How Do Peptides Work for Weight Loss?
Navigating strategies for weight loss can be challenging. There are so many recommendations out there. Chances are you ran into the option of using peptides for fat loss during your search for a leaner body.
Peptides are small proteins that can act as signaling molecules in your body. As a result, they can affect fat metabolism, appetite regulation, and overall energy, which may help people lose weight.
If you are interested in peptides for fat loss, this article is for you. We cover all the mechanisms behind peptides for weight loss, the scientific evidence, individual differences in results, and risk factors.
What Are Peptides?
Before we dive into the power of peptides for fat loss, let’s discuss what peptides are.
Definition and Types of Peptides
Peptides are short chains of 2 – 50 amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein (1). Because peptides are smaller than proteins, your body can break down and absorb them more easily. They have no problem penetrating your skin, moving into your intestines, and entering your bloodstream quickly.
Types of Peptides
There are two types of peptides: endogenous and exogenous. They offer both structural and functional support to your body. They support a variety of processes, including cellular communication, wound healing, and fat burning.
Endogenous Peptides
Endogenous peptides are naturally found inside your body, in your cells and tissues (1). They have a variety of functions, including forming hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, enzymes, and other biological compounds.
A good example of endogenous peptides is angiotensins, which helps to balance your blood pressure (2). Oxytocin is another endogenous peptide or peptide-based hormone that plays a critical role in reproductive health, breastfeeding, and stress response (3).
Exogenous Peptides
Exogenous peptides come from external sources like supplements, food, cosmetics, or medications. For example, insulin, which used to treat diabetes, is an exogenous peptide (9). Peptides from food can offer various benefits, such as reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, or supporting skin, hair, and nail health (4).
Other peptide-based medications include luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) agonists, which are used in treatments for ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and IVF (5, 6, 7, 8). As you will learn, some peptides are also used to support weight loss.
Food-Derived Sources of Peptides
The peptides you find in supplements can come from both animal and plant sources (11).
Animal sources of peptides include:
- eggs
- milk
- meat
- fish and shellfish
Plant sources of peptides include:
- oats
- flaxseed
- hemp seeds
- beans and lentils
- soy
- Wheat
There is also a recent interest in bioactive peptides, including collagen and creatine peptides. Collagen peptides may benefit your skin health and reduce signs of aging (12). Creatine peptides may help with increasing muscle mass and lean muscle growth (13). Recent interest shows that peptide therapy may also support metabolism and weight loss.
Role of Peptides in Metabolism
Metabolism plays a key role in how your body handles body fat, weight loss, and weight gain. Metabolism determines how efficiently your body converts the calories from food into energy. It also regulates how fat is stored or burned for energy.
Peptides have an important role in regulating your metabolism. They do this by interacting with your enzymes and hormones (1).
Peptides can bind to specific receptors on various cells to help regulate hormonal activities inside your body. For example, certain peptides may trigger the release of insulin or glucagon from your pancreas. These hormones help to regulate your blood sugar levels and directly impact your glucose metabolism, which has an impact on body weight.
Some peptides can also act as cofactors or inhibitors to enzymes—which means they can influence certain enzyme activities and the rate of metabolic reactions. This can affect your energy intake, storage, and expenditure to support normal metabolic processes.
How Peptides Aid in Weight Loss
Now that you understand what peptides are, let’s learn about peptides for fat loss.
Fat-Burning Mechanisms
One of the ways peptides aid weight loss is through aiding fat-burning mechanisms. Certain peptides, including ghrelin and adiponectin, can increase lipolysis, which is the breakdown of fat cells. They do this by releasing enzymes that can break down stored fat (14, 15, 16).
Some peptides, including melanotan II and growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) can also increase your metabolic rate and lean muscle mass development. This may improve overall fat metabolism, energy expenditure, the burning of stored fat, and metabolic health (17, 18).
Appetite Suppression
Peptides also play a key role in appetite regulation. They can influence the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. They can counteract its appetite-stimulating effects and may curb appetite and hunger and lower food intake. Due to this hunger-regulating effect, peptides may help fat loss and weight loss (19).
Common Peptides Used for Weight Loss
Let’s look at the most common weight loss peptides.
Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptides (GHRPs)
Growth hormone-releasing peptides or GHRPs play a role in stimulating the release of human growth hormone, aiding in fat loss. It supports your metabolism and increases the process of calorie burning and the usage of stored fat. It may be your best bet for losing that extra body fat that doesn’t want to budge. It’s also a great option for bodybuilders, athletes, and anyone who wants to improve their stamina and boost energy levels (20).
Melanotan II
Melanotan II was originally created to increase melanin production. However, researchers saw that it may also improve fat loss. It may help to improve fat metabolism and support appetite control (21).
CJC-1295
You may think of CJC-1295 as the marathon runner of peptide. Why? It stays in your body for a longer time than some other peptides and supports your weight loss journey for the long haul. Besides raising growth hormone levels, increasing protein synthesis, supporting muscle tissue growth, and aiding fat loss, CJC-1295 also stimulates collagen and elastin production for skin health and helps slow-wave sleep, which is linked to memory formation (22).
Tesamorelin
Tesamorelin may be a fantastic option for belly fat reduction. This is the area that most people struggly with and research has shown that tesamorelin therapy may help to reduce abdominal fat with lasting results. Combined with exercise, your results may be even better (23).
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin is another option for increasing growth hormones without extra stress. This can improve your metabolism and increase fat loss. It also stimulates your pituitary gland just like ghrelin, your hunger hormone. But unlike ghrelin, it doesn’t do this without increasing your appetite or cortisol levels. This may support long-term fat loss and weight loss (24).
Tesofensine
Tesofenine was initially researched for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, researchers found that it may also have an impact on appetite and satiety. It seems to be an effective peptide option for fat loss and weight loss (25).
MOTSc
MOTSc may increase beta-oxidation and lower fat gain even in individuals on a high-fat diet. Beta-oxidation is a metabolic process that helps to break down fatty acid molecules for more energy. It may help to increase brown fat, which is the fat that keeps you warm when you get cold. However, it can help you to lose white fat, which is the reason behind obesity (26).
GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) Analogues
GLP1 analogues recently got a lot of attention because of the weight loss drug semaglutide (Ozempic) and similar medication. They stimulate the release of insulin which can help to balance blood sugar levels. It can also help to reduce appetite. This can lead to weight loss. Though they were primarily used as a diabetes medication, they became increasingly popular for losing weight and have been touted as the next generation weight loss drugs (27, 28).
Effectiveness of Peptides for Weight Loss
Let’s look at what scientists say about weight loss peptides.
Scientific Evidence Around Peptides for Fat Loss
Research studies have shown that peptides may help your fat loss and weight loss efforts (29). A 2015 study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neurosciences has found found that melanotan II may help to reduce caloric intake, especially on a high-fat diet (21).
A 2016 review published in Substance Use and Misuse has found that CJC-1295 can be used for weight loss, muscle enhancement, youthful skin, improved sleep quality, and injury healing (22). However, they also noted potential adverse consequences, particularly for women.
According to a 2021 review published in the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, semeglutide may support weight loss for the first year, however, a plateau can occur after 60 days of use (28). According to a 2021 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, liraglutide, another GLP1 analogue, may lower appetite and support weight loss for the first year (30).
Research is ongoing on the potential uses and benefits of peptide therapy for fat loss. While many may benefit from their use for weight loss, as you will see in the next sections, individual results depend on a lot of factors, plateaus may happen, and you need to be aware of certain risks and side effects.
Individual Results
The effectiveness of peptides for weight management depends on a lot of factors. Results may differ per individual.
Genetic differences, such as variations in hormone receptor sensitivity, may play a role in how your body responds to peptide therapy. Your individual body composition, metabolic rate, and overall health status may also play a role, as well as, lifestyle factors.
Following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress can all support the effectiveness of peptides for fat loss and your overall weight loss and health goals. Poor lifestyle choices may decrease your results. Considering all the individual factors that may play a role in your success with peptides for weight loss, it is important to choose the right peptide and make appropriate lifestyle adjustments as well.
Safety and Side Effects
Though you may benefit from using peptides to help you lose weight, you should be aware of some potential side effects and safety risks.
Potential Risks of Using Peptides to Lose Weight
Using weight loss peptides doesn’t come without some potential risks. The most common side effects may range from mild to more serious issues. Mild side effects may include headaches or nausea. More serious risks include hormonal imbalances and cardiovascular issues. You should be particularly cautious about peptides that haven’t been approved by regulatory agencies.
Consulting a Healthcare Provider
It’s imperative to consult your healthcare provider before using any new medication or supplements. Considering the potential risks associated with weight loss peptides, working with a healthcare provider is important. They can advise you whether peptide therapy is right for you and recommend the right type and dosage. They can monitor your progress and potential adverse reactions and adjust your dosage as needed.
They can also help to address other underlying or co-occurring conditions. Working with a healthcare provider knowledgeable in functional and integrative medicine can also help you with dietary and lifestyle strategies to support your progress.
Consult With a Healthcare Provider About Peptides for Fat Loss
Peptides can be a great tool for fat loss and weight loss. However, there are certainly some risks to keep in mind. Results may depend on your individual circumstances and lifestyle. If you are interested in using peptides for fat loss and weight loss, it’s critical that you work with your healthcare provider to ensure safety and the best results.
If you need further help in your weight loss journey or simply want to improve your overall health, set up an appointment with us here.