Peptides are the building blocks of proteins that function by simulating natural biological processes, providing hormones essential for growth, metabolism, and healing. The Food and Drug Administration has approved several peptides as medications, like insulin to treat diabetes or semaglutide in some GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
Influencer’s Push for Peptides
But a wave of unapproved peptides are being marketed by popular influencers online, including BPC-157, Melanotan I and II, TB-500, and CJC-1295. These compounds are marketed to help with anti aging, injury recovery, body composition, and more.
“None of them are proven,” Dr. Eric Topol, a research methods expert and director of Scripps research Translational Institute, told CNN in November. “None of them have gone through what would be considered adequate clinical trials, but nonetheless many people are taking these. It’s actually quite extraordinary.”
Podcaster Joe Rogan, for example, has spoken about his recovery with BPC-157, a synthetic peptide derived from acids in the gut.
“I had tendonitis in my elbow, I started using BPC-157 and it was gone in two weeks,” he said on his show last year, which boasts over 20 million subscribers.
While users can buy such peptides from research vendors like Verified Peptides and Pure Bio Labs without receiving approval from a doctor, experts don’t recommend taking that route.
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