Proteins are essential in our diet and comprised of a variety of peptide bonds. Proteins and peptides both consist of amino acids, the building blocks of life. The difference between proteins and peptides is, proteins have more than 50 amino acids, while peptides have less than 50. While proteins have to be broken down into smaller components to be of use to the body, the smaller peptides are already ready for absorption. Peptides are comprised of short amino acid chains (perhaps you’ve heard of the increasing popular acronym BCAA) and are crucial to the optimal function of your body and brain.

Peptides exist naturally in the body. Some of them work as hormones, communicating information through your bloodstream to your cells and tissues. These “communicators” act as signals to your cells directing metabolism, function, and cell life. The more experimental, newly discovered peptides recently available on the market are designed to copy and enhance the effects your natural peptides have on your body. In the last few years, peptides have become one of the most widely studied fields in anti-aging, sports, and functional medicine.

Among the myriad advantages of peptide therapy, some peptides can increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Grown Factor 1) to boost Human Growth Hormone levels (HGH) to jump start lean muscle growth and speed recovery. Others encourage weight and body fat loss by convincing your body to burn fatty acids before your cells burn glucose or carbohydrates. Certain peptides can even help to boost your metabolism so that you continue to burn fat even while you sleep.

In order to understand the science behind peptide therapy, we must first look at the synergistic relationship between peptides and body function. The Pituitary Gland, located at the base of the brain, controls the release of specific hormones from the Adrenal glands and the Thyroid. As you know, healthy function of these structures is critical to our well-being. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is one such specific hormone produced by the Pituitary. HGH regulates the entire body, signaling cell production and cell growth. This complex process begins in the Hypothalamus which signals the Pituitary through the release of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) to release HGH into the circulatory system. HGH then, in turn, regulates the function of almost every cell in the body, whether it be a cell belonging to your muscles, your skin, your digestive system, etc.

A perfect example of peptide complexity is Insulin. Insulin occurs naturally in the body and is comprised of 51 different building blocks of amino acids working together to regulate the metabolism of sugar. Failure or malfunction in the production of these amino acids is also known by another term: Diabetes. Before scientists and doctors were able to engineer peptides mimicking naturally occurring insulin, diabetes was often a death sentence. Now, millions of individuals around the world use peptide therapy to live fulfilling lives. In addition, peptide research has led to the development of cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant vital to the success of organ transplants.

Peptide therapy usually involves injection into the body (though there are multiple ones available in capsule form). Since peptides can be reused by the body, there is no risk of toxic accumulation in tissues. There are also no issues of drug to drug reactions with peptides as the body does not treat the injected peptides as foreign substances. They are safe, effective, and the future of almost limitless possibility.