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Peptides are short chains of amino acids, spanning food-derived bioactive peptides and research compounds. Ranked by the strength of their clinical evidence — with honest notes on where the science is still early.
Strongest evidence: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Liraglutide.
An FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonist (Ozempic/Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy for chronic weight management) with genuinely strong, large-RCT evidence for glycemic control and substantial weight loss, plus a cardiovascular-outcomes benefit. Honest appraisal: this is a real prescription medicine with real efficacy AND real risks — a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, pancreatitis and gallbladder risk, very common GI side effects, and growing concern about grey-market/compounded versions. It is included here for reference only, not as a supplement and not auto-recommended.
An FDA-approved prescription medication (Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, Zepbound for obesity and obstructive sleep apnea), not a dietary supplement. Honest appraisal: in head-to-head phase-3 trials it is the most effective approved weight-loss drug to date — up to ~21% body-weight loss over 72 weeks and superior to semaglutide — but it is a real medicine with real risks: a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, common GI side effects, and pancreatitis/gallbladder signals. Do not source or use it outside a prescription.
An FDA-approved, once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist (Victoza for type 2 diabetes, Saxenda for chronic weight management). Honest appraisal: a real prescription medicine with genuinely strong large-RCT evidence for glycemic control and moderate weight loss, plus a cardiovascular-outcomes benefit (LEADER). It also carries real risks — a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, pancreatitis and gallbladder risk, very common GI side effects, and lean-mass loss with weight loss. Included here for reference only; it is NOT a supplement and is not auto-recommended.
An FDA-approved once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist (brand Trulicity) for type 2 diabetes, with genuinely strong, large-RCT evidence for lowering HbA1c plus a dedicated cardiovascular-outcomes trial (REWIND) showing a ~12% reduction in major cardiovascular events. Honest appraisal: this is a real prescription medicine with real efficacy AND real risks — a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, pancreatitis and gallbladder risk, very common GI side effects, and modest (not semaglutide-tier) weight loss. It is included here for reference only, not as a supplement and not auto-recommended.
A prescription anabolic bone-building drug — the recombinant N-terminal fragment of human parathyroid hormone, PTH(1-34), sold as Forteo. Honest appraisal: this is one of the few peptides on this site with genuinely strong evidence. The pivotal 1637-woman NEJM trial (Neer 2001) cut new vertebral fractures by about two-thirds and nonvertebral fragility fractures by about half, and the head-to-head VERO trial beat risedronate for new vertebral fractures. It is NOT a supplement: it is an FDA-approved, daily subcutaneous injection reserved for osteoporosis patients at high fracture risk. It carried a boxed warning for osteosarcoma (based on rats) and a 2-year lifetime-use limit; the FDA REMOVED both in 2020-2021 after long-term human surveillance found no increased osteosarcoma risk.
A prescription anabolic (bone-building) osteoporosis drug — the medicine Tymlos — a synthetic analog of parathyroid-hormone-related peptide PTHrP(1-34), FDA-approved in 2017 for postmenopausal women at high fracture risk and later for men. Honest appraisal: unlike most peptides sold online, this one has a REAL pivotal phase-3 fracture RCT (ACTIVE) plus a sequential-therapy extension (ACTIVExtend) and several network meta-analyses — strong evidence for its narrow osteoporosis indication, with a slightly smaller trial base than its older sibling teriparatide. It is a daily subcutaneous injectable prescription drug, not a dietary supplement. It raises bone density and cuts vertebral and nonvertebral fracture risk, but it carries a HISTORICAL rat-based osteosarcoma signal (the boxed warning and 2-year cumulative-use limit were REMOVED by the FDA in 2020-2021), causes hypercalcemia (less than teriparatide) and orthostatic dizziness, and must be obtained and supervised by a prescriber.
The first-in-class GLP-1 receptor agonist — an FDA-approved prescription drug for type 2 diabetes (Byetta twice-daily, Bydureon once-weekly). Honest appraisal: it genuinely lowers HbA1c and produces modest weight loss in solid phase-3 RCTs (the DURATION program), but its dedicated cardiovascular-outcomes trial, EXSCEL, was NEUTRAL on its primary endpoint (HR 0.91, P=0.06 for superiority). It is older and less potent than newer agents (liraglutide beat it head-to-head; semaglutide and tirzepatide are stronger still), and it is increasingly superseded in practice. Listed here for reference only — a prescription medicine, not a supplement, and not auto-recommended.
A placental glycoprotein hormone that acts as a long-acting LH analogue: it binds the LH/CG receptor on testicular Leydig cells (and ovarian theca cells) to drive sex-steroid production. Honest appraisal: it is genuinely well-established for inducing ovulation/the final-maturation 'trigger' in female fertility, for inducing spermatogenesis in men with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and for maintaining intratesticular testosterone and sperm production in men on testosterone therapy who want to preserve fertility. Its proven benefits are confined to the gonadal axis — it does not improve systemic longevity or healthspan, and grey-market/compounded sourcing carries real risks.
An investigational ORAL, non-peptide small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity and type 2 diabetes — the headline is the convenience of a once-daily pill (no injection, no cold chain, no food/water restrictions) delivering GLP-1-class glycemic and weight benefit. Honest appraisal: the phase-2 data are strong and the first phase-3 read-outs (ATTAIN/ACHIEVE) are promising, but it is INVESTIGATIONAL and not yet approved as a general weight-loss medicine, has the full GLP-1-class side-effect burden (very common dose-dependent nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, higher discontinuation than injectables in some comparisons), and the expected thyroid C-cell class warning and long-term outcomes are unsettled. It is NOT a dietary supplement; listed here for reference only.
An investigational once-weekly injectable peptide that activates THREE receptors at once — GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon. Honest framing: in a 48-week phase-2 obesity trial it produced the largest mean weight loss yet reported for an incretin-class drug (about -24% at the top dose), and it cut liver fat dramatically in a MASLD substudy. BUT it is NOT APPROVED anywhere — the first phase-3 trial (a type-2-diabetes trial, TRANSCEND-T2D-1) has now reported but the phase-3 obesity and cardio-kidney-outcome (TRIUMPH) program is still ongoing as of 2026, so long-term safety and hard outcomes are unknown. It is a prescription-pathway drug, not a dietary supplement, and the 'retatrutide' sold grey-market online despite no approval is especially risky.
An investigational once-weekly injectable peptide that activates TWO receptors — glucagon and GLP-1 — being developed by Boehringer Ingelheim for obesity and MASH. Honest framing: in a phase-2 dose-finding obesity trial it cut bodyweight ~14.9% at 46 weeks (planned-treatment, top dose), and in a separate phase-2 MASH trial it improved liver histology in up to 62% of participants versus 14% on placebo — genuinely strong phase-2 signals. The first phase-3 read-outs have now landed (SYNCHRONIZE-1 obesity: ~13% weight loss at 76 weeks; SYNCHRONIZE-MASLD: 84% vs 24% achieved ≥30% liver-fat reduction), broadly confirming the phase-2 signals. BUT it is still NOT APPROVED anywhere and there are no completed cardiovascular-outcome (SYNCHRONIZE-CVOT) data. It is a prescription-pathway investigational drug, not a dietary supplement, and grey-market 'survodutide' sold online is especially risky.
A synthetic α-melanocyte-stimulating-hormone (α-MSH) analogue and melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) agonist that drives eumelanin production. IMPORTANT: distinguish two very different things. (1) The PRESCRIPTION DRUG afamelanotide (Scenesse) is a 16 mg subcutaneous implant placed by a clinician, FDA-approved (2019) and EMA-approved (2014) to prevent phototoxicity in adults with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) — backed by genuine Phase 3 RCTs. (2) Grey-market 'melanotan I' injected for cosmetic tanning is the SAME molecule sold unregulated, of unknown purity/dose, and is unsafe — associated with mole/nevus changes and is not a supplement. This entry covers the drug honestly; it is not a recommendation to self-inject.
An investigational once-weekly injectable long-acting amylin analogue developed for weight management. Honest framing: in a 26-week phase-2 dose-finding trial it produced ~6-11% mean weight loss as monotherapy (top dose modestly beating liraglutide 3 mg), and combined with semaglutide ("CagriSema") it drove larger weight loss in early trials. BUT cagrilintide is NOT APPROVED as a standalone drug — the evidence is phase-1/phase-2 only, with no phase-3 efficacy or hard-outcome data for monotherapy. It is a prescription-pathway drug, not a dietary supplement, and grey-market versions are especially risky. Note the CagriSema combination is a separate product on its own development track.
An FDA-approved once-daily GLP-1 receptor agonist (brand Adlyxin in the US, Lyxumia elsewhere) for type 2 diabetes. Honest appraisal: a short-acting, prandial GLP-1 with modest efficacy — it lowers HbA1c by roughly half a percentage point and produces only small weight loss, with its main strength being post-meal glucose control. Its cardiovascular-outcomes trial (ELIXA) was NEUTRAL: no increase but also no reduction in cardiovascular events. It is a real prescription medicine, not a supplement, and is now largely superseded by stronger weekly GLP-1s (semaglutide, dulaglutide). Included for reference only — not auto-recommended.
An investigational once-weekly injectable GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist (an oxyntomodulin analogue, IBI362/LY3305677) developed mainly in China by Innovent and Eli Lilly for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Honest appraisal: real phase-2 and phase-3 randomized trials show clinically meaningful weight loss (~12-17% at higher doses) and HbA1c reduction, but the evidence is almost entirely single-region (Chinese) and recent. It was approved in China in 2025 — it is NOT FDA-approved and is not available or approved in the West. It is a prescription drug, not a dietary supplement.
An FDA-approved synthetic analog of the beta-cell hormone amylin (brand Symlin), injected before meals as an adjunct to mealtime insulin in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Honest appraisal: this is a real prescription drug, not a supplement, with genuine but modest efficacy — roughly a 0.3-0.5% HbA1c reduction and ~1-2.6 kg weight loss as an insulin adjunct. It carries a BOXED WARNING for severe insulin-induced hypoglycemia (especially in type 1 diabetes), commonly causes nausea, and requires reducing mealtime insulin when starting. Listed here for reference only; not a supplement and not auto-recommended.
A melanocortin-receptor (MC4R) agonist peptide for low sexual desire. Important honest framing: unlike most 'research peptides', bremelanotide is an FDA-APPROVED prescription drug — Vyleesi, approved 2019 — for acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in premenopausal women, self-injected subcutaneously on-demand. It has real phase-3 RCTs (the RECONNECT program). The catch: the approved-trial benefit was statistically significant but small (a fraction of a point on desire scales), nausea is very common, and it transiently raises blood pressure. Grey-market 'PT-141' vials sold online are NOT the approved drug and are unregulated.
A prescription growth-hormone-releasing-hormone (GHRH) analog — the drug Egrifta — FDA-approved in 2010 to reduce excess visceral abdominal fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy. Honest appraisal: unlike most peptides sold online, this one has REAL phase-3 randomized trials, but ALL of them are in ART-treated HIV patients with excess belly fat. The off-label 'anti-aging' / bodybuilding use that drives grey-market demand is NOT what the trials studied. It is a prescription injectable, not a dietary supplement; it raises IGF-1, its benefit fully reverses when you stop, and grey-market vials are unregulated.
A 28-amino-acid immunomodulating peptide. Unlike most peptides marketed online, this one is a genuine APPROVED DRUG (thymalfasin / Zadaxin) in ~35 countries — though NOT in the US — for chronic hepatitis B/C and as a vaccine adjuvant, and it has real human RCTs and meta-analyses. Honest framing: the best evidence is for hepatitis B/C antiviral response (often as an add-on to interferon/entecavir) and immune restoration in critically ill patients; sepsis and COVID-19 data are mixed (one COVID meta-analysis found benefit, another found none overall). This approved/trial evidence is NOT the same as the 'anti-aging / immune-boost' marketing attached to grey-market injectable vials.
Two milk-casein-derived tripeptides — Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) — produced by fermenting milk with Lactobacillus helveticus or hydrolysing casein. They inhibit ACE in vitro and have been studied extensively for blood pressure. Honest appraisal: multiple meta-analyses find a small, statistically-significant drop in systolic/diastolic BP, but the effect is modest, heterogeneous, larger in Japanese than Western trials, and dented by clear publication bias plus outright-null trials (e.g. the Dutch Engberink RCT).
An investigational once-weekly injectable, exendin-based (exenatide-lineage) GLP-1 receptor agonist most famous for the AMPLITUDE-O cardiovascular-outcomes trial — the first to show that an EXENDIN-based (rather than human-GLP-1-based) agonist reduces major adverse cardiovascular events AND kidney-outcome events in high-risk type 2 diabetes. Honest framing: in AMPLITUDE-O (NEJM 2021, n=4,076) efpeglenatide cut MACE by ~27% and a composite kidney outcome by ~32% versus placebo, and across its phase-2/3 program it lowered HbA1c (up to ~1.0-1.2%) and bodyweight (placebo-adjusted up to ~7 kg in obesity without diabetes). BUT it is INVESTIGATIONAL and not FDA-approved or marketed anywhere; the proven benefits are metabolic and cardiorenal (HbA1c, weight, MACE, kidney) — NOT a demonstrated lifespan/longevity outcome. It carries the full GLP-1-class GI side-effect burden (very common dose-dependent nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). It is a prescription-pathway investigational drug, not a dietary supplement, and grey-market 'efpeglenatide' is especially risky.
Recombinant human growth hormone — the classic performance and 'anti-aging' hormone. FDA-approved as a prescription injectable ONLY for growth-hormone deficiency and a handful of other conditions, where replacement reliably improves body composition. But its anti-aging and athletic reputation OUTSTRIPS the evidence: in healthy older adults and athletes, randomized trials and systematic reviews (Liu 2007/2008) show only small body-composition changes, NO functional or strength benefit, and MORE adverse events — edema, arthralgia, carpal tunnel, and impaired glucose tolerance. Distributing or using it for anti-aging or sport is illegal in the US, and it is NOT a dietary supplement. This is a gated harm-reduction reference, not a recommendation.
A milk-derived bioactive peptide — a tryptic hydrolysate of bovine αs1-casein standardized to the decapeptide α-casozepine (Lactium) — marketed for stress, anxiety, and sleep. Honest appraisal: the mechanism is real and food-derived (α-casozepine binds the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor in vitro), and a handful of small human RCTs show modest reductions in stress symptoms and cortisol plus some sleep-diary improvements. But several trials are industry-linked, two well-designed sleep RCTs were null on their primary endpoint, and effects are small. Well-tolerated; this is an ordinary dietary supplement, not a drug.
An injectable neuropeptide preparation made from enzymatically digested pig (porcine) brain tissue — a mix of low-molecular-weight peptides and free amino acids marketed as a neurotrophic agent for stroke, dementia and traumatic brain injury. It is approved and widely used in Russia, China and parts of Europe/Asia, but is NOT FDA-approved. Honest appraisal: the highest-quality syntheses contradict the marketing. The Cochrane review of acute ischaemic stroke found no benefit on death or function and a possible harm signal (more non-fatal serious adverse events); the Cochrane review of vascular dementia rated the evidence very-low-quality and warned any benefit may be too small to matter. Many positive trials and meta-analyses are industry-funded and heterogeneous.
A synthetic copy of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the hypothalamic decapeptide that drives the pituitary to release LH and FSH. Honest appraisal: it has genuine, trial-backed roles as a diagnostic agent (the GnRH/gonadorelin stimulation test) and — delivered in pulses by an infusion pump — for inducing ovulation in hypothalamic amenorrhea and spermatogenesis in men with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Its now-trendy use in men's TRT clinics (compounded, to 'maintain testosterone/fertility' alongside testosterone, often replacing hCG) is largely off-label and has NOT been validated in controlled trials for that purpose.
A nine-amino-acid hormone with two very different stories. As an IV drug (Pitocin/Syntocinon) it is an established, supervised hospital medicine for inducing/augmenting labor and controlling postpartum bleeding. As a grey-market intranasal 'love/bonding/trust' spray it is largely UNPROVEN — the largest, most rigorous autism RCT (Sikich 2021, NEJM) was negative on its primary outcome, and replication of the famous single-dose social effects has been poor.
An 11-amino-acid peptide derived from the helix-B domain of erythropoietin (EPO) that selectively activates the innate repair receptor (an EPO-receptor/CD131 heterocomplex) to trigger anti-inflammatory and tissue-repair signaling WITHOUT the red-blood-cell-stimulating (erythropoietic) effect of EPO. Honest appraisal: investigational only. There are real but small phase-2 human trials — most notably in sarcoidosis-associated small-fibre neuropathy and in type-2-diabetic neuropathy — showing improved neuropathic-pain symptoms and corneal small-nerve-fibre regrowth. It is not an approved drug, not a dietary supplement, and the trials are small with mixed/surrogate endpoints.
Short ACE-inhibitory peptides from enzyme-digested dried bonito (Katsuobushi) fish muscle — notably the dipeptide Val-Tyr ("VY") and the prodrug-type pentapeptide LKPNM — sold as a food-derived supplement for blood pressure. Honest appraisal: a handful of small, mostly Japanese, often industry-linked RCTs show a modest blood-pressure drop in people with mild/high-normal hypertension, on the same ACE-inhibition mechanism as related fish/sardine and milk (lactotripeptide) peptides. The effect is small, the trials are small, and benefit concentrates in (pre)hypertensive people — not normotensives.
The pharmaceutical-grade version of IGF-1 — an FDA/EMA-approved prescription injectable, but approved ONLY for a rare childhood growth disorder (severe primary IGF-1 deficiency / Laron syndrome), where it genuinely raises height velocity in clinical trials. It is the regulated counterpart to the grey-market igf-1-lr3 peptide bodybuilders inject, and shares the same core risks. Crucially, there is NO trial supporting its off-label use for muscle, performance, or anti-aging in healthy adults — and IGF-1's documented harms (hypoglycemia, intracranial hypertension, lymphoid/tonsillar hypertrophy, and a theoretical cancer concern because IGF-1 is mitogenic) are real. Not a dietary supplement, not a longevity drug.
An injectable analogue of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (the first 29 amino acids of GHRH) that stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone. Honest appraisal: this WAS an FDA-approved prescription drug (Geref) with real human trials — for diagnosing GH deficiency and treating GH-deficient children — but it was discontinued commercially. Its current marketing as a compounded 'anti-aging' peptide is off-label and is NOT what those trials validated.
A proapoptotic research peptide that destroys the blood supply of white fat. It is a 'homing' peptide (CKGGRAKDC) that binds prohibitin on the vasculature of white adipose tissue, fused to a proapoptotic sequence that then kills those blood vessels — causing the fat they feed to be resorbed. The honest status: this is PRECLINICAL ONLY. Adipotide caused real, rapid weight loss in obese mice AND in obese monkeys, but in the monkey study it also caused dose-limiting kidney toxicity (changes in the renal proximal tubule). There has NEVER been a human trial of any kind — no safety, no efficacy, nothing. It is not an approved drug or a dietary supplement; it survives as a grey-market 'research use only' injectable with no quality control. Low score: a striking animal proof-of-concept shadowed by renal toxicity and zero human data.
Insulin is a life-saving prescription hormone for diabetes — and, used illicitly by bodybuilders as an off-label 'anabolic,' one of the most dangerous performance drugs in existence. The theory is nutrient partitioning: insulin drives glucose and amino acids into muscle and suppresses muscle-protein breakdown. But there is NO controlled evidence that insulin builds muscle or improves performance in healthy, non-diabetic athletes — and a non-diabetic who injects it risks profound, sometimes FATAL hypoglycemia (coma, seizures, brain injury, death), plus fat gain. This is a harm-reduction reference documenting a popular, deadly misuse, NOT a recommendation and NOT a dietary supplement.
An investigational once-weekly long-acting amylin analogue (Zealand Pharma's ZP8396, partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim) being developed for obesity. Honest framing: petrelintide is EARLY-STAGE — the only published human data are two phase-1 (single- and multiple-ascending-dose) trials in which it was well tolerated, had a ~10-day half-life, and produced up to ~8.6% weight loss at 16 weeks. There is NO published phase-2/3 efficacy, durability, or hard-outcome data yet. The optimism for it is largely CLASS-BASED — amylin analogues like cagrilintide and pramlintide cause weight loss — not petrelintide-specific long-term evidence. It is an investigational prescription-pathway drug, not a dietary supplement, and grey-market versions are especially risky.
A topical cosmetic peptide — a leave-on skincare ingredient, NOT something you swallow, inject, or take as a supplement, and NOT a drug. Argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-8, also sold as acetyl hexapeptide-3) is a six-amino-acid fragment modelled on the SNAP-25 protein. It is marketed as 'topical Botox' because, in cell systems, it interferes with the SNARE complex that nerve endings use to release neurotransmitter, in theory slightly relaxing the tiny muscle contractions that create expression lines. There ARE real human topical studies — small, short, vehicle-controlled split-face wrinkle trials — and they do show modest reductions in the appearance of fine lines. But the effect sizes are small, several of the trials are industry-linked, and this is a cosmetic effect on wrinkle APPEARANCE, not a health outcome. It is generally well tolerated on skin. This entry exists to describe a cosmetic ingredient honestly, not to recommend an ingestible supplement.
An investigational mitochondria-targeting tetrapeptide that binds cardiolipin in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Honest appraisal: it is one of the most rigorously trialed mitochondrial peptides — real Phase 2/3 randomized trials exist — but its pivotal studies were largely negative. The Phase 3 MMPOWER-3 trial in primary mitochondrial myopathy MISSED its primary endpoints, and the EMBRACE-STEMI reperfusion-injury trial failed to reduce infarct size. The clearest positive signals are in the ultra-rare Barth syndrome and in open-label / exploratory data, not in confirmatory trials. It is not an approved drug and not a dietary supplement; grey-market injectable sourcing is unstudied.
A naturally occurring copper-binding tripeptide used in topical skincare for collagen support and skin repair. Honest appraisal: the believable human evidence is TOPICAL/cosmetic — and even there it's thin and mostly formulation-level (e.g. one small RCT after laser resurfacing where patients felt their skin was better but objective measures didn't differ). Most mechanistic claims come from in-vitro and animal work. The injectable use sold on the grey market has no human safety or efficacy data and is research-use-only.
A 64-amino-acid peptide released from kappa-casein during cheese-making, sold both as a whey-derived satiety supplement and (amino-acid-fortified) as a low-phenylalanine protein for PKU. Honest appraisal: the appetite/satiety evidence is genuinely mixed — several acute RCTs found NO effect of GMP itself on CCK, satiety ratings, or food intake, while a few found small reductions in energy intake. Its established, evidence-supported use is as a near-phenylalanine-free protein substitute in phenylketonuria, where it works as well as (not clearly better than) amino-acid formulas.
A hypothalamic neuropeptide (from the KISS1 gene) that sits at the top of the reproductive hormone axis — it stimulates GnRH neurons to release LH and FSH. It has a genuinely rigorous human-research record, largely from the Dhillo group at Imperial College London: kisspeptin-54 has been tested as an IVF egg-maturation trigger, in hypothalamic amenorrhea, and for sexual/emotional brain processing. Honest framing: this is legitimate investigational science, NOT an approved drug or a dietary supplement, and the grey-market 'libido peptide' sold online is not the supervised clinical product.
A topical cosmetic peptide — a leave-on skincare ingredient, NOT something you swallow, inject, or take as a supplement, and NOT a drug. Matrixyl is palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 (pal-KTTKS), a fatty-acid-attached fragment of type I collagen; the popular 'Matrixyl 3000' blend pairs palmitoyl tripeptide-1 with palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7. Rather than relaxing muscle like Argireline, Matrixyl is a 'signal peptide' marketed to nudge skin fibroblasts to make more collagen and extracellular matrix. There ARE real human topical studies — most notably a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, split-face trial that found modest but significant reductions in fine-line appearance — alongside in-vitro work showing it raises collagen/ECM genes. But the human effect sizes are small, several trials are industry-linked or null, and this is a cosmetic effect on skin APPEARANCE, not a health outcome. It is generally well tolerated on skin. This entry describes a cosmetic ingredient honestly, not an ingestible supplement.
An orally-active, non-peptide ghrelin mimetic (growth-hormone secretagogue) grouped with the GH-secretagogue peptides. Honest appraisal: real human RCTs show it reliably raises GH and IGF-1 and modestly increases fat-free mass — but the trials that tested whether that translates into real clinical benefit FAILED. It did not improve strength or physical function in healthy elderly, did not slow Alzheimer's (n=563), and the hip-fracture-recovery trial was stopped early for a heart-failure safety signal. It is an investigational drug Merck never brought to market, not a regulated supplement, and it is banned in sport.
Short, bioactive fragments enzymatically cleaved from soy protein — soy protein hydrolysates plus named peptides like lunasin and soy ACE-inhibitory peptides. Unlike whole soy protein (a complete protein with an FDA cholesterol claim) or soy isoflavones (phytoestrogens), these are specific peptide fragments studied for cholesterol, blood pressure and antioxidant effects. Honest appraisal: the evidence is mostly in-vitro and animal. The one published human RCT (lunasin) was null. Emerging, not established.
A grey-market research chemical with NO human trials of any kind — every result below is from mice or cells. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), not a peptide (it's grouped here with research peptides by category convention). In diet-induced-obese mice, an NNMT inhibitor limited fat-mass gain and improved glucose tolerance — a genuinely interesting preclinical signal. But it has never been tested in a single human, it is not an approved drug or a regulated dietary supplement, and it is sold online with no quality control. Its long-term safety and its effects on human NAD+/methylation metabolism are completely unknown. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
An investigational myostatin/activin 'trap' whose only human trial in patients was STOPPED for safety. ACE-031 is a fusion protein of the activin receptor type IIB (ActRIIB) extracellular domain and an IgG1-Fc, engineered by Acceleron Pharma to soak up myostatin and related ligands and thereby release the brake on muscle growth. It has real human data — a single-dose study in healthy postmenopausal women showed a genuine ~3% gain in lean mass — but its phase 2 trial in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was HALTED after the second dosing regimen because of bleeding-related safety signals (nosebleeds/epistaxis and telangiectasias, dilated surface blood vessels). It is NOT an approved drug, development was discontinued, and anything sold grey-market under this name is unregulated. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A synthetic fragment of human growth hormone (hGH 176-191) that was developed as an anti-obesity drug — and FAILED. Honest appraisal: its clinical development for obesity did not pan out; the human trials did not produce meaningful weight loss beyond placebo, and the program was discontinued as an obesity drug. It is NOT an approved medicine or dietary supplement: it is now sold grey-market 'for research use only' for fat loss, a use that the failed trials never supported. The supportive data are preclinical (lipolysis in obese mice/rats and cartilage repair in a rabbit knee model), and it is a WADA-banned substance.
A synthetic 15-amino-acid research peptide (a fragment of a protein found in gastric juice) widely promoted online for tendon, gut and wound healing. Honest appraisal: essentially the entire evidence base is preclinical — rat studies and cell experiments from a small number of research groups. There are NO published randomized controlled trials in humans; the only human reports are a couple of tiny, uncontrolled case series. It is not a dietary supplement: it is sold 'for research use only' and the FDA has effectively barred it from compounding.
A synthetic long-acting analog of growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), promoted online to raise GH and IGF-1 for muscle, fat loss and 'anti-aging'. Honest appraisal: the only real human data are two small early-phase pharmacokinetic / safety studies from ~2006 that showed it raises GH and IGF-1 for days — they were never followed by efficacy trials in muscle, body composition or aging. There are NO human outcome RCTs. It is not a dietary supplement: it is sold 'for research use only', is injectable, and is banned by WADA. The original DAC version's clinical development was abandoned.
A low-molecular-weight polypeptide complex extracted from cattle/pig brain cortex, registered and very widely prescribed as a neuroprotective 'nootropic' medicine in Russia and CIS countries — so it has real (if mostly Russian-language and methodologically weak) human studies. Cortexin is given by intramuscular injection for stroke, cognitive impairment, epilepsy and pediatric neurology, with claimed neuroprotective and antioxidant effects mediated via glutamatergic/GABAergic activity. Animal work shows it crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds AMPA/kainate/GABA receptors. But the honest picture is sobering: in a rigorous double-blind rodent stroke comparison, cortexin was no better than saline (only cerebrolysin beat placebo), and Russian human trials are typically small, unblinded, single-center, and often show cortexin underperforming comparator drugs. It is NOT FDA-approved or a dietary supplement. Treat the neuroprotection claims as weakly evidenced.
A synthetic angiotensin-IV-derived peptide developed as a procognitive/anti-dementia research compound, promoted online as a potent nootropic. Honest appraisal: all efficacy data are in rodents and cell culture — there are no published human trials. Research-use-only.
A grey-market research peptide whose human evidence is a handful of small, old, and equivocal studies — and no modern, adequately-powered trial. DSIP (delta sleep-inducing peptide) is a nine-amino-acid neuropeptide named in the 1970s for inducing delta (slow-wave) EEG activity. Small 1980s studies in severe insomnia (some open-label, some double-blind placebo-controlled) reported improved sleep, but the positive controlled trials were tiny and mostly from a single investigator, while an independent double-blind crossover trial concluded any sleep benefit was 'of little clinical significance.' A later randomized anaesthesia study found DSIP paradoxically lightened — not deepened — anaesthetic depth and reduced delta rhythm. Most newer data is from rats. DSIP is not an approved drug or a lawful dietary supplement; it is sold online as an unregulated injectable research chemical with unknown long-term safety. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A synthetic pineal tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) promoted online as a 'longevity' / telomerase-activating peptide. Honest appraisal: nearly the entire evidence base comes from a SINGLE research group (Khavinson and colleagues at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation & Gerontology) and is animal-lifespan, cell-culture, and low-rigor human 'geroprotector' reports — with almost no independent replication. The headline 'telomerase activation' rests on one group's fetal-fibroblast experiments, and the human longevity data are mostly on the crude pineal extract (Epithalamin), not the pure peptide. It is NOT a regulated dietary supplement — it is sold injectable 'for research use only'.
A myostatin/activin-binding protein with essentially NO human evidence as an injectable supplement — the real human data are from gene-therapy trials that deliver the follistatin GENE, not the grey-market peptide sold online. Follistatin is a naturally occurring protein that binds and neutralizes myostatin and activin, the molecules that restrain muscle growth. In animals, follistatin (or the follistatin gene) produces dramatic, myostatin-knockout-like muscle hypertrophy, and small open-label gene-therapy trials in Becker muscular dystrophy and inclusion-body myositis reported walking-distance gains. But none of that is the same as injecting recombinant follistatin peptide, which has never been tested in a controlled human supplement trial. It is not an approved drug or a regulated supplement, and the grey-market injectable is unregulated. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A designed senolytic peptide that disrupts the FOXO4–p53 interaction to selectively kill senescent ('zombie') cells. Honest appraisal: the landmark and follow-up evidence is entirely in mice and cell culture — there are no human trials. Sold grey-market for 'anti-aging'; research-use-only.
A synthetic ghrelin-receptor (GHS-R1a) agonist that triggers a pulse of growth hormone from the pituitary. Honest appraisal: the human data are short biomarker studies (acute GH/IGF-1 rises and a validated diagnostic GH-stimulation test) — it's approved ONLY in Japan as a diagnostic agent. The injectable/intranasal use sold grey-market for muscle, fat loss, and anti-aging has NO outcome trials, and it's banned in sport by WADA.
A synthetic hexapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue (a ghrelin-receptor / GHS-R1a agonist) promoted online to raise GH and IGF-1 for muscle and 'anti-aging'. Honest appraisal: the real human data are short pharmacokinetic and provocative-test studies showing it transiently raises GH (and cortisol) and triggers strong hunger — it is used clinically mainly as a diagnostic GH/HPA-axis stimulus, not as a treatment. Cardioprotection and tissue-cytoprotection are mostly PRECLINICAL (rat) findings, though a small open-label phase I/II stroke trial (GHRP-6 combined with EGF) reported safety and a functional-recovery signal. There are NO human RCTs for any muscle, fat-loss or anti-aging use. It is not a dietary supplement: it is an injectable 'research use only' chemical and is banned by WADA.
A synthetic hexapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue (a ghrelin-receptor / GHS-R1a agonist) that triggers a sharp pituitary GH pulse. Honest appraisal: real human studies confirm it acutely raises GH, but the GH response partially DESENSITIZES (attenuates) with continued dosing, it also raises cortisol and prolactin, and there are NO body-composition or clinical outcome trials. A grey-market, research-use-only injectable — not an approved drug or a regulated dietary supplement, and WADA-banned.
A mitochondrial-derived peptide (a sibling of MOTS-c) studied for cytoprotection, neuroprotection, and metabolic effects. Honest appraisal: the evidence is almost entirely cell-culture and animal work plus human biomarker associations — there are no human efficacy trials of administered humanin. Research-use-only.
A grey-market injectable 'research peptide' with NO human efficacy trials of the analog itself — the muscle-growth marketing is extrapolated from cell-culture and animal work. IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1) is a synthetic, engineered analog of human IGF-1: three residues are changed and a 13-amino-acid extension is added so it binds the IGF-1 receptor normally but barely binds the IGF-binding proteins that normally regulate native IGF-1. The result is a far longer-acting, less-regulated IGF-1 signal — which is exactly why bodybuilders inject it and exactly why it is concerning. It was created as a laboratory reagent (it drives cell proliferation in culture and organ/myoblast growth in fetal-sheep infusions), not as a medicine. There has never been a published human trial of IGF-1 LR3 for muscle, strength, or anything else. It is not an approved drug or a regulated supplement; it is an unregulated grey-market injectable. Activating the IGF-1 axis carries theoretical cancer-promotion risk (IGF-1 receptors are overexpressed on many tumors), and in animal infusions it suppressed insulin secretion and lowered blood glucose — a real hypoglycemia signal. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A selective synthetic pentapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue (ghrelin/GHS-R1a agonist) sold for research use only. Honest appraisal: the evidence is mostly animal pharmacology showing it triggers a clean GH pulse; an early human PK/PD study confirmed it does release GH in people, but only as a short biomarker pulse — no human efficacy data exist. Its one real clinical-outcome story — a phase-2 trial as a postoperative-ileus drug — FAILED its endpoint (no significant difference vs placebo), and that clinical development stalled. It is not an approved medicine, not a regulated dietary supplement, and is banned in sport.
A grey-market research peptide with NO completed human trials — every efficacy result below is from mice, rats, or cells. KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide (Lys-Pro-Val) of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and it carries α-MSH's anti-inflammatory activity without the pigment-inducing effect. In mouse and rat models of ulcerative colitis it consistently reduces gut inflammation, and reviews flag related melanocortin tripeptides as candidates for skin-wound healing. But KPV has never been tested in a completed human efficacy trial, it is not an approved drug or a lawful dietary supplement, and it is sold online as an unregulated research chemical with no quality control. Its human dosing, route, and long-term safety are unknown. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A grey-market injectable α-MSH analog sold for tanning ('the Barbie drug'). Chemically it is the SAME peptide as the approved drug afamelanotide (Scenesse). Honest appraisal: as an unregulated tanning injectable it has no efficacy/safety validation; its evidence base belongs to the regulated form for a rare blood disorder. Research-use-only.
An unapproved, grey-market injectable melanocortin peptide sold illegally online as a 'tanning' agent (and for erections). Honest framing first: melanotan-2 is NOT an approved medicine anywhere — it is an unlicensed, unregulated research chemical with no quality control. Its documented harms are serious: new and changing moles, case reports of MELANOMA, rhabdomyolysis, priapism, nausea/flushing, renal infarction, and posterior reversible encephalopathy. It does NOT replace sun protection and may mask or accelerate skin cancer. Do not confuse it with bremelanotide (PT-141 / Vyleesi), the FDA-approved melanocortin relative — they are different compounds, and melanotan-2 has nothing comparable to bremelanotide's phase-3 evidence.
A grey-market injectable 'research peptide' with NO human efficacy trials — the muscle-growth marketing is extrapolated from cell-culture and animal work. MGF (mechano growth factor) is not a separate hormone but an alternatively spliced variant of the IGF-1 gene — the IGF-1Ec isoform — that muscle produces transiently after mechanical loading or damage. Its distinctive C-terminal 'E peptide' is thought to help activate satellite (muscle stem) cells and kick off repair before the mature IGF-1 portion takes over. That biology made it interesting to muscle physiologists; grey-market vendors then turned the synthetic E-peptide (often as 'PEG-MGF', a PEGylated longer-lasting version) into an injectable for bodybuilders. There has never been a published human trial of injected MGF for muscle, strength, or recovery. The real evidence is preclinical: in animals, MGF injection into injured muscle reduced fibrosis and inflammation but did NOT improve fiber regeneration; in cells, MGF E-peptide promotes proliferation and shows neuroprotective effects. It is not an approved drug or a regulated supplement; it is an unregulated grey-market injectable. Because MGF is part of the IGF-1 system, activating that axis carries the same theoretical cancer-promotion concerns, and an unsterile injectable adds infection risk. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide promoted as a metabolic regulator and 'exercise mimetic'. Honest appraisal: the evidence is almost entirely preclinical (mouse and cell studies of AMPK activation, insulin sensitivity, exercise capacity, and bone) plus human ASSOCIATION/observational studies (circulating MOTS-c vs age, metabolic status, exercise). There are essentially NO interventional human trials of administered MOTS-c — nobody has run a randomized trial giving it to people. It is not a regulated dietary supplement; injectable product is sold 'for research use only'.
A synthetic three-amino-acid 'Khavinson' peptide (Glu-Asp-Arg) with only thin, low-quality evidence — almost entirely in-vitro and animal work from a single Russian research group, plus a handful of small, unblinded human 'biological age' reports. Pinealon is marketed as a neuroprotective, anti-aging 'cytogen' bioregulator. Its preclinical literature describes effects on neuron survival, learning, serotonin-related gene expression, and caspase-3 under hypoxic stress — but these come overwhelmingly from one institute, are mostly non-clinical, and have not been independently replicated or tested in rigorous blinded human trials. It is not an approved drug or a regulated dietary ingredient, and the material sold online is an unregulated grey-market peptide. This entry exists to inform, not to recommend.
A synthetic heptapeptide anxiolytic developed in Russia as an analogue of the immunopeptide tuftsin, dosed intranasally. Honest appraisal: the evidence is limited and largely Russian — mostly rat/mouse anxiety and immune-modulation studies plus a small number of low-rigor human anxiety studies. There is essentially no independent Western replication, no large well-controlled trial, and no Western regulatory approval. It is not a regulated dietary supplement and is sold for research use only outside Russia.
A synthetic heptapeptide (an analogue of the ACTH(4-10) fragment) developed in Russia and used there intranasally as a neuroprotective 'nootropic' for ischemic stroke and cognition. Honest appraisal: the mechanistic evidence (BDNF/TrkB induction, monoamine modulation, neuroprotection) is mostly rat and cell studies from a small cluster of Russian labs, and the human data are Russian stroke/cognition trials of variable rigor with very little independent replication. It is NOT a regulated dietary supplement outside Russia — sold 'for research use only', with no Western regulatory approval and unknown long-term safety.
A topical 'anti-wrinkle' cosmetic peptide (acetyl octapeptide-3), an elongated relative of argireline that is marketed to relax expression lines by mimicking a SNARE-complex fragment. Honest appraisal: independent human evidence for SNAP-8 specifically is minimal; most support is manufacturer data and extrapolation from argireline. A topical cosmetic ingredient, not a supplement or drug.
A grey-market injectable peptide sold as a synthetic fragment of thymosin β-4 (Tβ4), an endogenous actin-sequestering protein. Honest appraisal: the regenerative claims rest almost entirely on animal and cell studies of the parent peptide Tβ4 (cardiac, wound, tendon, liver, eye). There are NO published human efficacy-safety RCTs of 'TB-500' itself — only early-phase Tβ4 trials in dermal ulcers and the eye, a tiny retrospective injection case-series, and biomarker cohorts. Research-use-only; banned in sport (WADA).
A polypeptide complex extracted from the thymus, registered as an immunomodulator medicine in Russia and several CIS countries — so unlike grey-market peptides it has real (if mostly Russian-language and low-quality) human studies. Thymalin is promoted to 'normalize' immune function by stimulating T-lymphocyte differentiation, with claimed uses in respiratory infections, COVID-19 adjuvant therapy, and even longevity. The headline evidence is striking but weak: an open-label Russian cohort reported a 2-fold drop in mortality in elderly people treated with thymalin (± a pineal peptide) over 6-8 years, and unblinded COVID-19 series reported lower hospital mortality when added to standard care. Almost none of this is double-blind, placebo-controlled, or replicated outside Russia/CIS; sample sizes are small; mechanism work is largely in-vitro. Western regulators have NOT approved it. Treat the longevity and mortality claims with strong skepticism.
A synthetic pentapeptide (Arg-Lys-Asp-Val-Tyr) reproducing the active site of the thymic hormone thymopoietin. Unlike grey-market peptides, thymopentin was a genuinely registered immunomodulator drug — marketed as Timunox in Italy and widely used in China — so it has real Western randomized trials behind it, not just anecdote. The strongest data are small placebo-controlled RCTs in active rheumatoid arthritis from the 1980s (Lancet, German multicentre) showing short-lived symptomatic improvement, and a 352-patient double-blind HIV trial where it modestly delayed disease progression. But the evidence is old, heterogeneous, and short-duration; benefits faded weeks after stopping; it failed as a vaccine adjuvant in at least one trial; and it is NOT an FDA-approved drug or a dietary supplement. Modern meta-analyses pooling Chinese adjuvant-therapy trials (tuberculosis, lung cancer) report benefits but are dominated by low-quality, unblinded studies. Treat this as a real but weakly-evidenced legacy immunomodulator, not a proven supplement.