on PinterestInfluencers tout peptide injections for fitness and longevity, but experts warn of health and safety risks.
on PinterestInfluencers tout peptide injections for fitness and longevity, but experts warn of health and safety risks. Mariya Borisova/Getty Images
- Injectable “wellness” peptides have become wildly popular among health and wellness enthusiasts, despite lacking credible evidence for their safety and effectiveness.
- Social media influencers and biohackers tout wellness peptides as a “fountain of youth” to achieve longevity and fitness gains.
- Experts in the medical community have raised alarms about the safety of compounded peptides marketed for wellness, calling for federal oversight of these products, which are largely sold online.
During the 1980s, anabolic steroids emerged out of elite athletic circles and rose to popularity among fitness and gym enthusiasts.
It didn’t take long for the medical community to question their safety. Researchers and athletic organizations raised concerns over the health risks associated with recreational anabolic steroid use, such as cardiovascular disease. By 1991, the substances were banned for non-medical use under the Anabolic Steroids Control Act.
But the quest for fast-tracked, unproven methods to achieve peak fitness is far from over.
Today, influencers and biohackers tout peptide injections as a “fountain of youth,” a one-stop shop to achieve muscle gain, longevity, and more.
Echoing the past, so-called “wellness” peptides have become ubiquitous despite lacking any credible evidence. No studies to date have verified their safety for use in humans.
A recent position paper by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices on the safety and efficacy of wellness peptides highlights an “alarming safety concern” about their widespread use.
Unlike well-studied commercial peptide drugs (i.e., insulin and GLP-1s), compounded peptide products marketed for “wellness” are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
While no states have outright banned non-FDA-approved peptides, some have stepped up public health messaging, aiming to crack down on online sales. For instance, Alabama’s medical regulator recently issued a warning against the use of non-FDA-approved research-grade peptides due to health and safety risks.
The FDA is expected to decide in July whether certain compounded wellness peptides should be officially authorized for use.
Experts are concerned that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an avid supporter of peptides who oversees the FDA, could ease some of the red tape.
“This has nothing to do with wellness,” said Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist, orthopedic surgeon, and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles.
“I would call it more of an uninformed fad. It’s worse than that — it’s criminal. The influencers, including RFK Jr., are abusing the system and not following the science,” he told Healthline.
Healthline spoke with Mandelbaum to learn more about the dangers of unregulated peptides and why most people should probably steer clear.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.
What are wellness peptides?
Mandelbaum: Peptides are a group of compounds that come together to have a wide variety of functions in our body.
Peptides are leucine, the amino acid that’s fantastic for building muscle, and it’s been well studied. Since peptides are protein derivatives, they’ve been exploited on social media.
The peptides BPC-157, TB-500,
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