Peptides are all the rage online right now

Have you heard of Body Protective Compound-157, or BPC-157, lately? It is part of a bigger family of compounds called peptides and they are all the rage online right now. 

Wellness influencers and even some doctors claim they can help you lose weight, increase your libido, help with muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, promote gut health, etc [1]. So what’s the catch? 🤔

Not all peptides are the same. Some peptides, like insulin and GLP-1 medications, are authorized drugs that have undergone years of research and review before being approved by Health Canada [2,3]. But many of the peptides being promoted online for muscle recovery, anti-aging or wellness (such as BPC-157, TB-500 or CJC-1295) are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been shown to be safe or effective for these uses [4,5]. 

For example, BPC-157 has mainly been tested in animals with very limited human data [6,7]. We still don’t know if the effects seen in animals also happen in people [6,8,9]. Most importantly, we don’t know what side effects they could have in humans [10]. Before a drug is approved, health agencies need to show that its benefits outweigh its risks. 

If you see BPC-157 or other peptide products sold online, don’t assume they are approved or safe. If you are unsure whether a peptide is authorized by Health Canada or not, check if it has a Drug Identification Number (DIN) [4]. 

Funny how some people demand years of evidence before trusting vaccines, but are happy to recommend unapproved peptides based mostly on animal studies. 😉 Do you find this frustrating? We do!