Peptide briefs

A synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide, derived from a protein in human gastric juice, that is widely promoted for injury and gut healing but whose evidence is almost entirely from animal studies.

A synthetic growth-hormone-releasing-hormone (GHRH) analog, sold gray-market and usually stacked with ipamorelin; it reliably and durably raises growth hormone and IGF-1 in one human study, but its clinical development was abandoned after a participant death and it has no human evidence for the muscle or anti-aging uses it's sold for.

A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide with decades of skin-science research — as a topical cream it has real human data for wrinkle reduction, but the injectable form biohackers use has no controlled human evidence and can't be legally compounded.

A synthetic pentapeptide that selectively triggers short-term growth-hormone release, marketed for muscle growth, fat loss, recovery, and anti-aging — but its only human efficacy trials were for a gut condition (and failed), with no human studies behind the uses it's actually sold for.

A synthetic α-MSH analog, sold gray-market (injection or nasal spray) to tan skin and boost libido — it does measurably do both in small studies, but it is unapproved, unregulated, and linked in case reports to changing moles, melanoma, and acute toxicity.

An essential cellular coenzyme sold — directly or as the precursors NMN and NR — to slow aging and boost energy; supplements reliably raise NAD+ blood levels, but human trials have mostly not shown the promised health benefits.

A synthetic three-amino-acid 'peptide bioregulator' from one Russian research group, promoted for sleep and brain health — but its evidence is almost entirely animal and cell studies, with no human sleep trial.

An investigational Eli Lilly injectable that activates three gut/metabolic hormone receptors at once and has produced the largest weight loss yet seen in obesity trials — but is not approved or legally available outside clinical trials.

An FDA-approved GLP-1 medication (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) with strong clinical-trial evidence for major weight loss and cardiovascular-risk reduction — but that evidence applies to the prescribed, regulated drug, not to the compounded or 'research-grade' semaglutide widely sold online.

A synthetic 7-amino-acid fragment of the natural protein thymosin beta-4, sold for injury recovery — but the real human research is on the full protein, not this fragment.

The FDA-approved GHRH analog (Egrifta) — proven in trials to shrink excess visceral abdominal fat, but only approved for HIV-associated lipodystrophy; its popular off-label use for general fat loss and anti-aging in healthy people is unstudied, and it raises blood sugar.

An FDA-approved dual GIP/GLP-1 'twincretin' (Mounjaro, Zepbound) that produces the largest weight loss of any approved obesity drug and beat semaglutide head-to-head — but that evidence belongs to the regulated, prescribed drug, not to the compounded or 'research-grade' tirzepatide widely sold online.