mad Deer Disease Spreads Across the USA --Hunters Are Starting to Worry Outdoor Life - www.fieldandstream.com/hunting/olmaddeer.html - October 1999 Deer Disease and CJD in Humans 1/18/99 Brain disease a slow goodbye His illness at center of global debate By Elaine Jarvik Deseret News (Utah) Doug McEwen's decline began in the summer of 1998 as something so benign you would have sworn it was just a touch of forgetfulness. Now, six months later, McEwen and his wife, Tracie, find themselves in the center of a national debate about "mad cow" disease and the government's role in preventing it. USA - Today Doug McEwen's Story - Jan. 19, 1999 Consumer Reports critical of FDA Back to Fat City - file your own complaint