In this monologue Dr. Ashley Frazee, a board‑certified primary‑care physician who runs a direct‑primary‑care clinic in Mesa, Arizona, explains what peptides are and reviews six of the most talked‑about peptides. She frames the discussion as a balanced, non‑prescriptive look at the current evidence and anecdotal reports, emphasizing that she does not prescribe or sell them and urging viewers to research and use caution. The video covers: (1) a basic definition of peptides as short chains of amino acids that act like keys unlocking cellular receptors; (2) BPC‑157, a stomach‑derived peptide marketed for gut and tissue healing, with limited human data and mixed anecdotal outcomes, though oral use may help gut issues; (3) TB‑500 (thymosin‑beta‑4 fragment), described as a systemic healer with only animal studies and variable human reports; (4) Sermorelin, a growth‑hormone‑releasing‑hormone (GHRH) analog that can boost IGF‑1 and may improve sleep, recovery, mood, and endurance; (5) the CJC‑1295 + ipamorelin combo, another GHRH/Ghrelin‑based regimen with human studies showing increased growth‑hormone pulses and reported strength/mass gains, advised to be cycled; (6) GHK‑Cu, a copper‑binding peptide used topically in skin creams with small studies supporting improved elasticity and thickness, while injectable forms are viewed skeptically; (7) PT‑141 (bremelanotide), an FDA‑approved agent for female low libido that can induce sexual arousal but often causes nausea and is suggested for occasional use. Dr. Frazee concludes that most peptide claims remain anecdotal, stresses the importance of sourcing, dosing conservatively, and consulting knowledgeable professionals, and plugs her direct‑primary‑care model for further information.
Chapters
I'm a board-certified primary care doctor, and so I talk to people about anything and everything. Lately, I can't go one darn day without somebody asking me, Doc, what do you think about peptides? So let's do this. Let's talk about peptides, what I know versus what seems to be hype, because there are a few peptides worth looking at. But listen, I don't prescribe these, I don't sell them, and I'm not even going to tell you where to get them. I just know what I know. So let's dive in. First, a word on what peptides are. Peptides are literally a chain of amino acids, the same building blocks that proteins are made out of, and they act like Keys in doors. Imagine a star-shaped key, the peptide, that goes into a star-shaped lock, a receptor in your body. Once the key hits the lock, the door opens and really cool things happen. All right, let's start with the most common, the most popular peptide that's out there. You've probably heard of it. It's BPC-157, the gut healer. BPC-157 is actually a naturally occurring peptide that's found in your stomach. Its main job is protecting the lining of the stomach because the contents of the stomach are a harsh acidic environment. The lining of the stomach has to turn over the cells pretty quickly, and BPC-157 helps that happen. It helps cells regenerate really quickly, and that's why people use it for regenerative healing. Most people will inject it right near an injury like a tennis elbow, hoping that it's going to speed the recovery. Does it work? Honestly, I'm on the fence. I just haven't had anyone who's tried it tell me that it changed their life. People use it all the time. I've even used it, but I just don't recommend it yet because I'm still not sure. I haven't seen the evidence. Yet to tell me that it's really worth going for, but I still tell people, "Yeah, go ahead and try it. It's worth trying." That being said, oral BPC-157 does seem to have some benefit. Why? Because it's a gut peptide. It's made in the stomach, designed to protect the stomach, and so if you take oral BPC-157 supplements because you have gut issues that are unexplained by other things, you might just get some healing. I've actually seen this one happen. Now you're likely to see BPC-157 come blended or mixed with something called TB5. So let's talk about that one next. TB-500 is known as the systemic healer, kind of like BPC-157, but it has a whole body effect instead of just local. Now, all we have is research on animals, nothing in humans, but it is fascinating. TB-500 is a fragment of something called thymosin beta, a longer peptide. And what they found in animal studies is that if you have an injured area, Thymosin beta seems to be upregulated in the tissues of that injured area. So we believe thymosin beta to be heavily involved in healing. Now, if you scour the internet, some people will swear by TB500, and that's why I can't discount it fully. If people have lived experience with this stuff actually changing their lives, actually making them feel better, I'm gonna say, hey, maybe this is worth looking into. But listen, there are other people who say they've tried it and it did absolutely nothing. So take it for what it's worth. Is it worth trying? Yeah. Is it gonna work? We don't know. Seems to be hit or miss. So don't expect a miracle. Just know that if you're going to try it, you're basically paying for something to experiment with it. All right, let's hit number 3. This is something that people call old school HGH booster. I'm talking about Sermorelin. Sermorelin is a peptide that mimics something called growth hormone releasing hormone, GHRH. It binds the same receptors in your pituitary that put out this hormone in order to increase your growth hormone. Now growth hormone pulses actually drive something called insulin-like growth factor IGF-1, which is a messenger that drives recovery and growth. So people who take sermorelin sometimes report better sleep, recovery, and sometimes even mood, and sometimes even better endurance and strength. But if you really want some strength and growth of your muscles, let's kick it up a notch with a combo that I think works even better than sermorelin. I'm talking about CJC-1295 and ipamorelin. Now, CJC-1295 is another growth hormone-releasing hormone peptide, and ipamorelin mimics something called ghrelin, which also increases your growth hormone. We actually have some human studies to show that using this combo increases your growth hormone, and it actually does it in a way that mimics your body's own rhythms. And basically, it's a little bit safer than using growth hormone. Now, I've had several people come to me and tell me they've used this combo while in the gym, and they definitely saw strength or mass gains by using it. If you're going to try this, don't use it all the time. Just be careful and cycle it and get some advice from a real professional who knows probably even more than I do. Now let's switch worlds to the beauty world. This next Peptide is GHK copper. This one's used a lot in topical skin creams, and you know what? It actually works. There are a lot of small studies that show that it improves elasticity and thickness in skin. So people who use it in skin creams notice like a smoother appearance to their face. The injectable version though, I feel like it's just marketing. I don't really think it does anything. So just be careful. That being said, if you have experience with the injectable, feel free to drop it in my comments. And number six, this one's in a totally different lane: PT-141, also known as bremelanotide. I don't know. People use this one for libido. They actually put this in an FDA-approved medication for women for low sex drive. I think it's called Vyleesi. And from what I know, this stuff actually works. You can take it in an injection or an oral troche, and an hour later you're feeling a little tingly. But this one does come with a catch. It usually makes people nauseous. So be very careful with it if you decide to try it. And from what I can tell, it's not something that you're gonna wanna use all the time. It's kinda like a fun thing for parties and vacations. So those are the 6 peptides that I actually know something about. There's a lot more out there, guys, but there's just no data or consolidated places where people are saying, hey, this really, really works. Everything is anecdotal in the world of peptides. Just know if you're gonna take them, be careful about where you get them from and do a lot of research about them before you try. Maybe even try half of the recommended starting dose if you're sensitive to things. And that's all I'm gonna say about them. I'm Dr. Ashley Frazee. I run a direct primary care clinic in Mesa, Arizona. The reason I can talk about these things is because I'm not burdened by insurance. And hey, it's fun, and all my patients are asking about them. If you want more information about direct primary care and doctors who don't use insurance to care for their patients, check out the links in my description. And you guys have a good day.
