Yes, it has been some time since I wrote some blog posts, It wasn’t lack of enthousiasm nor lack of topics.Just lack of time of better, mindset to share infomation on paper since I am currently also working on three books, writing two and translating another one.
Peptides seem to be the “hot new thing” for performance enhancement, in cosmetics, for longevity and biohacking or for weight loss…. Peptides are hot….
Many influencers on social media suddenly turned out to have become overnight peptide experts.
Peptides are strings of amino acids – longer peptides or biopolymers are called proteins.
Peptides play important roles in the human body e.g. the peptide hormones such as insulin, glucagon, growth hormone, neuropeptide Y, etc. On the other hand we have the steroid hormones, based on a steroid skeleton and made from cholesterol, not from strings of amino acids. Well-known steroid hormones are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, or cortisol. Don’t forget that cholesterol and vitamin D also are based on the same basic steroid structure. Peptides are multifunctional substances, they may also function as neurotransmitters, carrier molecules or structural molecules.
Modern technology has made it possible to synthesize peptides relatively easily with peptide synthesizers, allowing almost endless combinations of amino acids, even we have only around 20 of them. Just like 26 characters allow the production of many thousands of different words in different languages.
This, in its turn, allows the production of new, synthetic peptides as well.
New analytic technologies also made it possible to discover natural peptides in the human body and their actions.
Peptides are promising solutions for many problems, but there are some limitations to overcome. First of all, peptides are vulnerable molecules, they can easily be made inactive or be destroyed.
Secondly, it is difficult to put them into a pill or capsule, since peptides are easily broken down by the acids and enzymes of our stomach. In the same way the proteins in a steak are broken down into smaller peptides or amino acids. Also the slightest change in the structure of the peptide can make them useless. A lot of effort is spent to stabilize peptides and to find ways to make them work orally.
Thirdly, quality control is big problem since most peptides are not available over the counter, not in the pharmacy. The main way to get them is via the internet. So now you ordered a peptide and the package arrives at home. How do you know it is actually the peptide you ordered and not some other white powder or another, cheaper peptide? The internet is notorious for selling fake products and the sales of peptides can be quite profitable. In other words, it is hard to find out and you can just hope it is the right product, since testing is expensive and not very easy to do. Another problem is that peptides need to be stored in cool, dark and dry conditions.
Fourth, since peptides also function as hormones, neurotransmitters or signaling molecules in our bodies, you’d better know what you are doing and what you are playing with. Use of peptides may trigger some unwanted processes in your body that you later may regret.
In short: peptides have a great future for human health and wellbeing, but the topic is really complex. Most influencers on Instagram, Telegram or TikTok, promoting peptides, cleverly ignore the possible side effects and dangers that I mentioned above.
Some peptides are experimental, only tested in test tubes or on animals, others are well-researched.
Here are some maybe useful ones:
BPC 157 or Body Protection Compound 157, consisting of 15 amino acids and naturally found in our gastric juice.
It acts as a kind of “protection and repair compound”, especially of our gastro-intestinal lining, repairing damaged tissues in our body and thus helpful in cases of injury or age-related damage. It has been subject of a lot of research since its discovery in 1993. It is particularly interesting to read the research about its effect on Achilles and other tendon injuries.
The internet and social media make it difficult to separate nonsense from reality: there are as many protocols as there are influencers and marketeers, each with their own, superior protocol, based on…….?
TB-500 or Thymosin beta-4, consists of 43 amino acids and can not only be found in the thymus gland as the name suggests, but in most cells of the human body. The function is the same as for BPC 157, repair of damaged cells and structures. Even though it was discovered in the 1980’s, not as much research has been done as on BPC 157.
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 consists of 5 amino acids and a palmitic fatty acid tailfor better penetration into the skin. It is specially used in cosmetic creams or serums being applied around the eyes or facial skin, as a moisturizer or aiding in wound healing by improving collagen production. It is generally accepted as an effective and safe cosmetic peptide.
The same applies to Argireline 8 or acetyl hexapeptide- 8, a very popular cosmetic peptide with 6 amino acids which has a botox-like effect against wrinkles.
Yes, and there are so many more very interesting peptides available right now, but that would be beyond the scope of this simple blogpost.
As far as weight loss in concerned, the tremendous success of Ozempic, Wegovy or Rebelsus, and related medications show the potential of peptides. These medications are based on their effect of the GLP-1 or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor. GLP-1 is a natural peptide which decreases blood glucose, as insulin does. The price, or better the profit margin of the medication is stellar and has no relation to the costs of research, production and marketing. Sickness is the best revenue model on the planet.
This is where simple peptides may come in as effective and cheaper alternatives to outrageously expensive medication.
These peptides work through regulating blood glucose level, reducing appetite, secretion of growth hormone (known to burn fat) and can be used in case of diabetes and obesity.
Another use for peptides may be as “exercise mimetics”. As the name indicates they can be used to imitate the effects of exercise e.g. increase muscle mass and burn fat. Not for athletes (they can exercise), but for people who are limited in their capacity to exercise adequately, thus losing muscle mass and gaining weight, e.g. in hospitals, in wheelchairs or old people limited in the capability to exercise by their weight. Or another target group is lazy people like me, who don’t want to waste time and energy by exercising, and still keep their weight down and keep muscle mass.
Two more notes:
- keep thinking critically, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…..
- when buying supplements or compounds which are not available in the supermarket: I always go to the first and primary source, the people who produce it, harvest it, etc.
The health risk of working with peptides is certainly there, for sure if you don’t know what you are doing, but compared to the other health risks we are exposed to, that risk is neglectable, e.g. Covid-viruses, lockdowns, vaccination, PFAS, geo-engineering, manipulations with our food, exposure to toxic chemicals, synthetic opioids, etc. All legal and supported by our own caring governments.
Limited bibliography:
Duvnjak, M; Sikiric, P; Mildner, B; Separović, J; Matoz, W: A new gastric juice peptide, BPC. An overview of the stomach-stress-organo-protection hypothesis and beneficial effects of BPC; J of Physiol.(Paris) Vol. 87, 1993, pg. 313-327.
Gwyer, D; Wragg, N,M; Wilson, S, L: Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing; Cell and Tissue Research, 2019, Vol. 37, pg. 153–159
Xing, Y; Ye, Y; Zuo, H; Li, Y: Progress on the Function and Application of Thymosin B4. Front. Endocrinol. 2021, 12; 76778512:767785
Blanes-Mira C, Clemente J, Jodas G, et al: A synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) with antiwrinkle activity. Int. J. Cosmet Sci. 2002, 24, pg.303–310.
Guerrieri, D; Moon, H.Y, van Praag,H: Exercise in a Pill: The Latest on Exercise-Mimetic; Brain Plasticity 2 (2016/2017) pg. 153–169.
Atakan, M.M; Türkel, I; Özerklig,. B; Kosar, S.N; Taylor, D.F; Yan, X; Bishop, D.J: Small peptides: could they have a big role in metabolism and the response to exercise? J Physiol Vol.602, No.4, 202, pg. 545–568.
