Turning waste into use: Japan firm uses unwanted sika deer for supplements to boost male vitality
Different parts of the deer, including its skin, bones and horns, are used to produce the supplement. Sold under the brand Tsuyo Sugi, it is also the firm's first health supplement to use sika deer as the main ingredient.
"In recent years, the Hokkaido sika deer have been reproducing excessively and this has caused major effects on agriculture, forestry, and traffic safety. In order to protect the environment, the Japanese government has been seeking to reduce the number of wild deer, but is lacking an effective solution.
“With the expertise in the production and usage of deer, we are able to address the challenges that the Japanese government is facing by turning the unwanted deer into a treasure based on our knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine,” the managing director of the firm Tei Ken said in response to queries from NutraIngredients-Asia.
While the firm had only conducted product sample testing to validate the product’s effectiveness, Tei Ken said that the other ingredients used, such as ginseng, cordyceps, and together with deer glue, were regarded as “the three treasures of Chinese medicine” that were also known for relieving fatigue.
Foreign markets
At present, the firm is discussing the possibility of selling the product via cross-border e-commerce into China with Tmall.
Tei Ken added that there was also “strong interest” from clients from the South East Asia, such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and also Canada.
“Moving forward, we will also actively seek potential clients from Malaysia, Europe, and the US, so as to introduce the product to the world,” he said.
Besides exploring new markets, he also plans to utilise sika deer for use in other types of supplements of different functions. These would include preventing grey hair and dementia, improving sleep quality, symptoms of joint pain, and depression.
Sika deer Vs Viagra
Comparing the sika deer-based supplement and Viagra, Tei Ken said that there were five key differences between the two.
He claimed that the supplement, being natural with medicinal herb, was suitable for long term use as compared to Viagra which was mainly made from hormones.
As for the mechanism, he claimed that the supplement boosts male vitality by tonifying the kidney, while Viagra does so by accelerating the blood flow.
The product also served multiple functions, such as eliminating fatigue, relieve stress, other than improving male vitality.
He added that the product, being a health food, did not produce any known side effects, while Viagra could lead to commonly reported side effects, ranging from headache to visual disturbance.
Lastly, the firm also claimed that the product was suitable for all, while Viagra was unsuitable for individuals with health problems, such as hypertension.
