When I talk to people about peptides, most people think of the rather pricey containers of collagen peptides for sale at Costco that are supposed to be good for our skin elasticity. Edible collagen peptides are only one of 7000 peptides that the human body naturally produces. As you can imagine, with this many peptides, they are used in a wide variety of the body's systems, probably ALL of them.
Peptides function in our bodies as antioxidants, help us to maintain normal blood pressure levels, support our body’s immune system and contribute to immune cell production. They also reduce inflammation and signs of the aging process. During aging, our levels of peptides decline, leading to loss of function, chronic pain and disease. Bone density, brain function, skeletal muscle, blood sugar levels, skin health, osteoarthritis and almost anything else you can think of are modulated by peptides. We tend to fall apart as they decline over time.
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Because they are produced naturally in our bodies, peptides appear to have fewer negative side effects than traditional pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmaceutical companies now have over 100 new drugs on the market based on various peptides. One such drug is Ozempic, wildly popular now for people wanting to lose weight and control their blood sugar levels. Other peptide-based drugs now available are Forteo for osteoporosis, Fuzeon for HIV, Firmagon for prostate cancer, Mepact for bone cancer, Zoladex for breast cancer and Copaxone for multiple sclerosis. Many more are in the development phase by big pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Novartis.
So, what are peptides exactly? Peptides are short chains of amino acids; between 2-50 amino acids long. Peptides act as structural components of cells and tissues, hormones, antibiotics and enzymes. Examples of peptides include oxytocin, glutathione and insulin. The really tiny peptide chains of 2-4 amino acids are called “bioregulators” and they are so small they are able to penetrate a cell and affect our genome.
The bioregulator class of peptides was the main work of a Russian scientist, Vladimir Khavinson, who died this past January 2024. He is known for the discovery and clinical studies of new classes of peptide bioregulators. His main focus was studying the geroprotective, (anti-aging), possibilities of bioregulators. The Russian military tasked him with helping their astronauts and nuclear submarine personnel who were returning from missions very prematurely aged…. partly due to radiation exposure.
His 40-year-long investigation resulted in dozens of applications for peptide bioregulators to slow down the process of aging and increase healthy human lifespan, (healthspan). Six peptide-based pharmaceuticals and 64 peptide supplements were put into clinical practice by Khavinson, many based on desiccated organ meats from animal brains, livers and kidneys etc.
Pharmaceutical companies are producing peptide-based prescription drugs for cancer, heart disease and HIV, etc. but I am interested in AVOIDING those diseases in the first place! I want to age without pain and disease and I believe I can achieve that goal with the help of peptides, (in addition to all the other things I do with diet, exercise and sleep….).
Obtaining peptides and figuring out how to use them is the difficult part for most people. Peptides come in small glass vials and need to be mixed with bacteriostatic water and injected with an insulin needle subdermally. Getting the dose and the mix right can be intimidating for people and other people just hate needles. Peptides are available in pill form but by most accounts, subdermal injections are more effective. Going through a doctor would be the best way if you can find a good anti-aging physician. By going this route you will soon be able to obtain peptides in an insulin pen format which would make life much easier.
If you live in the US, unfortunately, the FDA just banned 17 of the best anti-aging peptides for preventative use. So even if you manage to find a peptide-trained doctor in the US, he can’t prescribe these peptides now anyway. The real reason behind the ban is a profit motive. If the general public catches on to peptides it will bankrupt big pharmaceutical companies. Sick old folks are what made them rich and as the population ages, peptides are a big threat to their profits. They would also like to buy more time to make patented drugs using peptides because they are so effective. Big pharma is making record profits with semaglutide (Ozempic) and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro).
The recently banned peptides now include the most popular ones for off-label use by biohackers and body builders: AOD 9604 (fat loss), BPC 157 (pain, heart health, brain health, gut health), CJC 1295 (muscle, fat loss, sleep), DIHEXA (Parkinsons & Alzheimers), DSIP (sleep), Epitalon (telomere length, sleep), GHK-cu (skin elasticity, gut health), Ipamorelin (fat loss, muscle gain), KPV (inflammation and wound healing), LL-37 (to combat bacteria and fungi), MOTS-C (mitochondrial health), Selank & Semax (brain health), Thymosin Beta 4 (healing and inflammation) and Thymosin Alpha 1(thymus & immune system).
In the United States, some of these peptides will still be available in pill form but subcutaneous injection is more effective. Here in Mexico compounding pharmacies will still be allowed to produce peptides, so fortunately we will have peptides available here in the Baja through several anti-aging doctors and stem cell clinics at affordable prices.
If you are considering peptides or other “biologics” such as stem cells and exosomes, consider yourself lucky to live in the Baja. I have been using one of the banned peptides, BPC 157, as an injectable to get rid of the chronic foot pain. BPC 157 is a naturally occurring peptide found in the lining of our gut. The BPC stands for “Body Protection Complex”.
Like many peptides, BPC 157 has more than one benefit. Aside from helping me heal the foot pain, it is helping me sleep better and improve my gut health. It also helps my body produce more growth hormone to assist me in building skeletal muscle which is crucial to the healthy aging process. BPC 157 also produces collagen for my skin and joint health. BPC 157 is believed to be angiogenic, meaning that it builds new blood vessels. Blood flow is the key to anti-aging and avoiding heart and brain disease.
Please remember that peptides and biologics are not magic bullets. Like every other anti-aging biohack available, you need to cover the basics: Sleep, Exercise and Nutrition. Putting peptides in an unhealthy organism will yield poor results.
Stay tuned for more articles on peptides and biologics like stem cells in the coming issues. If you have any questions, please contact me at +526242119435 or send an email to robynlittlewood@yahoo.com
