The 2014 Bulletproof Biohacking Conference Show!

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Welcome to the 2012 Bulletproof Biohacking Show, in which you're going to hear Ben Greenfield in rare form as he swallows smart drugs and bothers biohackers. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_2 (0:12)

Welcome to the bengreenfieldfitness.com podcast. We provide you with free exercise, nutrition, weight loss, triathlon, and wellness advice from the top fitness experts in the nation.

So whether you're an Ironman triathlete or you're just trying to shed a few pounds, get ready for non-run-of-the-mill, cutting-edge content from bengreenfieldfitness.com.

Ben Greenfield (0:49)

Hey, what's up, you guys? It's Ben Greenfield, and I'm standing here with the guy who a few minutes ago forced me to inject, not really inject, but more just like dump elk antler velvet into my mouth, and just like hold it there and swish it around.

Daniel Vitalis (1:07)

He liked it.

Ben Greenfield (1:07)

And apparently, it's supposed to make me grow hair on my chest or something, but he's got all these bottles like reishi and chaga and pine pollen.

What's your name, man? What do you do?

Daniel Vitalis (1:18)

I'm called Daniel Vitalis, and I do a lot of things, my friend.

Ben Greenfield (1:21)

That's what you're called or that's your name?

Daniel Vitalis (1:23)

Well, that's what I'm called. And I really do like to carry around little bottles of magical elixirs. But really, what I'm into is things that come from nature that have strong, strong pharmaceutical-like effects, but they're whole food form ingredients.

Ben Greenfield (1:36)

Okay. So like this elk antler stuff, like how do you even make that? Like does somebody go out and like find antlers and like extract this from the elk and stomp on it like wine grapes?

Adam (1:46)

Or how does this work?

Daniel Vitalis (1:48)

Yeah, you can imagine getting the antlers off an elk isn't an easy process. So we work with a couple farms in the Idaho and Utah area, and they are large free-range branches. And basically once a year, the large bucks have their antlers clipped off and we freeze dry those. And we break them down in an organic grape alcohol to produce this extract in the method that the Russians developed during the Cold War era. And basically, they were focused on adaptogen research. They were looking at substances in nature that can be used to adapt human beings to their environment and increase performance. They wanted super soldiers, super athletes, and they figured out a way to get the regenerative properties and the androgenic properties of antlers into themselves, and we're using that same method today.

The thing to know is that the antlers of cervids grow every year in three months and then they fall off, and they regenerate every year.

So a cervid would be like a deer, an elk, a moose, a caribou, a reindeer. Now in every species but reindeer, the cervid only, the males produce antlers. Antlers are different than horns. Horns are hollow. Antlers are the only mammalian organ that regenerate. And so you can actually consume that and get those regenerative properties into your own bloodstream. And think about this. The elk is preparing to fight other males and get the girl.

That's the point. And that's what those antlers are about. And so his bloodstream is filled with this stuff and you can put that in your body and fill yourself with it too.

Ben Greenfield (3:13)

So it's like rhino horns except it's legal.

Daniel Vitalis (3:16)

Except it's sustainable as well because they regenerate every year. So we never killed these elk. These elk live out their whole lives on these ranches.

And every year, the large bucks have their antlers clipped.

Ben Greenfield (3:28)

What's more cute, a baby rhino or a baby elk?

Daniel Vitalis (3:30)

Man, I know the guy from Rhino Wars and he doesn't think this stuff is funny.

Ben Greenfield (3:34)

You guys should see Daniel Vitalis. He's totally tatted up, sporting Vibram Five Fingers, but he's a real deal, you guys. You should check out this Sir Thrival, and he's here at the Bulletproof Biohacking Conference. So we'll try and get Daniel on a podcast sometime and pick his brain because he's obviously a wealth of knowledge. So Daniel, thank you for filling us in on rhinos versus elks today.

Daniel Vitalis (4:01)

Hey, man, great to be here with you. Let me know how that chest hair grows in.

Ben Greenfield (4:09)

Hey, so it's Ben Greenfield here. I'm at the Bulletproof Biohacking Conference, and the beautiful Dr. Lowe here is about to shove something into my vein. What are you even doing here? I just showed up and you started to poke needles into me.

Dr. Lowe (4:23)

I'm uncomfortable saying this on a recording.