There is promising research on peptides, Milazzo says. However, many of them are very early and focus on mice. Still, the term “peptide” sounds more sophisticated than vitamin and more crude than steroid. “People are thinking about this like, ‘Oh, this is basically an opportunity to get medicine without having to get a prescription, without having to get expensive, without having to go to the pharmacy.” He says, “The communication about peptides and the discussion about peptides in the media has definitely outpaced the research.”
The growing interest in peptides also highlights broader issues in scientific research. “Ultimately, scientific journals are interested in publishing things that at least appear to be important,” says Milazzo. Because something like collagen peptide research is “still young,” the results are expected to be extreme, both positive and negative.
Compounds like BPC-157 are “more like experimental drugs than what you would consider a supplement,” Milazzo said. Peptides that increase growth hormone production, such as BPC-157 and ipamorelin, are maybe It works, but it comes with serious health risks. When it comes to peptides that affect growth hormone production, “I would professionally discourage people from doing that,” Milazzo says. “Because you have to be willing to risk your health to consume it.”
The ability to create peptides has outpaced the time needed to test them for safety and efficacy.
Dr. Layne Norton is a natural bodybuilder, IPF powerlifter, and avid debunker of weight room weight theory. Norton attributes the increased interest in peptides to advances in chemistry that have made it easier for researchers to synthesize “a wide range of compounds in large quantities.”
Technological advances in molecular modeling have allowed scientists to quickly determine which peptides are likely to have biological activity, making it easier and faster to create these compounds than ever before.
Norton is interested in peptides that could be used to treat disease and as potential anti-aging agents, he says. But “virtually all of them are over-exaggerated at this point.” While promising results are emerging in petri dishes (in vitro studies) and animal models, “human data is very limited at this point.” ”.
Norton is cautiously optimistic about the peptides’ true potential, but given that animal studies show that less than 50% of the results have an effect on humans, “these compounds are generally “It should be vigorously tested in human clinical trials before it can be marketed.”
Since these peptides are degraded by digestive enzymes, many peptides can become biologically inactive during the digestive process, but some measures can be taken to protect them during this process. there is. He’s also concerned about safety, as the space is currently the “Wild West.” Even if you decide to try one of these bioactive peptides, he says there’s no guarantee that the vial, tablet, or spray you buy online actually contains the ingredient. just “People should tread carefully before jumping on the bandwagon of untested or minimally tested compounds,” he says.
