Peptides have become the latest cure-all trend on social media ' a way to eliminate wrinkles, build lean muscle, boost metabolism, clear brain fog, heal torn ligaments and more. Influencers rave about their peptide-fuelled glow-ups on TikTok. Bodybuilders exchange information about their favourite combinations at the gym. US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is a proponent. 'I'm a big fan of peptides,' he told US podcaster Joe Rogan in February. 'I've used them myself, and used them with really good effect on a couple of injuries.' Peptides are made of the same building blocks as proteins, but are shorter ' typically less than 50 amino acids long. And they can be powerful medicines. The hugely successful GLP-1 diabetes and weight-loss drugs, for example, are peptides; as is the hormone insulin. But when wellness gurus and fitness enthusiasts talk about peptides, they're often referring to an alphabet soup of chemicals: BPC-157, MOTS-c and TB-500. These compounds come in vials...
learn more
