Peptide therapy is popular, thanks in part to the Trump administration’s more liberal policy on these treatments. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
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There is one peptide madness in America. Believed by some to aid in healing, recovery and reducing inflammation, proponents go so far as to suggest that the peptides can increase longevity. Millions of Americans are currently injects unapproved chemicals such as the peptides promoted by a host of wellness influencers and celebrity podcasters. They turn to these people for a lot of information about their health and even for treatment, often in the form of unproven treatments.
This reflects a larger and perhaps insidious problem in the United States, where there has been an erosion of trust in public health, doctors, and the medical profession as a whole.
About half of Americans under 50 get their health information from wellness influencers. Here, it seems that a libertarian-inspired approach to health care has taken hold. The do-your-own-research crowd suggests people gather information about treatments, often promoted and used by influencers, to inform choices about which (alternative) treatments to pursue and by whom. From the antiparasitic ivermectin to psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) to peptides, people are self-medicating a variety of health conditions without professional clinical guidance.
Globally, the wellness industry is lucrative, as it is worth trillions of dollars and increases significantly. But the risks Taking the wrong substance, dose or combination of products is real.
Moreover, it is evident that a Pew Research Center Analysis of thousands of large wellness accounts found that only about 40% have a formal medical professional background. The majority are business owners and so-called life coaches. Relying on these sources for health advice and products may not be in the best interest of consumer welfare.
Peptide fashion
Pushed by influencers and advocates of the Make America Healthy Again movement, the peptides promise to heal injuries, build muscle and improve sex drive, among other things. But most peptides have limited clinical evidence to support their health benefits or prove their safety.
Journalist Sarah Talpos wrote a brilliant exposure to peptides in uncovered, revealing interesting aspects of peptide-based therapies, including their history and applications. Peptides are short and simple chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins. In the body, they often serve as an intercellular communication system. Some peptides have been approved for marketing by regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration and are routinely taken as drugs by tens of millions of people annually. Examples include insulin for diabetics, as well as GLP-1s such as Ozempic and Wegovy that can be used for weight loss. Others, like BPC-157, have been embraced by wellness influencers and popular podcasters like Joe Rogan as a treatment for patients seeking relief from ailments that may not be well treated with conventional medical treatment.
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide derived from gastric fluid. Touted by influencers for its ability to accelerate tissue healing and gut repair. But human data are currently limited to several small studies. And there are concerns about possible negative effects of angiogenesis associated with the peptides. This is the process by which new blood vessels form from pre-existing ones and is essential for normal cell growth and wound healing. However, it also plays a role in cancer where it supplies tumors with the oxygen and nutrients they need to grow and spread.
Americans are self-administered unapproved peptides like BPC-157 based on what they see on forums like e.g. Redditand generally not on the advice of their doctors.
MedPage Today was mentioned this week at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association, delegates urged the FDA to do a better job of regulating unapproved peptides. The group recommends that unapproved synthetic peptide products, currently obtained from mostly unregulated sources on the “gray market,” undergo rigorous regulatory review and clinical testing before marketing through the appropriate channels.
Traditionally, the FDA has strongly warned against the use of unapproved peptides due to a lack of human clinical trial data, the risks of allergic reactions, and unknown manufacturing impurities, particularly when combined.
But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to loosen restrictions on experimental medical treatments, including unapproved peptides. And as a top federal government official whose allies include many wellness people, it seems Kennedy is taking the role of unconventional influencer to the next level.
