There are a lot of positive attributes about aging, but the inevitable weight gain is not one of them. Even if you have a healthy lifestyle that consists of a balanced diet and exercise, naturally occurring levels of growth hormone declines as we age. Peptide therapy can provide a useful mechanism to help increase the body’s production of growth hormones, which can help weight loss become easier to achieve.

What Are Peptides?

Peptides, also called polypeptides, naturally occur in the skin. They are short strings of amino acids that are typically made of 2–50 amino acids, which are the building blocks for protein. People often confuse peptides with proteins because they are both made up of amino acids. However, peptides contain significantly fewer amino acids than protein. Because of their smaller size, peptides may be easier for the body to absorb than protein. The smaller size also makes peptides more easily penetrate the skin and intestines, which makes it easier for them to enter the body’s bloodstream faster than protein. Recent research on the benefits of peptides shows that certain peptides can play a beneficial role in reducing inflammation, destroying microbes, slowing down the aging process, preventing age-related bone loss, and even helping one achieve their ideal body composition.

Which Peptides Are The Most Effective For Weight Loss?

Peptide therapy consists of having specific peptides administered in the body either by injection or supplements. Below are the top peptides used specifically for building muscle and assisting with weight loss.

AOD-9604: AOD-9604 is a growth hormone-releasing peptide fragment that regulates fat metabolism by allowing the body to burn more fat and stimulate weight loss. This peptide stimulates lipolysis which is the breakdown or destruction of fat while inhibiting lipogenesis, which is the transformation of turning nonfat foods into body fat. This is what makes AOD-964 one of the most effective peptides for weight loss. It has been tested on both animals and humans and can offer faster weight loss results in a shorter period than diet and exercise. Results typically take 8-12 weeks depending on an individual’s lifestyle choices, genetics, and metabolism.

Ipamorelin:

Ipamorelin is a peptide that stimulates the pituitary gland to release natural growth hormone. It is within a class of what are called growth hormone secretagogues, which aid the body’s production of endogenous growth hormone.

Benefits of Ipamorelin include promotion of cellular reproduction, lean muscle growth, and a reduction in the body’s fat storage. Benefits of Ipamorelin are further enhanced when used in conjunction with CJC 1295, which is growth-hormone releasing hormone that is highly effective in increasing growth hormone production and IGF-1, which aids in fat reduction, muscular growth, and sleep improvement.

Sermorelin:

First created in the 70s, Sermorelin is another growth-hormone releasing hormone that increases lean muscle mass and helps reduce fat in the body. Sermorelin is not a human growth hormone, rather this hormone is a secretagogue, which means that it stimulates the production of another hormone. Specifically, sermorelin tells the pituitary gland to secrete more growth hormones. In the late 90s, the FDA approved its use and sale with a prescription. Initially it was used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate possible deficiencies in growth hormone production in the pituitary gland. But was later approved for the treatment of childhood growth hormone deficiency.

MOTS-c:

MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide known as an exercise mimetic. Since mitochondria are one of the most important organelles in our cells, this peptide offers vast benefits at the cellular and systemic level. There have been multiple studies demonstrating MOTSc’s ability to increase thermogenic brown fat, decrease fat gain while on high-fat diets, improve glucose uptake during glycolysis, and enhance lipid beta-oxidation. MOTS-c can be used for weight loss, improving insulin sensitivity, energy production, brain health, and overall longevity.

Are There Side Effects With Peptide Therapy?

For healthy individuals, peptide therapy is unlikely to cause any serious side effects due to the fact that they are similar to the peptides found in everyday food. With that said, it is important to talk to your doctor to determine if peptide therapy is suitable to add to achieve your weight loss goals.

When Will Results be Visible?

Results are going to depend on a variety of factors. Since there is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss, peptide therapy should be viewed as a piece of a larger weight loss program under the supervision of a doctor. A healthy lifestyle that consists of a balanced diet and exercise should be the cornerstone to any weight loss plan. However, making sure hormones are in balance are equally important. When testosterone and thyroid levels are in check, peptide therapy provides a synergistic effect (alongside diet and exercise), results can be seen in a few weeks to a few months depending on the peptide administered.

Bottom Line

Peptides and peptide therapy offer cutting edge tools to optimize health, slow the aging process, reduce inflammation, and lose unwanted pounds. Talk to your doctor to see if adding peptides to your self-care routine is right for you.