Activate Your Wellness: Peptide Therapy
In recent years, the use of peptides in health care has gained much popularity. Peptide therapy is generally considered safe and can be used to produce very specific effects. Many peptides have been approved by the FDA allowing them to be utilized for medical use.
Peptides are highly specific (i.e., only do what you want them to do) while also being well-tolerated and safe. As of January 2015, there were over 60 US FDA-approved peptide medications, 140 peptide drugs being evaluated in clinical trials, and 500 in pre-clinical development.
What are peptides?
Peptides are chains of amino acids linked together in a specific process to produce a protein. Some peptides are naturally occurring and others can be artificially synthesized in the laboratory. The body uses these proteins or peptides as signaling molecules facilitating cell-to-cell communication and allowing the body to switch certain cell functions on or off. This property can be harnessed and used to trigger specific therapeutic effects.
What is peptide therapy?
Peptide therapy is the targeted use of peptides to produce a specific reaction in the body. Some peptides have been shown they may also be utilized to reduce inflammation. Some peptides stimulate the production of human growth hormone and are utilized in anti-aging therapies or to increase muscle mass. Peptides are typically administered through the skin as a subcutaneous injection. They can also be applied in a cream, a nasal spray, or in oral form.
Who may benefit from peptide therapy?
Peptides may help regulate processes within the body. Patients with Lyme disease, chronic inflammation, CFS, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic degenerative diseases may benefit from including peptides in their treatment regimen.
Where do peptides come from?
Peptides are just sequences of amino acids that are smaller than a full protein. The peptides we use have particular relevance to specific treatment goals, like soft tissue regeneration and support. Most of the peptides were originally isolated from human and animal tissues but are now artificially synthesized. They either mimic or are the exact same as the peptides you make in your body.
What do they do?
Effects vary depending on what peptide is used, but the effects range from sleep and neuroprotection to tissue repair and increasing growth hormone levels. The possibilities are almost endless.
Is it proven? Are they safe?
While many of the peptides are thoroughly researched and actually on their way to becoming established pharmaceuticals, others are less robust in the scientific literature. However, despite the relative lack of human trials, anecdotal, clinical, and animal experimentation has provided a ton of insight into how they can still be safe and effective tools in a therapeutic program. Very few and minor side effects have been reported, and even those can be minimized by appropriate counsel, dosing, and routine.
How much do peptides cost?
Cost varies depending on the peptide and the length of the cycle but typically will vary between 100$ and 300$. These therapies are not covered by insurance.
How long do I take them?
Courses will vary on the particulars of a patient’s case and the peptides used. The peptides are usually pulsed in cycles which can be followed with laboratory or clinical affirmation of whether or not it was helpful. You may be advised to continue with maintenance courses 1-2 times throughout the year, particularly in the case of injury prevention, performance enhancement, neural regeneration, and immune system modulation.
Peptide Therapy Essence
Peptides play a major role in how our bodies function. Recent advances in the study of peptide therapy have uncovered a myriad of conditions that peptides can treat. At our clinic, we prescribe bioactive peptides that provide many benefits, including (but not limited to): faster healing, improved immune function, better sleep, stomach ulcer healing, and more.
Peptides can also be utilized and applied in the treatment of injuries, with capabilities that help prevent aging, illness, and enhance peak performance. They can also be used to facilitate the effectiveness of bio-identical hormone therapy by sensitizing hormonal receptors.
A Newly Emerging Science
Peptides are on the cutting edge of anti-aging and regenerative medicine, as their benefits are numerous and long-lasting. According to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, peptide therapy is part of a newly emerging science of cell signaling amino acid sequences. It can be specifically targeted to potentially recompose bodily chemistry, generating homeostasis (balance) in the body.
Peptide Therapy Benefits
Below are just some of the things that peptide therapy has been shown to improve in the body:
- tissue healing;
- biological functioning of the brain, skin, eyes, urinary, and reproductive systems;
- libido and sexual arousal;
- hormone production;
- immune function;
- the sleep cycle;
- the production of inflammatory mediators;
- DNA replication;
- cell division.
Don’t hesitate to apply for a free consultation with one of our experts if you’ve got any questions or concerns.