Is peptide therapy effective?
By: Dr. Rudy Gehrman, CEO & Founder, Physio Logic
I’m always looking for ways to help myself and all of you be as healthy as possible so that we can bring the best version of ourselves into our lives every day. I like to think of myself as the “guinea pig” of Physio Logic–testing out each new treatment before introducing it into our practice to ensure we are providing the best care possible. One of my recent ventures has been into peptide therapy with the aid of Physio Logic’s Functional Medicine Director, Dr. Patty DiBlasio, MD, MPH, our resident peptide specialist. Dr. Patty was kind enough to put together an immunity-boosting peptide prescription for me and my wife, Lynda.
Sounds great! But, what the heck is a peptide anyway? According to Dr. Patty, peptides are naturally occurring small chains of amino acids that serve as the building blocks of proteins, hormones, toxins, enzymes, cells, and body tissues. The function of peptides in the body is akin to a key in a lock. In order to unlock certain functions, the correct chain of amino acids, the peptide, is necessary. The body recognizes a peptide as the go-ahead it needs to get to work.
A function of peptides you may be familiar with is collagen stimulation. While taking a collagen supplement provides the body with additional collagen, a peptide will unlock and increase your body’s naturally occurring collagen production. An increase in collagen production leads to an increase in the plumpness of the skin and decreased wrinkles.
Benefits of peptides
Introducing a peptide regime can help supercharge your body from the inside out helping it function optimally; think of it like putting a drag strip racing engine into a 1971 Ford Pinto. My wife and I are focusing on strengthening our immune systems through our current peptide regimen. Now that we all know what the heck a peptide is, let’s dive a little deeper into how a peptide prescription can benefit your immune system and let me nerd out for a second. Below I’ve outlined what we were prescribed by Dr. Patty and break down what each phase is actually doing.
- We started off with daily subcutaneous injections of BPC-157 SQ for 17 days: BPC stands for “Body Protecting Compound.” This is currently being made in small amounts in your stomach, where it serves to protect and heal your gut. Remember, 70-80% of your immune system lives in your GI tract. But if you can get the super-charged version driven into your system, it has an advanced level of biological healing activity just about anywhere you put it.
- 8 days later, start stacking with Thymosin Beta-4 SQ as a daily subcutaneous injection for 10 days: Thymosin is a hormone secreted from the thymus. Its primary function is to stimulate the production of T cells, which are an important part of the immune system. Thymosin also assists in the development of B cells to plasma cells to produce antibodies. After an injury, TB-4 is released by platelets in your blood and numerous other types of cells to protect the most damaged cells and tissues and to reduce inflammation and microbial growth.
- Next, is a 2-week pause once the stack of BPC-157 and Thymosin Beta-4 has been completed and then begin Thymosin Alpha-1 as a daily subcutaneous injection for 17 days: Thymosin alpha 1 (TA-1) is a peptide/small protein, produced naturally by the thymus gland. The thymus is where immune cells known as T cells mature and are released when prompted to do so by the TA-1 peptide. T cell production and action within the body is vital to adaptive immunity. This is the mode by which immune cells are able to recognize and kill foreign invaders. Specifically, TA-1 has been shown to enhance the function of certain immune cells called T and dendritic cells. These white blood cells play pivotal roles in the body’s defense process to anyone with a depressed immune system or suffering from an infection.
The auto-immune support that our prescription provides is exactly what my wife and I were looking for right now! However, the benefits of peptides hardly stop there. Peptide therapy has shown excellent safety and efficacy in a wide variety of areas from cyto and neuro-protection to post-workout recovery and post-surgical healing to mood improvement.
Personally, I believe that anyone and everyone could benefit from peptide therapy. If you’re interested in learning more, our functional medicine team is here for you! If you’re ready to get your peptide prescription, reach out to us by giving us a call or filling out the form below:
For educational purposes only. Physio Logic does not currently offer this service. Please check out our other Functional Medicine and Integrated Services.