Leverage the Intelligence of your Cells with Peptide Therapy
Curated By Dr. Leila Turner
Leverage the Intelligence of your Cells with Peptide Therapy
The hands of time are leaving their signs all over our faces, bodies and minds. Aging. Weight gain. Health problems. Memory loss. These are just a few of the long list of frustrating issues we face with no hope or help for relief. Yet time has also proven to be our friend, as years of medical research have led to a big advance in improving our health and quality of life!
What are peptides:
Peptides are naturally occurring biological molecules found in all cells. Insulin was the first commercially available peptide. Peptides are molecules that consist of between 2-50 amino acids. Our body uses peptides as signaling molecules to stimulate various chemical pathways in our body. They are tiny protein messengers that tell our cells to do their jobs more efficiently. Peptides naturally appear in every cell and tissue throughout our bodies. While they may be incredibly small, they can really make a big difference in how you look, feel and live.
Peptides generally fall into these categories:
- Peptides for anti-aging (telomere health), human growth hormone (HGH) production & overall wellness
- Peptides for cognitive function, mood support & stress relief
- Peptides for joint & tendon repair/regeneration
- Peptides for weight loss & fat burning
- Peptides for libido & sexual function
- Peptides for immunity support
- Peptides for skin & hair
From immunity and weight loss to anti-aging, athletic performance and cognitive function, peptides can help improve your health and quality of life in the following ways:
- strengthen the immune system
- burn fat
- look younger
- lose weight
- build muscle
- increase energy
- enhance cognitive function
- improve skin
- stimulate hair growth
- reduce inflammation
- brighten mood
- sharpen memory
- ease sleep
- recover from injury
- improve athletic performance
- heighten libido
Peptides have a wide range of healing abilities based on their specific amino acids. They act as mighty messengers, sending signals to cells and tissues to perform a full spectrum of essential biological functions. Since different peptides affect different cells and functions, they can be specially combined and customized to improve your health and well-being.
This is known as peptide therapy and it’s well worth getting to understand so you can look and feel your very best. Human growth hormone (HGH) is vital for many systems throughout your body. Unfortunately, HGH levels begin to decline after age 30, and only go down from there. This decrease causes your energy, youthful beauty and fitness levels to plummet along with it, which makes you look and feel your age. Fortunately, you can replenish your body’s youthful levels of human growth hormones with a form of peptides known as secretagogues.
***Given there are multiple peptides with overlapping functions – discuss with your Living Wellness Physician which peptides specifically would be best for your situation, condition and goals. ***
How are Peptides administered?
Some peptides are applied as a cream, and some are inhaled as a nasal spray but most peptides are taken by injecting them under the skin, next to the abdomen, with a small insulin needle.
How quickly do peptides work?
This is primarily determined by the specific peptide being given and the dosing. Some peptides can work within 45 minutes while others require a 3-month program. When you start peptide therapy, you may notice results within a matter of weeks. That said, it can take anywhere from 3-6 months before you begin to notice the full benefits of your treatments.
How long do I need to be on Peptides?
The length you are on peptides is primarily determined by the goal of your treatment and can vary based on your condition. Some patients stay on peptides for a 2-week period, while others may stay on them for longer than 3-months.
What are the risks and potential side effects of peptide therapy?
Risks with peptide therapy are significantly smaller when compared to risks and side effects of traditional medications.
The reason for this is that Peptides have short half-lives and predictable metabolisms. Compared to traditional medications that have drug-drug Interactions, metabolism issues, and can lack specificity which leads to side effects, etc. Because peptides are signaling molecules that are designed to target very specific pathways, they do not have any major side effects. Mild side effects can include nausea, flushing and a slight discomfort at the injection site for a few minutes.
What happens when I stop taking Peptides?
Stopping peptide therapy is completely safe since peptides are signaling molecules that stimulate specific chemical pathways. If the treatment goal has been accomplished, such as in tissue repair, then you will not need to be on peptide therapy after that. If the treatment goal was a longer-term goal such as weight loss, then you will not regain the weight, assuming you continue following the rest of the treatment plan. Peptides are meant to be used to boost your body’s signaling and help you achieve the goal quicker.
Do I need to change my normal routine in any way?
There isn’t any need to alter your daily routine when proceeding with peptide therapy. Yet you may choose to enhance their many benefits by maintaining a healthy diet, staying active, getting plenty of sleep and reducing stress. Your Living Wellness Physician will work with you to help you make these lifestyle changes and support your healthy goals.
How can I get started with peptide therapy?
With peptide therapy, you can reverse signs of aging, keep extra weight off, manage chronic health conditions, and much more. If you think that peptide therapy could be a good option for you, schedule an appointment with your Living Wellness Physician. Since it can take time for the peptides to work, they are offered as a monthly membership which includes the monthly supply of the peptides as well as a short visit with your Living Wellness Physician.
Where can I get peptides?
There are only 5 pharmacies in the United States that are regulated to compound peptides. Seeing a doctor who has access to these pharmacies is the best place to get them.
Where is research being conducted on peptides?
- Despite not utilizing peptides clinically, the United States leads the world in the research of peptides.
- Many other countries such as Australia, Japan, and Croatia contribute to the medical research of peptides and have been successfully using peptide therapy to treat various conditions for years.
Cognitive Repair Peptides
DiHexa
DiHexa is a small peptide that can help enhance many aspects of cognitive performance. It works by repairing the damage that prevents neurons in the brain from transmitting messages to other neurons and cells, which can lead to memory loss, lack of focus and diminished cognitive skills.
Benefits of DiHexa
- Improves cognitive function and memory
- Increases mental stamina
- Enriches learning and problem-solving skills
- Enhances both long- and short-term memory
- Protects the nervous system from oxidative damage
- Enhances cognitive performance
- Increases mental focus
- Manages depression
- Helps combat dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
SeMAX
SeMAX is a peptide that enhances overall cognition by improving your memory and your mood. It works by increasing levels of proteins in the brain that promote brain health and strengthen brain cells for better cognitive performance. It boosts your mood and helps you relax by increasing levels of “feel good” chemicals in your brain known as dopamine and serotonin.
Benefits of SeMAX
- Helps improve memory
- Protects the nervous system from oxidative damage
- Enhances cognitive performance
- Improves mental focus and learning ability
- Boosts mood
- Increases relaxation
SeLANK
SeLANK is commonly referred to as the “anti-anxiety” peptide. SeLANK is a nasal spray that works by stabilizing the peptides in your body that counteract the natural stress response. While its decreasing anxiety, it’s also increasing neurological compounds involved with learning and memory, as well as influencing the “feel-good” chemicals of dopamine and serotonin in your brain to boost your mental focus and mood.
Benefits of SeLANK
- Enhances memory and concentration
- Regulates brain systems
- Increases mental energy
- Decreases anxiety and stress levels
- Supports cognitive health
- Protects the brain from stress
- Helps counteract the cognitive signs of aging
- Boosts mood
- Strengthens feelings of happiness and gratitude
- Improves sensory awareness
- Strengthens immune function
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is commonly referred to as the “feel-good” peptide.
Benefits of Oxytocin
- Enhances memory and concentration
- Regulates brain systems
- Decreases anxiety and stress levels
- Supports cognitive health
- Protects the brain from stress
Weight Loss and Metabolic Repair Peptides
Semaglutide
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) analog approved in 2017 as a treatment method for improving glycemic control in patients with Type-2 diabetes. Semaglutide shows great promise for patients who are having a difficulty losing weight. Studies have demonstrated that Semaglutide reduced appetite and cravings in addition to improved glycemic control. The greatest weight loss benefits were observed when Semaglutide was used in conjunction with lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and consistent exercise. This is a weekly injection done at home by the patient.
Benefits of Semaglutide
- Weight loss (20-60lbs over 6 months is common)
- Lowers HbA1c levels
- Delays gastric emptying and decreasing appetite
- Improves fertility
- Neuroprotective
- Decreases body fat percentages
AOD 9604
Widely considered a weight loss phenomenon, AOD 9604 is actually a fragment of human growth hormone (HGH). The peptide’s natural ability to stimulate the pituitary gland helps to stimulate your metabolism, which boosts your fat loss and calorie burn, while also decreasing the growth of additional fat from surrounding fat cells. AOD-9604 also possesses regenerative properties and has been shown to help with osteoarthritis, bone, and cartilage repair.
Benefits of AOD 9604
- Stimulates fat burning
- Speeds metabolism for better fat-burning
- Decreases the number of fat cells
- Mimics growth hormones regulation of metabolism
Sermorelin /CJC -1295/Ipamorelin
CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin prove that two is better than one for restoring your youthful vitality. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Ipamorelin is that it mimics the natural human growth hormone (HGH) pulses of the body. When CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin are carefully combined, your body is able to produce a stronger and steadier release of HGH to provide twice the anti-aging, fitness and weight loss benefits. Ipamorelin is widely known for being able to suppress somatostatin or Growth Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (GHIH).
Benefits of CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin
- Enhances growth hormone levels
- Improves fat loss and weight loss
- Increases lean muscle mass
- Accelerates healing and recovery
- Strengthens the cardiovascular system
- Boosts immune system
- Enhances energy level stamina
- Increases bone density
- Improves skin firmness and moisture retention
- Enhances sleep quality
- Regenerates nerve tissue
- Improves cognitive function
Tissue Repair and Regeneration Peptides
BPC-157
BPC-157 is intended to be used for the promotion of repairing damaged tendons and/or ligaments and muscle recovery.
Patients who suffer from discomfort due to muscle sprains, tears, and damage may benefit from treatment with this peptide. BPC-157 is a protein often referred to as a “body protection compound” because it’s derived from a protein in the stomach that protects and heals your gut. BPC-157 is a super-concentrated form of that potent protein and it embodies all of its protective power. As a result, it helps to rapidly speed up the healing of many different tissues, including your muscles, tendons, ligaments, gut and brain.
Benefits of BPC 157
- Protects active individuals from injuries
- Accelerates the healing of wounds
- Relieves arthritis discomfort
- Stimulates tissue healing and lean tissue repair
- Heals muscle tears and ligament damage
- Regenerates muscle and ligament tissue
- Helps to reduce pain in damaged areas
- Protects digestive function (oral)
- Counters the damaging effects of NSAID’s on the lining of the gut (oral)
- Increases growth hormone receptors
Thymosin Beta-4 (TB4, aka TB-500) / Thymulin
Thymosin Beta 4 is a peptide that promotes healing throughout the entire body. TB4 has been shown to aid in protection, regeneration, and remodeling of injured or damaged tissues. It is one of the first molecules to be increased following an injury. TB4 is most often prescribed for acute injury. One of its main strengths is the way it regulates a cell-building protein that contributes to tissue repair. As a result, Thymosin Beta 4 plays an important role in protecting, repairing and regenerating damaged tissue. This peptide is also a very potent anti-inflammatory agent.
Benefits of Thymosin Beta 4/ Thymulin
- Repairs tissue damage
- Improves wound/cellular healing
- Improves the function of immune cells (T cells)
- Up-regulates Actin (regeneration)
- Improves cell migration to the cite of the injury
- Soft tissue repair – tendon, ligament, muscle sports, and athletic injuries
- Reduces scar tissue
- May improve hair regrowth
- Significant repair and regenerative properties
- Enlarged muscle growth, muscle tone, and muscular stamina
Pentosan Polysulfate
This is mainly used for osteoarthritis and inflammatory related skeletal conditions (RA, AS, Spondyloarthropathies, Polyarthralgia) . The mechanism of action is multifactorial with both stimulation of cartilage matrix synthesis and the prevention of cartilage breakdown.
Benefit of Pentosan Polysulfate has been shown to:
- Reduces inflammation
- Anti-thrombotic properties
- Helps with osteoarthritis/ RA
- Stimulates cartilage matrix synthesis and prevention of cartilage breakdown
Immune Modulating Peptides
Thymulin
Thymulin is a thymic hormone produced by thymic epithelial cells (TEC) known to induce intra- and extrathymic T cell maturation. Thymulin was isolated, sequenced, and characterized some 20 years ago and later identified as a thymic hormone involved in immunomodulation. It has demonstrated that the neuro-endocrine system strongly influences the production and secretion of Thymulin. Thymulin is an essential hormone for T lymphocyte differentiation and the normalization of T-helper cells to suppressor cells. The biological activity of Thymulin is dependent on interaction with zinc (Zn2+).
Benefits of Thymulin
- Immune strengthening
- Immune modulator
- Normalization of T-helper cells
- Anti-inflammatory
- Downregulates the release of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines
- Upregulates anti-inflammatory factors, such as interleukin (IL)-10
Thymosin Beta-4 (TB4)
TB4 has been shown to aid in protection, regeneration, and remodeling of injured or damaged tissues. It is one of the first molecules to be increased following an injury. Thymosin Beta 4 is a peptide that promotes healing throughout the entire body. One of its main strengths is the way it regulates a cell-building protein that contributes to tissue repair. As a result, Thymosin Beta 4 plays an important role in protecting, repairing and regenerating damaged tissue.
Thymosin Beta-4 is a protein which consists of 43 amino acids. TB-500 is a synthetic fraction of the protein thymosin beta-4. The main purpose of this peptide is to promote healing. The healing effects of TB-500 have been observed in tendons, ligaments, muscle, skin, heart, and eyes. Thymosin beta-4 is naturally produced in higher concentration where tissue has been damaged. This peptide is also a very potent anti-inflammatory agent.
Benefits of Thymosin Beta 4
- repairs tissue damage
- improves wound healing for the skin, brain, heart, and spinal cord
- Improves the function of immune cells, known as T cells
- Up-regulates Actin and forms a ternary complex with actin and profilin.
- Increased cells in healing.
- Improves cell migration to the site of the injury
- Soft tissue repair – tendon, ligament, muscle sports, and athletic injuries.
- Reduces scar tissue.
- May improve hair regrowth.
- Improves the mortality rate.
- Significant repair and regenerative properties.
- Enlarged muscle growth, muscle tone, and muscular stamina.
SeLANK
SeLANK is commonly referred to as the “anti-anxiety” peptide. SeLANK is a nasal spray that works by stabilizing the peptides in your body that counteract the natural stress response. While its decreasing anxiety, it’s also increasing neurological compounds involved with learning and memory, as well as influencing the “feel-good” chemicals of dopamine and serotonin in your brain to boost your mental focus and mood.
Benefits of SeLANK
- enhances memory and
- concentration
- regulates brain systems
- increases mental energy
- decreases anxiety and stress levels
- supports cognitive health
- protects the brain from stress
- helps counteract the cognitive signs of aging
- boosts mood
- strengthens feelings of happiness and gratitude
- improves sensory awareness
- strengthens immune function
Sexual Dysfunction Peptides
PT-141
Studies have shown that PT -141 can be used to treat sexual dysfunction in both men and women as it can significantly increase libido.
Sleep Peptides
DSIP
DSIP is a well-known neuromodulator found in the brain.
It is mainly prescribed for the treatment of pain condition, alcohol and opioid withdrawal, stress related symptoms, and low testosterone (via stimulation of LH). Recent studies have shown it help aid in sleep as well.
Hair and Skin Peptides
Thymosin Beta-4 (TB4, aka TB-500)
Thymosin Beta 4 is a peptide that promotes healing throughout the entire body. TB4 has been shown to aid in protection, regeneration, and remodeling of injured or damaged tissues. It is one of the first molecules to be increased following an injury. TB4 is most often prescribed for acute injury and surgical repair. It has most recently been shown to help regrow hair when combined with PRP Therapy.
One of its main strengths is the way it regulates a cell-building protein that contributes to tissue repair. As a result, Thymosin Beta 4 plays an important role in protecting, repairing and regenerating damaged tissue. This peptide is also a very potent anti-inflammatory agent.
Benefits of Thymosin Beta 4
- repairs tissue damage
- improves wound healing for the skin, brain, heart and spinal cord
- Improves the function of immune cells, known as T cells
- Up-regulates Actin and forms a ternary complex with actin and profilin.
- Increased cells in healing.
- Improves cell migration to the cite of the injury
- Soft tissue repair – tendon, ligament, muscle sports, and athletic injuries.
- Reduces scar tissue.
- May improve hair regrowth.
- Improves the mortality rate.
- Significant repair and regenerative properties.
- Enlarged muscle growth, muscle tone, and muscular stamina.
Anti-Aging Peptides
Sermorelin /CJC -1295/Ipamorelin
CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin prove that two is better than one for restoring your youthful vitality. One of the most remarkable characteristics of Ipamorelin is that it mimics the natural human growth hormone (HGH) pulses of the body. When CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin are carefully combined, your body is able to produce a stronger and steadier release of HGH to provide twice the anti-aging, fitness and weight loss benefits. Ipamorelin is widely known for being able to suppress somatostatin or Growth Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (GHIH).
Benefits of CJC 1295 + Ipamorelin
- Enhances growth hormone levels
- Improves fat loss and weight loss
- Increases lean muscle mass
- Accelerates healing and recovery
- Strengthens the cardiovascular system
- Boosts immune system
- Enhances energy level stamina
- Increases bone density
- Improves skin firmness and moisture retention
- Enhances sleep quality
- Regenerates nerve tissue
- Improves cognitive function
AOD 9604
Widely considered a weight loss phenomenon, AOD 9604 is actually a fragment of human growth hormone (HGH). The peptide’s natural ability to stimulate the pituitary gland helps to stimulate your metabolism, which boosts your fat loss and calorie burn, while also decreasing the growth of additional fat from surrounding fat cells. AOD-9604 also possesses regenerative properties and has been shown to help with osteoarthritis, bone, and cartilage repair.
Benefits of AOD 9604
- Stimulates fat burning
- Speeds metabolism for better fat-burning
- Decreases the number of fat cells
- Mimics growth hormones regulation of metabolism
Epithalon
Ephitalon is a well-known to help increase the length of our aging and shortening telomeres – aka our gene length. Epithalon (Epitalon) is a synthetic derivative of Epithalamin and a potential modulator of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains and protects the telomere caps at the ends of chromosomes (strands of DNA). Research suggests that Epithalon induces telomere elongation and may fight off the effects of aging as a result.
Sermorelin
Sermorelin is a highly effective peptide known for its ability to naturally stimulate the release of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) from the hypothalamus. This stimulation leads to the increased production and release of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary gland. Sermorelin is designed to optimize growth hormone levels in the body, thereby enhancing physical performance, body composition, and overall vitality.
Benefits of Sermorelin
- Increased Muscle Mass: Sermorelin significantly contributes to the development of muscle mass, aiding in the building of a stronger, more muscular physique.
- Improved Fat Loss: By optimizing growth hormone levels, Sermorelin assists in more efficient fat burning, supporting weight loss and improved body composition.
- Enhanced Recovery and Healing: The peptide accelerates the body’s natural healing processes, making it beneficial for recovery from injuries and intense physical activities.
- Boosted Immune Function: Regular use of Sermorelin can lead to an enhanced immune system, providing better resistance against illnesses.
- Increased Bone Density: It plays a crucial role in improving bone density, which is essential for overall skeletal health and preventing bone-related diseases.
- Elevated Energy Levels: Users often experience a noticeable increase in energy levels, contributing to greater stamina and endurance.
Here is a list of the peptides I’ve been using with great results with my patients. Stay tuned for a more in-depth explanation of these peptides. Next week I’ll dive into the anti-aging peptides!