Episode 256 – How Peptides Work, Benefits, and FDA-Approved vs Off-Label Use Explained

What if the reason you're not healing isn't that you need another diagnosis?0:08It's that your cells aren't receiving the right signals. Because the body doesn't run on diagnosis, it runs on0:16communication. And peptides are one of the most powerful, most misunderstood0:21tools we have for cellular signaling, immune balance, tissue repair, gut0:27lining support, metabolic control, brain signaling, sleep cycles, and even sexual0:35wellness. Today, I'm going to do what most people won't. Define peptides in0:41plain English for you. break them into categories by what they're best at and0:47tell you which ones are FDA approved on the list and which ones are commonly0:53used off label or investigational with the evidence that actually says these1:00work. This is going to be a powerful episode and if you've ever felt like you're hearing hype without clarity,1:07this one's for you. So, as usual, grab your cup of coffee or tea and settle in1:13as we talk about peptides that can fit into your healing journey. We're going1:19to have a short word from our sponsor. You know, we got to do that. That's how we stay on the air here. So, we will be1:26right back after this. Did you know sweating can literally heal your cells?1:32Infrared saunas don't just relax you. They detox your body, balance hormones,1:37and boost mitochondrial energy. I'm obsessed with my health tech sauna. And1:42right now, you can save $500 with my code at healthtechalth.com/drmuthqen25.1:54All right, here we go, guys. I am excited to dive into peptides with you.2:00So understanding peptides is foundational, right? And I've been2:06studying peptides now for about nine years. Um, and I find that they are2:13incredible. Um, so I want to break down for you what peptides actually are, what2:19they do, and some of the top peptides that are available today, and how they2:25can be utilized. Because I think it's really important. And I think it's it's there's a lot of confusion out there about what these things actually are and2:32are they safe? Are they not? When do we use them? What's the science behind them? So, we're going to dive in and2:38we're going to talk about all things peptides. So, let's get ready here. Here we go. So, peptides are short chains of2:45amino acids and they typically range anywhere from 2 to 50 amino acids and2:51they're linked by peptide bonds. So think of them as the superglue that holds the amino acids together. They sit2:58between the amino acids and they are full proteins in terms of their size and3:04their complex structure. And what makes peptides particularly interesting in3:10medicine is their role as signaling molecules. They're essentially the3:15body's text messages carrying specific instructions to cells and tissues. And3:21unlike our proteins which often serve as structural roles or act as enzymes,3:28peptides typically function as hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors and3:33they bind to specific receptors on the cell's surfaces or within the cells and3:39they trigger this effect. It's like a cascade effect of a biochemical reaction3:45that ultimately changes the cellular behavior. So basically, it's changing3:50the way the body's cell structure acts. And this is why peptides can be so3:56incredibly powerful and therapeutic when you introduce the right peptide signal.4:02Now, you could theoretically redirect cellular processes toward healing,4:07towards metabolism, immune balance, tissue repair. Any of those things can4:14be manipulated to do a certain thing once we add the peptide. The challenge4:19in peptide medicine though lies in distinguishing between those peptides that have been rigorously studied,4:26proven safe and effective and approved by regulatory bodies like the FDA versus4:31those that exist in what we call the gray zone of a promising clinical data.4:36But they really lack human validation so far. And this distinction is critical because the presence of a plausible4:43mechanism does not guarantee safety or efficacy in living humans. So, this is4:50really important and we're going to dive in and look at some of the research on all of these different peptides that are4:56available and I'm excited to say there's some amazing peptides being studied right now that unfortunately are not5:01available. But I can't wait to see them hit the market for us because it is going to be a gamecher as far as health5:09and longevity. So there is a quality control issue and there is a hidden5:14variable in peptide medicine with this and it's one of the most underappreciated aspects of peptide5:21therapy particularly for non-FDA approved peptides. It's quality control.5:26When we discuss pharmaceutical medicines, we take for granted that the pill contains what the label says. Not5:32always true depending on where it comes from. You guys, if you've heard my episodes before talk about how many of our medications are made in China and5:41have been contaminated with other things, you will realize that that is not always true. So, just because it has5:48the FDA stamp of approval on the medication, it still does not necessarily mean it's safe and we still5:54need to do our homework on it. So, sorry for digressing on you guys, but you know, when we get a medication, we we6:00think that what the amount says is what is there, doesn't have contaminants, it's manufactured with good6:06manufacturing practices. You'll see that listed as GMP on the bottle, and it's been stored properly, it's been6:12maintained stable, and with research peptides and compounded formulations,6:17none of this can be assumed. So, I will share a story with you. There was a gentleman that was purchasing these6:24peptides online from a research facility and um did not know that they were6:30coming from China and he was ordering a particular growth hormone peptide and6:35after a little while he had he had done fine for the few first few bottles. After a little while he started having6:42some complications. He started getting really irritable and angry and ragy and6:47he didn't quite know what was going on. And so he decided to go get some testing done. He had some blood testing done and6:53his testosterone level was over 5,000. So for those of you who know what testosterone level should be for a guy,7:00they really shouldn't be any higher than about 1,00200 would be absolute max that we'd want to see. Now he was taking7:06testosterone but not to that degree. And prior to adding this peptide, his7:12testosterone was very stable. What they ended up finding out was the peptide that he was getting, whoever was7:18manufacturing it added testosterone to the peptide. They felt like if if it had growth hormone, that was great, but if7:25it had growth hormone and tes testosterone, all the better. And he didn't know that. And this is the7:31problem that we can have with peptides if you don't source them properly. if you're not working with somebody that7:37knows how to source them and can prove that they are what they say they are. Um, I'm sure there's a whole bunch of7:42studies out there too of people getting these peptides and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for them over their7:48lifetime and finding out they were nothing more than just sterile water. So, you really do need to be careful7:53with your quality control. Now, this kind of leads us right into the next topic that we're going to talk about and that's the manufacturing question,8:00right? The FDA approved peptides are manufactured in facilities subject to8:05the FDA inspection rules following our GMP regulations and these facilities8:11must validate their manufacturing process, demonstrate consistency batch to batch, test for purity and potency.8:18They need to test for bacterial endotoxins and sterility and they need to maintain detailed records. So, when a8:25pharmaceutical company submits a drug application, the FDA inspects the manufacturing facility as part of the8:32approval process. If you're getting peptides from a different country, none of that is happening. And there are some8:38ways for us to determine if that is what you're getting. Typically, the rule of thumb is if your peptides are coming8:44with a different colored top, every one of them has a different colored top. Those are typically being sourced out of8:49China. I wouldn't say that's 100% but that's kind of the rule of thumb that people follow. So compoundingies these8:56are thearmacies that make our bio identical hormones. They can make medications in any dose or strength or9:02route. There are thousands of them in every not that not in every state but9:08there are thousands of them around the country right now. So these compoundingies are registered as 503A9:15facilities....