What Do Peptides Do? And How Can They Help You?

Raise your hand if you wish there’s an area of your body you wish was stronger. Maybe it’s a muscle group – pecs, abs, quads, etc. – or maybe it’s your hair, nails, or even your bones. What if we told you there’s a natural supplement that already exists in your body that could strengthen all of those things? Peptides are a natural protein that can help build your muscles, strengthen your bone, and reduce signs of aging. Read on to answer, “What do peptides do?” and learn how to incorporate them into your life.

What Are Peptides?

Before we dive into the benefits peptides can provide, let’s talk some about what they are. Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same building blocks that make up your DNA. Peptides occur naturally in your body, and they’re also found naturally in plants and other animals, and scientists can create them. 

Peptides’ structure mimics hormones and different messaging compounds your body produces naturally. They can tell your body to make certain kinds of tissue or other substances that transform everything from your skin to your muscles to your bones. Many of them can penetrate tissues, giving them the ability to travel throughout your entire body.

Peptide Types

There are a few different types of peptides and several ways to classify them. Some people categorize them based on how many amino acids make up the peptide chain; dipeptides have two amino acids, tripeptides have three, and tetrapeptides have four. You can also sort peptides based on where they come from, such as from a plant or animal.

However, most people prefer to sort peptides based on the role they’ll play in your body. Some supplements contain collagen peptides, which can help improve your skin and hair. Other supplements contain creatine peptides, which are designed to help you put on muscle mass and are popular among bodybuilders.

What Do Peptides Do? 

So how do these peptides work to improve your body anyhow? Throughout your body, you have receptors that are designed to bind with certain chemicals, hormones, neurotransmitters, and various other substances. When these receptors bind with their respective substances, they give your body instructions to do various things – make more of a tissue, release a flood of a certain chemical, and so on. 

Because peptides look like hormones and messaging compounds, they can bind with those receptors all throughout your body. Different peptides will tell your body to do different things, from producing more collagen to burning more fat. Using the right combination of peptides can help you achieve a variety of different health goals. 

Potential Benefits of Peptides 

Given how well peptides can interact with receptors in our bodies, it should come as no surprise that they can have a variety of potential benefits. We’ll dive into some of these in more depth later on, but there’s some evidence that peptides can help reduce the visible signs of aging, as well as strengthen muscles and bones. 

Certain peptides may also help to lower high blood pressure and reduce inflammation. They may improve your immune function, act as antioxidants, and kill microbes. Early research also indicates that peptides could help to improve your immune function and prevent blood clots from forming in your body. 

Slowing Down Aging 

One of the most popular benefits of peptides is that they may be able to help slow down aging. As we get older, our body produces less collagen, the main structural protein in our connective tissues. This is what causes our faces to fall into wrinkles and our hair and nails to become more brittle as we age.

You can take collagen peptides as a supplement that will help replenish your body’s collagen stores. Collagen peptides are a more broken down form of collagen that’s easier for your body to absorb. This can help keep your skin young and fresh, as well as strengthening your hair and nails as you age. 

Helping Wounds Heal 

The other major role collagen plays in our bodies is helping us to heal when we get hurt. Because collagen is a connective tissue, it’s an important part of regrowing skin and knitting wounds back together. When our bodies are low on collagen, it may take longer for wounds to heal, which can increase our risk of infection.

Collagen peptides can give your body the proteins it needs to heal your wounds faster. Not only can this reduce your risk of infection, since you’re living with an open wound for less time, but it can also help reduce scarring. This can be especially important for people who are at a higher risk of developing keloid scars.

Strengthening Bones

Another problem many people face as they age is a higher risk of breaking bones. A fall that would have been minor ten years ago can leave you with a broken leg, hip, or worse. Recovering from these injuries can be painful and may take months or even years.

There are some early studies that suggest collagen peptides may be helpful in reducing age-related bone loss. Because collagen is a connective protein, it is an important part of our bone structure. Taking collagen could help you to keep strong bones and reduce your risk of fracture as you get older.

Peptides and Bodybuilding

Peptides are a popular supplement among bodybuilders, and it’s easy to see why. Creatine is a substance that helps your body to use energy more efficiently to build more muscle and brain tissue. Creatine peptides, like collagen peptides, are a broken-down form of this compound that’s easier for your body to absorb.

Some preliminary studies have suggested creatine peptides can play an important role in increasing strength and helping to build muscle. Creatine peptides can also be easier on the body than creatine protein powders. You will still need to train to increase your muscle mass, but peptides can help your workouts go farther.

Peptide Side Effects

Of course, you won’t be surprised to learn that taking peptides comes with some side effects. For most people, peptide supplements will be similar enough to the peptides they’re getting in their food that they shouldn’t have significant problems. However, people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, living with a medical condition, or taking medications may need to use more care.

Peptides are still in the early stages of research, and doctors aren’t sure quite what side effects they may cause yet. If you’re in one of the categories we just listed, be sure to talk to your doctor before you start taking peptides. And no matter what your physical status, make sure you don’t use more than 10 grams per day, and always talk to your doctor before you start a new supplement.

Peptide Risks

With all these benefits, it may seem like peptides are the magic pill that can cure all our ails. But as we know, there’s no one magic cure, and peptides come with their own set of risks. One of the primary ones is that there is currently no regulatory body overseeing peptide production.

Peptides can be expensive, and you may buy a bottle that claims to be a certain kind of peptide in a certain dose. But because there are no regulations controlling peptide production or sale, you could easily be buying a bottle of a completely different substance. Not only will you have wasted your money, it’s possible you could wind up taking something dangerous by mistake.

Safe Peptide Use

Before you begin taking peptides or any other new medication or supplement, you should always talk to your doctor. They can take a look at your body’s unique needs and let you know what peptides you should use and which ones you shouldn’t. Peptides may also interfere with medications you’re already taking, so it’s important that you discuss your best treatment options with your doctor.

You should also always make sure to get your peptides from reputable vendors. While the FDA regulates traditional medications, there is no organization that regulates production of supplements. When you buy from vendors you can’t trust, you run the risk of getting something other than what the label claims you’re buying.

Learn More About Peptides

Peptides can be a fantastic way to strengthen your body, whether you want firmer skin or bigger muscles. These proteins are natural and work with your body’s built-in systems to produce more of the substances you need. Always make sure you talk to your doctor before beginning any new supplement, and make sure you’re only buying from reputable providers. 

If you’d like to further answer the question, “What do peptides do?” check out the rest of our site at Lyf Fit. We have information about peptides, supplements, and other natural remedies that can improve your health. Check out our articles about peptides and start strengthening your body the natural way today.