BPC-157: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Results
27th Oct 2024
BPC 157 Peptide: Benefits and Clinical Trials
At current, BPC-157 is currently prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Agency and is not approved for clinical use by any global regulatory authorities.
The reason we bring it up is due to prior to this, it was used in various forms as a peptide for its anti-inflammatory benefits. Until, and if, it returns to shelves, have a read of this blog to learn about the current data on its benefits to see how it may help with longevity.
Jump there now:
- What is BPC-157?
- What Does BPC-157 Do for Your Body?
- Is BPC-157 Good for Inflammation?
- What About a BPC-157 Supplement?
- BPC-157 Peptide Alternatives
- End Note
BPC-157 stands for Body Protection Compound 157 and is a synthetic gut peptide — a peptide just being a chain of amino acids — made of 15 amino acids. You might also see it named PL 14736, PL-10 and Bepecin.
There are currently plenty of animal studies but very few, if any, BPC-157 human trials.
BPC-157 came in many different forms. Orally, in capsule or tablet form, it was thought to help with inflammation and had the benefit of not being destroyed by the gut as it’s a gut peptide — most peptides get broken down once in the gut. This response was more limited to the gut, so may have helped more in people with gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s.
It was also injected, which may have shown stronger results, even for gastrointestinal issues. It was suggested that it could be injected just under the skin near the belly button and may have helped with injuries around the body, systemically targeting inflammation. In this way, it was suggested to work best for injuries in tendons, where muscle connects to bone.
Further Reading: Guide to Gym Supplements
Studies into this peptide cancelled or stopped without any published results, so conclusions haven’t been made into what BPC-157 does for the body, but as mentioned, it was originally experimented on as a compound to help with inflammatory bowel disease and soft tissue healing.
In an interview with Andrew Huberman, Dr. Craig Koniver found many benefits of using BPC-157 in his clinic before it was removed by the FDA, confirming the above hypotheses that it is an anti-inflammatory and tissue healer. He also found it helped to upregulate growth hormone regulators, and in his use of the peptide in his clinic, no BPC-157 side effects were experienced.
Animal studies showed that BPC-157 has great potential for rats suffering inflammation and toxic or surgical trauma, such as healing tendons, nerves, joints, skin, stomach and intestinal tract.
Does BPC-157 increase testosterone levels? Always work with your doctor or physician when trying to increase your testosterone levels. Where BPC-157 has been trialled, it’s been suggested to not shut down your testosterone production nor disrupt fertility, but human clinical trials are needed.
What does BPC-157 do to the brain? Some animal research has shown that BPC-157 lessens brain lesions and neuronal damage. It may also have benefits on the brain-gut axis. Further studies found it may have a beneficial effect in mice after traumatic brain injuries. There has also been a suggestion it might help with cognitive performance, such as improved focus and concentration, but clinical trials are needed to confirm this.
Further Reading: All You Need to Know About Boosting Your Lifespan
It’s important to note that none of the claims mentioned in this blog are supported by human clinical trials.
One of the key claims of BPC-157 benefits is its use as an anti-inflammatory.
Anti-inflammatories are great to add to your diet as you get older and your body starts to slow down, stiffen and become achy. Even if you’re someone younger who works out and has sore muscles from your gym session or have a chronic disease (diabetes, autoimmune diseases), inflammation is paramount.
BPC-157 has been suggested and seen in some clinics ( Dr. Craig Koniver) with patients who have taken it, to reduce inflammation, meaning patients’ shoulders, knees — you name it — aren’t as swollen and sore. It may help with inflammation as well as workout recovery efforts.
In Dr. Koniver’s clinic, BPC-157 dosage began with those used in animal studies ( 500mcg per day) and then slowly increased to higher dosages (eventually up to 5000mcg per day), with a protocol of five days on, two days off. As it hasn’t been extensively studied in humans, though, no safe dosage has been found to treat specific medical conditions.
In rats, the oral dose found to be effective was 10μg/kg, or 1.6μg/kg.
Further Reading: Supplements to Help with Inflammation
With BPC-157 currently being prohibited as a supplement, this raises concerns about interested users sourcing the peptide from illegal and untrustworthy market sources. Even if it were legal, keep in mind that no supplement is FDA-approved, and the supplement runs the risk of being contaminated.
Before it was banned, a clean and pure BPC-157 supplement could be prescribed by a physician or compound pharmacist who knew about how it was made and what was inside, but now some grey market pharmaceutical companies may advertise BPC-157 without telling you fully what is in it, so it’s recommended to stay clear of anything currently being advertised as BPC-157.
Further Reading: All About Longevity Ingredients
What is the downside of BPC-157? Simply put, it’s the fact that it’s currently illegal to obtain as well as to use for clinical studies, meaning it cannot be studied for its benefits or side effects.
With all that being said, working with a physician, you might be looking for a BPC-157 alternative. There’s a newer peptide called PDA, or pentadeca arginate, that has a very similar molecular structure as BPC-157, but instead of it being an acetate, it’s an arginate — essentially just swapping out one amino acid for another. While still in early use, Dr. Craig Koniver suggests it’s currently showing some similar clinical results to BPC-157 results.
250–500mcg may be a good starting dose, with the same five days on and two days off approach, which might be something people with inflammation issues want to consider.
Further Reading: NMN for Longevity
Always speak to your medical professional before taking any supplement or drug. It’s incredibly important that you do your research and stay informed about new compounds and the claims made about them, as the goal is to improve your healthspan, not reduce it.
If you’re looking for more information about your health, feel free to read more of our blogs.
Looking for another longevity booster? Head over to our Pure NMN Capsules and Pure NMN Powder pages to see how NMN can benefit your body, or read more about it on our research page!