What to look for in a good Deer Velvet Supplement

These days a quick search online will present you with an array of Deer Velvet products -  that's great, but how do you compare products, and what are the positive attributes you want? What should you avoid, and what product represents the best value for money? The cost of the product alone is not always a good indicator, as there are expensive, poor quality products out there so you may need  to consider other factors.
Hopefully the table below will help, where we have outlined what be believe are the key features of Mountain Red Professional. This list should allow you to compare attributes of our product against others you may be considering, allowing you to make an informed choice about what's best for you. Bear in mind that some products may not actually have many, or any of the attributes listed. Those might be products you want to avoid.
Product Attribute

Mountain Red Professional

Your Alternate Deer Velvet 

Full Strength 500mg Deer Velvet

Per Capsule

YES/NO

Sustainably Sourced from Selected

Free Range Farms

YES/NO

Batch ID Tested for Absolute

Quality Assurance

YES/NO
True cGMP Manufactured
YES/NO

US FDA Compliant

Manufacture and Testing

YES/NO
Guaranteed Drug Residue Free
YES/NO
Every Batch Tested for Conformity
YES/NO
No Additives or Fillers Used
YES/NO
Made without Soy, Corn, Yeast, Gluten, Lactose, Starch, Sugar, Wheat, Artificial Colours or Preservatives
YES/NO
No Carob, Magnesium Stearate, Talc or Silica
YES/NO
No Xylitol
YES/NO
Meets all Dietary Supplement Requirements of US DHSEA
YES/NO
Independently Certified for Use in Sports and By Athletes
YES/NO
New Zealand Government Fernmark Certified Quality Assured
YES/NO
Bioavailable Capsule Delivery
YES/NO
Single Ingredient Formulation
YES/NO
No Hidden Ingredients
YES/NO

Certified Free from WADA Prohibited Drugs

YES/NO

Easy to Swallow, Capsule (not a tablet or sublingual form)

YES/NO

Low Impact Traditional Manufacture

YES/NO

Sold Internationally for Over 20 Years

YES/NO
Seen Enough?

 

Some information may be readily available from other manufacturers websites or their product labels. For example the weight of Deer Velvet in each capsule, or tablet. Be but be mindful of some of the "tricks" used out there - for example some weights are not easily identified, or are quoted in a way to make it appear that there is more product in the capsule - a common trick is to quote the weight "equivalent" to raw velvet used, not the actual weight in the finished capsule. This makes a considerable difference when you are purchasing a 1000mg capsule but in fact it contains only 250mg Deer Velvet.
Always look for the true weight of the Deer Velvet in the dose form, as there may be other ingredients present to "bulk up" the capsule or tablet. This is particularly so in products formulated with other ingredients, where in some cases the Deer Velvet represents less than 50% of the capsule. 
Be mindful also that just because a product is "manufactured according to GMP", or "manufactured in a GMP facility" this doesn't mean that the finished product is actually manufactured to cGMP quality standard, as our has. Has the product actually been analytically ID verified as Deer Velvet? Again, we do this for every batch.
Look also for true third party analysis and testing being conducted on the product, as this will provide you with the most accurate and independent data on the quality of the product.  What about certifications - for example is the product certified for use in sports, and guaranteed free from potentially harmful residues or prescription drugs. This is relevant for everyone, not just sports people. The ONLY way to know this is if the finished product has been continually tested - and that means every single batch. Don't rely on anecdotes and historical data.

In general, it’s best to avoid supplements that are not certified by an independent certification company. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suggests reducing your risk from supplements by using only products Certified for Sport use. Does that product have an endorsement from a government body, such as the New Zealand Fernmark of Autenticity, and does it meet any international manufacturing standards, such as true cGMP or US FDA. These are all positive indicators of a true, quality product.

Look out for other ingredients used alongside the active Deer Velvet. They are used by manufacturers for numerous reasons, but these special "formulas" are not without issue. Similarly check on additives, fillers and other ingredients. What are they and why are they there? Tablet or capsule? Tablets are cheaper to make, older dose forms that require the use of tableting aids. Tablets are generally recognised as having slower absorption that more modern capsule presentations. 


Any questions you may have please let us know and we will be happy to help as best we can - email us at enquiries@mountainred.com