Peptides are short chains of amino acids (typically 2-50) that act as signaling molecules in the body. Therapeutic peptides target specific receptors to produce defined physiologic effects — growth hormone release, tissue repair, sexual function, metabolic regulation — depending on the peptide. They are smaller than proteins and more targeted than most hormones, with shorter half-lives and more localized signaling.
The category "peptide" is biochemical, not therapeutic. Insulin is a peptide. Oxytocin is a peptide. Glucagon is a peptide. The body produces hundreds of endogenous peptides as part of normal physiology — many of which act as hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, or local signaling molecules. The peptides used in functional and integrative medicine are a much smaller subset: synthetic or recombinant molecules designed to bind specific receptors and produce defined clinical effects.
A peptide is a chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The length distinguishes a peptide from a protein: peptides are typically 2-50 amino acids; proteins are typically longer chains (sometimes thousands of amino acids) that fold into more complex three-dimensional structures. The functional consequence: peptides are smaller, more flexible, and bind their receptors more selectively than most proteins.
The amino acid sequence determines the receptor specificity. A small change in sequence can produce a peptide with a completely different binding profile. Sermorelin (29 amino acids, GHRH analog) binds the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor and stimulates pituitary growth hormone release. CJC-1295 is sermorelin modified with a few amino acid substitutions and a fatty acid extension — same receptor, much longer half-life. Ipamorelin is a different short peptide that binds the ghrelin receptor instead of the GHRH receptor, also stimulating growth hormone release but through a parallel pathway.
Each peptide has a defined mechanism of action. We describe four broad categories below.
Peptides are not supplements. They are not over-the-counter nutritional products. They are not "natural" in the way a vitamin is — therapeutic peptides are synthesized in laboratories, purified, and used in clinical contexts. The "peptides as supplements" framing that circulates in some online communities mischaracterizes the regulatory and clinical status.
Peptides are also not all the same in terms of evidence base. Some (insulin, glucagon, oxytocin) are pharmaceuticals with decades of established clinical use. Others (BPC-157, AOD-9604) are off-label or compounded and have a more limited human evidence base. The integrity of a peptide-therapy practice depends on disclosing where each peptide sits on the evidence spectrum and not overstating what the evidence supports.
Most therapeutic peptides are administered as subcutaneous injections using small-gauge insulin-style needles. This is because oral peptides are usually destroyed in the gastrointestinal tract before they reach systemic circulation. A few peptides have effective oral, intranasal, or transdermal preparations, but injection is the default route. Most patients learn to self-inject within their first visit; the technique is straightforward.
At THE WELLNESS CO. we use peptides as targeted adjuncts to a fuller clinical picture, not as standalone interventions. A patient on a sermorelin protocol typically also has hormone optimization (where appropriate), sleep optimization, training and nutrition aligned with goals, and the metabolic surveillance that the CLARITY methodology builds in. Peptides are one tool; the methodology is what makes the tool useful. See the methodology in full.
For specific peptides, see our molecule pages: Sermorelin, BPC-157, CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, PT-141, NAD+, AOD-9604.
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