Lets talk peptides and how to think about them!
There are over 100,000 peptides naturaly made in your bod! your diet, lifestyle, stress and other factors influence the production. Is it worth it to take them?
Shiny object syndrome is real. When anything good comes along several things happen: marketing hype, algorithms and influencers in cute little outfits making promises. Always been skeptical of groupthink. Before your squirrel brain checks out, this is NOT a hit piece on the alternative and peptides. Slap yourself.
I’ve been fringe before fringe was cool, not bragging, just observant, and many of us feel this way. Stepping back from the crowd can be a good thing.
Let me explain: In the late ’80s and 90’s I started getting regular weekly chiropractic, was told “That don’t work, be careful, they’re quacks” I was sometimes teased for doing martial arts like Judo and kickboxing “That won’t help you in a fight!” I heard breakthrough statements like: “Aerobics are better than lifting weights. It’ll turn to fat!” I only knew less than a handful of girls that lifted alongside my friends and I. Some shared how they were ridiculed. In 1986 we even had a girl want to wrestle on our team. “That will never happen” Oh it continued, the establishment hated Beary Sears, Adkins, “Art and Science Of Low Carb Living” “That low carb stuff is a Fad… and dangerous!” Oh, my Fav “Eggs are bad…No! wait, eggs are good…NO! It’s the egg yolks that are bad.. eat egg whites! Fat will kill you!” Now research says: “Eating egg whites only is STUPID without the yolk, you need them both!” I never stopped eating the whole damn thing and sometimes raw… Rocky did it!
I even remember in the Marines doing my morning routine of pushups, stretching, and core ten days into sweaty nasty field ops. “Dude, why you so motivated?”
Fast forward 30 years, we have weightlifting females who have not compromised their health by lifting heavy things. Duh. Lo and behold muscle doesn’t turn into fat when you age, lifting weights makes you live longer and martial arts is not a joke, Have you heard of MMA?
I flipped off the food guide pyramid decades ago. There’s a crazy rush towards chiropractic, massage, on and on. Unfortunately, most of my male peers are too fat now to tie their shoes and their testosterone level is as low as the pants of a teenager and they have to pop pills like M&M’s to function.
With trust in institutions and the establishment rightfully gaining the skepticism it deserves, we have to learn to identify the pattern of the mass market and shiny object syndrome.
What Exactly Are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that function as signaling molecules in the body. They can tell your body to do all sorts of things, like produce more growth hormones, heal tissues, or regulate metabolism. What they don’t do is act as some miracle shortcut that replaces hard work, proper nutrition, and good sleep. If you’re hoping peptides will save you from your Netflix-and-pizza lifestyle, sorry to disappoint. It’s estimated that there are nearly 100,000 peptides in the human body broken down into different categories.
Breakdown of Peptides in the Human Body:
Naturally Occurring Peptides:
Hormonal Peptides (e.g., insulin, oxytocin, glucagon)
Neuropeptides (e.g., endorphins, substance P)
Antimicrobial Peptides (e.g., defensins, cathelicidins)
Growth Factors (e.g., IGF-1, EGF)
Signaling Peptides (e.g., thymosin beta-4, vasoactive intestinal peptide)
Bioactive Peptides:
Small protein fragments with functions such as wound healing, immune modulation, and metabolism regulation.
Synthetic and Therapeutic Peptides:
Over 60 peptide-based drugs are currently approved by the FDA, including BPC-157, TB-500, and GLP-1 agonists.
Why Is the Number So Large?
Peptides are fragments of proteins, which means that every protein in the body can be broken into multiple functional peptides.
Advances in proteomics and mass spectrometry have revealed many unknown peptide sequences.
Medicine and wellness are about tradeoffs, not clear-cut right and wrong. This concept had been a mental barricade that I’d been dealing with for years. Sometimes I love a drink, but I have to picture the hormonal and downstream effects of the short dopamine and serotonin effect compounded by age. When thinking of your lifestyle, think about a game of chess. If you cheat and eat a donut, don’t beat yourself up. You wouldn’t total your car cause of a scratch, right? But we also don’t say “screw it I’ll have 6 dozen!” We have to think of tradeoffs!
Five Well-Known Peptides Used in Medicine (And Why Dosing Matters)
Insulin – The poster child of peptides. Too little? Diabetes complications. Too much? You might pass out and meet the floor faster than you expected.
Glucagon – Works opposite of insulin, used in hypoglycemia. Again, dose it wrong, and you’ll be riding a blood sugar roller coaster.
Oxytocin – The love/bonding hormone used medically for labor induction. Too much? Uterine rupture. Too little? Labor complications.
Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides (GHRPs) – Used for growth deficiencies. Overdo it, and you’re looking at insulin resistance or worse.
Calcitonin – Used for bone disorders like osteoporosis. Get it wrong, and your calcium levels will be all over the place.
The takeaway? Dose matters. You wouldn’t chug an entire bottle of ibuprofen (I hope), so why treat peptides any differently?
The Right Mindset: Trade-Offs, Not Just "Good or Bad"
Every substance that affects the body operates on a balance. Even water, essential for survival, can kill you if you drink too much (water intoxication). Need an example? Here you go:
Salt – Too much? Hypertension and kidney damage. Too little? Muscle cramps, seizures.
Potassium – Excess? Heart arrhythmias. Deficiency? Weakness, paralysis.
Chloride – Imbalance messes up the acid-base balance, leading to metabolic issues.
Even exercise follows this rule. Too much? Rhabdomyolysis—a breakdown of muscle tissue that can send you straight to the ER with kidney failure. Too little? Welcome to a life of hypertension, metabolic dysfunction, mental decline, and muscle wasting. Studies show that both extremes are deadly—moderation wins.
Beware of Snake Oil Salesmen
Take a collective breath and remember this: Most people selling peptides don’t care about your health. They care about making money. Understanding what to take, how much, and how to use it properly is key. They won’t tell you and CAN’T. This is why some prefer pharmaceutical grade and to see medical professionals. You can go the research route too, but its on you. Peptides are a tool. And like any tool, you can prune a tree with a chainsaw… or accidentally cut off your own head.
BPC-157 & TB-500:
BPC-157 and TB-500 are the peptides that have people buzzing. Let’s go beyond the usual gym-bro anecdotes and get into what they actually are.
History and Sources
BPC-157 is derived from a gastric juice protein and has been researched for its healing properties.
TB-500 is a synthetic version of Thymosin Beta-4, a naturally occurring peptide linked to tissue regeneration.
Sourced internationally, these peptides exist in research labs, but the quality varies drastically. You might be injecting high-grade material… or something cooked up in a bathtub.
Uses
BPC-157 and Wound Healing – Study on soft tissue repair and angiogenesis.
TB-500 and BPC-157 – Shown to aid in muscle and ligament recovery.
BPC-157 and Gut Health – Helps with ulcer recovery and inflammation reduction.
But Wait—Who Shouldn’t Be Taking These?
Before you start poking yourself with peptides, consider this:
Cancer patients? Some peptides promote cell growth, which is not ideal for tumors.
Kidney disease? Peptides affect metabolic pathways that could worsen kidney function IF you have issues.
Metabolic disorders? Peptides interact with hormones—get it wrong, and you might trigger insulin resistance or other issues.
Side effects? Potentially include fluid retention, joint pain, fatigue, and imbalanced hormone levels.
And let’s be real—you can’t out-peptide a terrible lifestyle. If you’re drowning in alcohol, surviving on four hours of sleep, and eating garbage, peptides won’t save you.
Pharmaceutical vs. Research Grade Peptides: What’s the Difference?
Not all peptides are created equal. Pharmaceutical-grade peptides are rigorously tested and regulated. Research-grade peptides? Let’s just say you’re rolling the dice. Some are legit, but many are underdosed, contaminated, or outright fake. Do you really want to inject something whose purity is a mystery?
Conclusion: Balance is Everything
What I take?
1) NAD 2-3Xs a week stacked with B-Complex and Glutathione injections.
2) Bi-Ammino Complex and BPC 157 & TB-500 in cycles when needed.
3) And too many oral supps to mention.
About the author:
Alan H – Founder of X-Cellerate
Alan H is a former Marine Corps infantryman, retired Army nurse, and the founder of X-Cellerate, specializing in personal training, IV therapy, and pharmaceutical-grade injectable vitamins. With a focus on optimizing health and performance, he also provides select research peptides for educational purposes. Currently pursuing his Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner degree, Alan combines his medical background with fitness expertise to help clients achieve real, lasting results.
For inquiries, contact alan@x-cellerate.org or sign up for his mailing list for wellness insights.