Losing Weight With the Power of Peptides

You may have heard of peptides for skin care, but emerging studies show that peptides for weight loss can be a powerful tool in a healthy lifestyle. Peptides are a naturally occurring chemical in the body, making them an ideal option for those hesitant about other weight loss supplements that rely on artificial substances.

 

Peptides can have many benefits for the body, serving multiple functions. We’ll walk through a guide to peptides, where they come from, and how to use them so you can feel confident in your choices.

 

Furthermore, we won’t shy away from some potential drawbacks of peptides. We’ve put together a complete look at how peptides interact with the body for weight loss, answering any questions you may have.

 

So, let’s unravel the powers of peptides for weight loss.

What Are Peptides?

To begin, you should understand what a peptide is. This basic knowledge will help when we get into details of how peptides help for weight loss.

 

Peptides are a small segment of connected amino acids. They’re a fundamental part of the body’s ability to create proteins. Protein is a complex compound of multiple sections, and you could think of it like a cargo train.

 

Amino acids would be the items filling each train car, the peptides. When peptides link together, they form polypeptides. Then multiple polypeptides create a protein. So, numerous cars linked together produce an entire cargo train, while each train car is still a piece, full of smaller items.

 

Now, it’s good to know that proteins require a large number of polypeptides, so each peptide doesn’t carry as many amino acids as protein. Still, peptides can have their benefits.

 

So far, we know that peptides can impact skin, muscles, inflammation, and weight loss. The small amounts of a peptide can replicate the functions of some proteins in slighter degrees.

 

Some new research suggests peptides can help lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, and provide antioxidants and immune support.

 

Because peptides are simpler than proteins, the body has an easier time absorbing them and does so quickly. Some popular peptides for anti-aging can be collagen and creatine for muscles.

 

These peptides naturally occur in the body and can come from food sources. Peptides have specializations in their function, so understanding which peptide for weight loss you need is critical. Not every peptide can be interchangeable.

Are Peptides Vegan?

Now, with all this talk of proteins and food sources for peptides, you may wonder if they’re vegan.

Peptides can come from multiple sources, ranging from food to being lab-made. Some popular food sources of peptides include milk, eggs, meat, fish, beans, lentils, hemp seed, wheat, flaxseed, oats, soy, and shellfish.

Of course, only a few of those sources are vegan. When trying to keep your peptides for weight loss vegan, it’s crucial to look up companies and double-check sources.

It’s also good to know that some peptides are more commonly from animals than others. For instance, collagen peptides are usually from animal products and fish.

But it’s not the only source of peptides. Scientists are working hard to find ways to create peptides in the lab, and they are getting closer to creating peptides that aren’t usually easy to source.

Whether peptides are from the lab or non-animal sources, they can be vegan. Ensure that you research the company you buy peptides from, and you should be fine.

Are Peptides Legal?

Peptides 101 What Are Peptides? Peptides are smaller versions of proteins. They are made up of short chains of amino acids, usually somewhere between 2 and 40. Peptides can sometimes be confused with proteins. While both of them are made up of amino acids and naturally found in the body, peptides contain far fewer amino acids. Furthermore, peptides are much easier for the body to consume than proteins, mainly because they are smaller and are easier to break down. This enables them to quickly penetrate the skin and intestines, entering the bloodstream more easily. At the time of writing, human consumption of peptides is banned and should only be used for research purposes. Still, as multiple animal studies have shown, peptides hold immense therapeutic potential due to their beneficial effects on the body.

Peptides have complicated legality, partially because they are still in a research phase and because they are biochemical creations. We still don’t know everything about peptides, so the FDA tends to use caution in these situations.

It is only in recent years that the FDA began to consider peptides a biological product, making them illegal in consumer products. Technically, peptides should only be through prescription.

However, you may still find some peptides that are part of commercial supplements. These market themselves as products meant for research or not for human consumption to bypass FDA laws.man taking peptides

Additionally, FDA regulations are less restrictive for supplement products or cosmetics. It’s not necessarily a sign that the product is dangerous, but it does lack some approval.

If this seems concerning, consider speaking with your doctor about peptides and how you can include them in your daily routine. They will give you the most up-to-date information and guidance. Plus, if you qualify for any peptides, you can get legal prescriptions through your doctor.

Furthermore, for professional athletes, it’s essential to know that many peptides are not allowed in sports. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency, these supplements provide too much muscle enhancement for athletes to use in competitive activities.

So, if you find peptide products, you should closely examine their credentials. It doesn’t mean that peptides for weight loss are totally out of your grasp, as there are proper channels to go through to qualify for their benefits.

Best Peptides for Weight Loss

Now that we know more about the basics of peptides, we know that certain peptides serve specific functions. If you’re looking for the best peptides for weight loss, here’s a comprehensive list.

Tesamorelin

Tesamorelin is a hormone peptide for weight loss, traditionally for HIV patients. This specific peptide hasn’t had much use for other forms of weight loss, but it could still be beneficial. A doctor’s prescription is necessary for this drug.

 

Mimicking a peptide that naturally comes from the hypothalamus gland of the brain, tesamorelin targets abdomen fat and significantly increases lipid metabolism.

 

It’s necessary to deal with an injection under the skin to take this drug. The injections are usually self-administered into the abdomen under the belly button. You only usually need one injection daily, around the same time every day.

 

If you have tesamorelin, you’ll have to mix a powder with a solution to create your injections. Don’t worry, as your doctor will thoroughly explain the process and show you how to do this.

 

There can be some minor side effects to tesamorelin, ranging from things like swelling of the hands, joint pain, or even vomiting. Occasionally, severe side effects can occur, like hives or shortness of breath.

 

Overall, tesamorelin is particularly effective at combating extra fat in the stomach and can be an ideal option if you’re looking to size down this area.

Ipamorelin

Next, ipamorelin is a peptide that relates to growth hormones. This drug helps to stimulate the pituitary gland into releasing growth hormones, which typically decrease as we age.

 

Growth hormones are present in children in large quantities, but adults tend to have fewer. These hormones help build lean muscle, reduce body fat, improve sleep, increase energy, and support healthy skin.

 

Similar to the previous peptide, ipamorelin must be through injection. Usually, you inject yourself in the abdomen or other fatty parts of the body, so it goes under the skin.

 

Depending on what your doctor prescribes, you can have either one to three injections daily. Ipamorelin is a peptide for weight loss that can take some time, up to three to six months, for the full extent of the drug’s impacts.

 

This drug typically comes in a vial, ready to go. An increase in hunger and dry mouth are the most common side effects, while severe effects like hives, drowsiness, and vomiting are rare.

Tesofensine

Tesofensine is a peptide drug still in clinical trials but could revolutionize treatments for losing weight. This peptide works differently than others because instead of just mimicking a naturally occurring hormone, it also helps prevent the body from absorbing certain hormones.

 

It works in multiple phases. First, tesofensine interacts with the serotonin and dopamine centers of the brain to reduce appetite. The drug helps ensure you feel satisfied with less food for longer.

 

Next, the drug works against fat by increasing the body’s ability to break down fat and reducing fatty tissue. Some studies have seen a 4 to 10 percent reduction in body weight after taking this drug, which is a significant change.

 

One main concern is the effect on the heart, as a common side effect has been an increase in heart rate. Otherwise, the patients in these studies have mostly only had diarrhea, constipation, or dry mouth.

 

So far, it seems that tesofensine would be another injection. Unfortunately, it is still in phase III clinical trials, but we may soon see this drug coming to pharmacies around the US.

CJC-1295

CJC-1295 is another peptide that increases the body’s ability to produce growth hormones, and it commonly works hand in hand with ipamorelin. Similarly, it interacts with the pituitary gland to encourage growth hormones to release into the body.

 

It doesn’t stimulate the appetite, making it an ideal peptide for weight loss. It can increase muscle growth, bone density, immune function, cognition, memory, cellular repair, collagen production, and fat loss. That’s quite a lot for a single drug!

 

When taken with ipamorelin, CJC-1295 can create drastic results by significantly impacting growth hormones. The side effects of this peptide range from headache, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

 

If you plan to take the peptide for a long time, you’ll have to do hormone breaks every three to six months to allow your pituitary gland to recover.

MOTS-C

Now we have a peptide known as MOTS-c, which can mimic exercise in the body. Overall, it works to regulate your metabolism and can have multiple effects.

 

First, it has promising signs that it can help regulate glucose and insulin levels in the body, even for people with diabetes. It does this by interacting with skeletal muscle, similar to exercise.

 

This peptide for weight loss can also help regulate metabolisms, especially if you have a metabolism issue. MOTS-c impacts metabolic flexibility, which is the body’s ability to adapt to receiving different amounts of food each day.

 

Together, it increases metabolic activity, weight loss, and exercise capacity and even protects against osteoporosis.

 

Research for MOTS-c is still underway, but it has a promising chance to help fight weight issues and diabetes.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Finally, glycyrrhetinic acid is a peptide quite different from the others. This peptide is found naturally at the root of licorice plants, and it’s commonly an alternative sweetener.

 

That might seem counterintuitive, but glycyrrhetinic acid has a long history in herbal medicine practices. It’s well-known for its immunity-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral functions.

 

It’s typically a topical treatment, and some studies show that this peptide can help reduce fat in specific areas. When applying the cream to a fatty area like the thighs, it can block the function of fat cells and reduce the outer layers of fat tissue.

 

Scientists are focusing on the other effects of glycyrrhetinic acid, but that could soon change.

Other Health Benefits

As we’ve briefly mentioned before, there are so many other benefits to peptides. While you may use peptides for weight loss, you can still enjoy these effects.

Some of these go together with weight loss, like lowering blood pressure and improving muscle growth and function. When your body has more muscle, it naturally burns more calories. Plus, a lower weight is generally a sign of lower blood pressure.

It doesn’t stop there, as they can also impact your immunity and ability to fight disease. Many peptides strengthen the immune system and work as antioxidants. Both can result in feeling more energized and help your body fight off illness. Some peptides go a step further by being antimicrobial or antiviral.

Furthermore, peptides often prevent blood clots and are anti-inflammatories. You can feel a bit secure if you struggle with the risks of stroke or other inflammatory diseases.man that took peptides to lose weight

Some specific peptides have other benefits, like glycyrrhetinic acid‘s potential ability to fight cancer or MOTS-c’s ability to help against osteoporosis.

Aside from the internal health benefits, there are also many impacts on the skin. A few peptides are particularly skilled in this area and can help with things like eczema. In general, peptides will reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, clear breakouts, and improve the skin barrier.

Peptides Drawbacks

Now that we know so many positives of peptides, it’s essential to address the potential drawbacks.

First, as previously mentioned, peptides aren’t currently legally available over the counter. The availability is a potential drawback because you need a doctor’s prescription, and the prescription peptides may be expensive.

The lack of peptide availability is because of another potential drawback, as we don’t know everything about them yet. Many peptides are still in research phases, and even the ones that have approval haven’t been around very long.

While this doesn’t mean the drugs are dangerous, some may be hesitant to try peptides still in developmental phases.

Furthermore, some peptides can have adverse side effects, like any drug. It’s usually rare for a peptide allergy to occur, but this can be rather serious. Additionally, any peptide can have minor side effects ranging from headaches to dizziness.

Always speak with your doctor if you plan to start taking a new substance and discuss the potential interactions of peptides with any current medications.

Finally, while peptides may seem like a miracle, they can’t do all the work. Even with the help of peptides for weight loss, you’ll have to follow a strict exercise and diet routine. This information probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but it’s worth mentioning that it isn’t a simple fix.side affects to taking peptides

Do I Need To Inject Peptides With a Needle?

Currently, most peptides are through injections. These injections are usually only once to three times a day and are always subcutaneous, meaning into the skin.

You will usually administer these shots to yourself, and a common injection area is in the stomach. Some pain and redness around the injection site are typical.

Usually, you’ll inject the medicine around the same time every day. Some peptide injections will require you to abstain from drinking or eating for up to an hour prior to or after the injection.

Always be careful with needles, and never reuse or share the same shot. Your doctor will walk you through the process and be there to answer any questions you may have.peptides delivered with nasal spray

Some peptides may be available in creams or other forms, but most of the peptides for weight loss require injections. While this process may seem intimidating, many people take injected medications daily. Of course, if you struggle with needles, this method may not be for you.

Conclusion

Peptides for weight loss can be a fantastic tool, as they provide many health benefits and can help shed the extra pounds. Not only that, but you’ll feel better in so many ways, thanks to the other advantages of peptides.

 

While there are certainly some negatives and things to be wary of about peptides, the benefits outweigh the risks for many people. Speaking with your doctor about peptides is the best way to determine if they’re the right solution for you.

 

As we continue learning about peptides, their uses and availability will likely grow. These naturally occurring chemicals have so many potential applications that it’s astounding.

 

So if you’ve been struggling, consider peptides for weight loss as an effective way to help your body.

 

Resources:

https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Peptide

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6265732/ 

https://www.energy.gov/science/ber/articles/more-designer-peptides-more-possibilities 

https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements 

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/prohibited-list

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a611035.html 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18950853/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116416/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15894038/ 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7123798/ 

Jason Hughes
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