1stPeptides

What are peptides & What do they do?

 

Even if you haven’t realised you’ve heard the term lately, it’s pretty likely that every consumer has by now been exposed to the term Peptides, not least because these are some of the newest ingredients being added into high-end cosmetic products from companies like Lancôme, SkinMedica and Olay - you can even now find types of Peptides in products costing as little as £20 over the counter in drug stores and health shops.

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This low price point shouldn’t fool you into thinking Peptides are a cheap and unsophisticated new ingredient or sales gimmick, in truth, this is the tip of an iceberg first discovered half a century ago and only now are we starting to see the benefits come through into useful products at affordable prices in various areas of healthcare.

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Your body makes Peptides naturally, plus they’re found in meat, fish and grains - they're strings of amino acids, which are the "building blocks" of proteins. Scientifically synthesised Peptides can help repair gaps in our bodies weakened natural defences and are perhaps best considered like bits of the alphabet - not much use singularly - but when combined they can help make something powerful. In layman’s terms then that’s how Peptides work, specific alphabet pieces can be targeted towards particular health goals with the potential to combine with other natural elements in your body to deliver powerful improvements in health, often by encouraging the body to do more self-healing, or alternatively to ward off the speed of the onset of aging.

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Well known examples are also being talked about in what might be best described as the “sports enhancement” or muscle growth world. These creatine and collagen peptides help boost or repair muscle which is great but so-called “Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides” could be unsafe and should probably be illegal, hence all the hype and why 1stPeptides wont promotes these kind of products or sellers.

 

To the more technically minded interested in Peptides targeted at real health issues, Peptides are actually simple amino acid polymers - smaller than proteins these don’t have sufficient activity or power on their own as they generally represent a small portion of a full protein, this helps explain why it is generally considered safe to take Peptides alongside traditional medicines and other supplements. The real power then is in their ability to bridge a gap and bring things together, much like superglue.

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It’s probably no wonder then that Peptides have been described as “Natures Building Blocks” and some have even compared the potential health benefits to the discovery and potential uses of stem cells.

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Amongst much of the research completed on what might be called medical Peptides, you may hear the term Khavinson mentioned. This is because of Professor Vladimir Khavinson from St Petersburg, Russia (who sadly died in 2024) was the inventor who devoted his life to the subject. He specialised in Gerontology (the study of aging), and Geriatrics, hence all the knowledge about their impact in this area – he produced a mere 775 scientific publications on the topic!

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Professor Khavinson was Treasurer of the EU region of the International Association of Gerontology & Geriatrics plus worked in many other leading organisations in this area. He is famous for the discovery, experimental and clinical studies of new classes of Peptide Bioregulators and the development of bio-regulating Peptide therapies and methods of application to slow down ageing and increase human life span.

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Professor Khavinson developed 6 peptide-based pharmaceuticals and 64 peptide Supplements for clinical practice and whilst patents are unusual in any "natural product" arena, he managed to become author of 196 patents (Russian and international) and oversighted over 200 Ph.D. and Doctorate theses from other scientists and students from around the globe. So he was something of an expert to say the least.

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You’re probably wondering then how all this has transformed into the kind of products found discussed on the 1stPeptides site? As mostly non-regulated (FDA Approval or similar) products, it's hard to get good information on the topic so we set out to share what we can find, good and bad, about this important topic and the products becoming available so potential users can do their own research more easily.

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Synthetic Peptides can mimic some of those within your own body so they can be targeted to help bridge gaps and encourage better health in various targetted areas as identified by Klavinsons research, in areas as vital as Type 2 diabetes, MS, High Blood Pressure and beyond. Studies have also found that certain types may have benefits for your skin, muscles, and maybe even our weight.

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So What Do Peptides Do?

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There are lots of different peptides, each of which has a different role in your body and hence research is forever continuing to understand this better. So far, synthetic Peptides are thought to be able to deliver benefits in these areas (but do remember to consult your Doctor too) –

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Anti-aging. Collagen Peptides help make Collagen & Elastin, proteins found in healthy skin.

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Pigmentation. An Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) is involved in the production of Melanin, another in skin whitening, so a synthetic version might help with hyperpigmentation or so-called age spots.

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Antimicrobial peptides can also help your body fight bacteria and promote wound healing.

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General fitness. Peptides in dietary supplements, such as Creatine, Collagen, Ipamorelin, BPC-157 and Follistatin, taken in pills or shakes, claim to help you build muscle, boost weight and fat loss, and help with muscle recovery. These claims are less well established hence a lot of hype we are careful not to boost further.

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• Adrenal - glands near the kidneys responsible for adrenalin levels

• Bladder - Urinary Incontinence control

• Blood Vessels - Blood Cell Function

• Bone Marrow Functions

• Brain Cell Bioregulator

• Cartilage & Bone Tissue

• Central Nervous System

• Cyrcadian Rythms - Aids cognition & Sleep.

• Heart Normalisation Bioregulator

• Immune System - See Thymus

• Kidney Bioregulators

• Liver & Gastrointestinal Tract

• Lung & Bronchial Bioregulator

• Muscle Bioregulator

• Ovary Bioregulator

• Pancreas Bioregulator

• Parathyroid - Calcium & Phosphate Regulation

• Pineal Gland

• Prostate Bioregulator

• Retina Bioregulator

• Stomach Bioregulator

• Prostate Bioregulator

• Testes Bioregulator

• Thymus Bioregulator - Protecting the Immune System

• Thyroid Bioregulator - endocrine controll of growth, metabolism/energy use

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1stPeptides Health Warning - Ask your doctor if you have any questions about taking a Peptide drug. Not all will know much as it’s a relatively new area of healthcare so before taking any supplements its important to also do your research and check out active ingredients in the supplement. Be sceptical of claims that sound too good to be true and only take the recommended dose, and of course stop immediately if you have an undue serious reactions.