Peptides: Miracle or Scam?

5 Important Takeaways

Peptides have recently become one of the biggest buzzwords in modern health and wellness – just a few weeks ago, a friend asked me my opinion on them (which I’ll share at the end of this article). They are being discussed for everything from weight loss and muscle recovery and beauty to healthy aging, metabolism and tissue repair. Social media has helped turn peptides into a booming consumer trend, while pharmaceutical researchers are investigating them as a potentially powerful class of medicines.

But there is an important distinction between peptides that have been rigorously studied and approved as medicines (i.e., GLP-1’s), and the many experimental peptides being promoted online.

As a practitioner, I’m keenly interested in developing science. When researching this topic, I thought about sports injuries I’ve had in the past, particularly ones that involve tendons, and I was tempted wonder how much shorter my recovery time would have been if I had received a peptide injection. At the same time, the hype has moved much faster than the evidence for many products, and it pays to be skeptical.

To handle the fire hose of information online about peptides, here are five things to understand about this rapidly developing and nuanced field of health and wellness:

1. What exactly are peptides?

At their simplest, peptides are short chains of amino acids — the same building blocks that make up proteins. In fact, peptides are found in foods, especially protein-rich foods like meat, dairy, and fish. But peptides are slightly different from protein in that they tend to act as signals for particular biological processes.

Our bodies naturally produce thousands of these signaling peptides. Some help regulate hormones, inflammation, metabolism, appetite, blood pressure and other processes. Because peptides can interact with specific receptors and biological pathways, scientists have become interested in using them as medicines. As I mentioned before, GLP-1’s are actually peptides – but they have been studied and regulated to the point that they are used in FDA-approved medications.

So when someone talks about “peptides,” they aren’t talking about one particular substance. They are talking about a very broad family of amino acids with very different properties, as well as levels of research and safety testing.

2. Why are people using peptides—and what research looks promising?

The interest comes from the possibility that particular peptides might create specific outcomes that are otherwise hard to achieve naturally – especially anti-aging or injury recovery benefits.

Some peptides have been investigated for their potential effects on metabolism, appetite, body composition, tissue repair, inflammation, injury recovery, hormones, gut health, and other aspects of human physiology. The success of peptide-based drugs such as GLP-1 receptor agonists has also demonstrated just how powerful this class of medicine can be when a peptide has been carefully developed, tested and regulated.

While biohacker bros have certainly led the momentum on the peptide industry (particularly with formulations like “BPC-157” and “TB-500”), there are many reasons why women turn to peptides, as well – particularly for the management of the physical changes that happen as part of perimenopause and menopause. Specific human growth hormone peptides can help to improve lean muscle mass and body composition (like “Ipamorelin”), and other peptides (like “GHK-CU”) help with skin health.

But what really strikes me when I deep-dove into this topic is the lack of large human research studies. Promising research is not the same thing as proven treatment. A result in a cell culture or animal study does not necessarily translate into a meaningful benefit—or acceptable safety—in humans. Even a small human study may not tell us enough about potential side effects, which are a real concern.

As one study says, “While peptide therapy may possess significant therapeutic and regenerative potential, it is critical that orthopedic and sports medicine providers understand the current lack of evidence to support the clinical use of these peptides. Importantly, information regarding the indications, dosing, frequency, and duration of treatment remains unknown. Despite the popularity of these peptides in mainstream media and among patients, significant research regarding the safety and efficacy of these therapeutic methods is required before definitive recommendations can be made to patients.”

To me this feels really different from the confidence and charisma of peptide marketing, including that of political leaders like RFK Jr., who have been moving to get peptides more easily accessible. They are promoted as “natural,” but the reality is that injecting an exogenous peptide into your body can have real side effects, and scientists aren’t sure yet wha the safe dosing actually is (or what population of people shouldn’t use them).

3. The gray market: where the hype gets ahead of the science

Because of this, perhaps the biggest concern is the growing “gray market” for peptides, promoted largely by social media. As one team of researchers commented, “Digital platforms amplify perceived legitimacy.”

I want to give you a peek behind the curtain: I get several pitches a day – every day – in my inbox, asking me to become an affiliate for various online health product distributors, and many of them are peptide companies. Of course, I am not following up on any of these, but this should give you an idea of how and why it suddenly seems like peptides are everywhere online. It is because influencers are being paid to market them.

With peptides, there’s a particular serious issue with “lab use” or “research use” products. Search online and you can find companies selling peptides directly to consumers, labeling products “research use only” while simultaneously marketing them in ways that clearly encourage personal therapeutic use. Obviously this seems disingenuous. Often, products are sold through websites, social media, wellness businesses and other channels outside the normal prescription-drug system… and this is very different from getting a prescription-grade peptide from a doctor, like a GLP-1.

The problem is that you may not know exactly what you are getting – the formulations are untested and unregulated. You may not even get the dose or the substance that the label claims. 

Of course, this has always been true for vitamins – supplements are not regulated by the FDA, and you have to do your best to choose supplement companies that use third-party testing. But with peptides, the concern is even higher, because people are purchasing substances that – hypothetically – should be pharmaceutical-grade and are often meant to treat disease. “Some of these peptides do claim to treat diseases, and people take them for particular medical purposes, so that blurs the line with dietary supplements,” as one article points out.

The situation is particularly concerning with injectable products because contamination or incorrect dosing can cause serious harm, and once something is injected, it’s a bit uncontrollable in the body. The FDA has emphasized that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and are not reviewed by the agency for safety, effectiveness and quality before they are marketed. This issue has been a problem with GLP-1’s for years, as well – it is one thing to get a prescription from your doctor, and it is another thing to buy it yourself from an online distributor.

And this is where consumers can easily become confused: a product being available for purchase does not mean that it has been proven safe or effective, no matter what the package (or influencer) says. 

4. If you are considering a peptide, talk to a doctor—not the internet

The safest approach is remarkably simple: don’t self-prescribe peptides purchased online.

Social media can be incredibly persuasive – and deceptive. Biohacking influencers can make it seem like you’re missing out on easy, miraculous results if you don’t jump in now. But don’t follow their affiliate link!

If you believe a peptide-based treatment might be appropriate for you (and I’m not dismissing it – it very well could be!), discuss it with a qualified healthcare professional instead. A doctor can determine whether there is an actual medical indication, review your medications and health history, explain the evidence, and help you understand the risks and alternatives. I feel exactly the same way (and give the same advice to clients) about GLP-1’s.

If a prescription medication is appropriate, get it from a real doctor and from a real pharmacy. The FDA specifically recommends that patients obtain prescriptions from their doctors and fill them through state-licensed pharmacies when dealing with prescription medications.

The bottom line is that “available online” is not the same as “safe,” and “research peptide” is not the same as “proven medicine.” Yes, peptides are exciting, but it is safe and smart to obtain them via traditional (and legitimate) medical pathways.

5. Peptides may be a new horizon—but they don’t replace healthy living

There is a good reason scientists, doctors and pharmaceutical companies are paying attention to peptides. They can interact with biological systems in highly specific ways, and the development of peptide medicines is advancing in fascinating directions. The future may be bright!

But excitement should not become exaggeration, and this was the answer I ultimately gave my friend.

A peptide cannot substitute for sleep, nutritious food, regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, avoiding tobacco, moderating alcohol and getting appropriate preventive medical care. Those fundamentals remain the foundation of good health, and they are absolutely irreplaceable.

They are also – often – free of cost, or at least somewhat affordable, which cannot be said of peptide therapies.

Besides, I think of peptides as a continued “pursuit of perfection” that tends to plague the wellness industry. I feel exactly the same way about micro-dosing GLP-1’s when you’re already at a healthy weight. How far away must we put the goalposts for what is considered normal and healthy, or even optimal?

The most useful way to think about peptides is neither as miracle drugs nor as something to dismiss. They are an interesting and rapidly developing area of medicine. But they should be thought of as the top of the pyramid, not as the base. They are the “cherry on top” of a healthy lifestyle.

So until the research around peptides evolves further, the good news is that in the meantime, “the basics” still work for addressing many of the concerns that peptides promise to treat, like improving:

• Immunity
• Body composition
• Lean muscle mass
• Biological age (i.e., reversing it)
• Pain symptoms
• Sleep

(I can’t speak to the aesthetic aspect of peptide use, but in this blog post I discuss collagen and what the research says.)

Have more questions about which strategies will be most helpful to you in your personal health journey? Feel free to fill out a questionnaire and set up a free 30-minute Zoom consultation with me! We will go over your health history and your goals one-on-one, and it’s a very effective way to get clarity on your strategies.

References

‘It’s a peptide wild west’: how RFK Jr is clearing way for a market of untested drugs

More Peptides Could Hit the Market Soon—Here’s What That Could Mean

Welcome to Needle Nation

Peptides: What they are, potential benefits, and safety concerns

What doctors want patients to know about injectable peptides

From GLP-1s to Insulin: What to Know About Peptides

Influencers are promoting peptides for better health. What does the science say?

Unregulated Peptide Use in the Age of Biohacking: Digital Promotion, Gray-Market Access, and Emerging Public Health Risks

Injectable Peptide Therapy: A Primer for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Physicians