I’ve written about peptides in a previous Health Tip; the most famous peptides on the planet being the two GLP-1 meds, semaglutide and tirzepatide. GLP, by the way, stands for “Glucagon-Like-Peptide”, glucagon being a hormone produced by your pancreas that raises your blood sugar. GLP-1 does the opposite, lowering your blood sugar, triggering weight loss.
Another famous peptide is insulin, now in its 101st year of clinical use.
But other peptides can build muscle mass, reduce fat, improve energy, improve sexual function, accelerate healing, strengthen immune function, increase natural HGH (Human Growth Hormone Production). If you read that list again, it sounds like access to such a miracle drug would be a ‘fountain-of-youth’. And, yes, ‘anti-aging’ is their main clinical use (although “off-label” and without FDA approval).
The two most commonly prescribed anti-aging peptides are Sermorelin and Ipamorelin.
A little more about Growth Hormone.
Growth hormone itself is a peptide, produced in your pituitary gland, the master gland sitting majestically in a curve of bone at the bottom of your brain called the sella turcica or Turkish saddle.
Not much bigger than a grape, your pituitary controls your thyroid, adrenal, and sex glands (ovaries/testes). Sorry to say your growth hormone levels decline as you age, 15% a decade starting in your thirties. Symptoms of this decline: decreased sense of well-being, declines in muscle mass, bone mass, sexual function/interest, low energy, and memory. Your only “increase” is abdominal fat.
There’s really no good way to measure growth hormone levels, no reliable blood test. Just accept the fact that your growth hormone levels will drop and either live with it or get to work and do something.
One step forward, growth hormone-wise, are either of the peptides Sermorelin and Ipamorelin which stimulate the pituitary gland to increase growth hormone production naturally. These will help you burn fat, increase muscle mass, increase cellular repair, increase bone mineral content, and recover from your workouts sooner. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll do so at a faster rate. Research gives the nod to sermorelin for consistency; bodybuilders seem to like ipamorelin.
Sermorelin appears to be superior for overall anti-aging parameters. We order it for you from the same compounding pharmacy that’s been our source for GLP-1 injections. The medication is shipped to your home and you then schedule a visit at a WholeHealth Chicago office to learn self-administration.
The usual dose is 200 mcg/day (women), 300 mcg/day (men) five days a week. Most patients notice improvement within a month and continue to feel improvement with prolonged use.
Do I need peptide therapy?
If you’re 30-40-ish or younger, and your diet is healthy, you’re pretty disciplined about exercise, and you feel good, then probably not
If you’re over 40, and you feel yourself slowly going to seed. As in the Leonard Cohen lyric, if you “ache in the places you used to play”, it might be a good time to consider sermorelin. Oh, by the way, I see sermorelin tablets for sale online. Don’t waste your money. Peptides need to be injected.
If you’re interested in peptide therapy, schedule with a WholeHealth Chicago practitioner. We’ll review the protocol and order sermorelin from the compounding pharmacy.
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD