Influencers say peptides are miracle drugs that keep you young, fit and healthy. But are they safe?

Unrealistic beauty standards are nothing new, but the ever-growing list of solutions people seek out to maintain those standards seems to change day by day. First it was beef tallow, then taurine, and now peptides.

Influencers across social media are promoting peptides as “miracle” drugs, saying they help with everything from weight loss and cognitive function to anti-aging and getting glowing skin. There’s just one problem: they’re not regulated.

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While Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced earlier this year the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is weighing whether to loosen restrictions on peptides, it hasn’t happened yet. 

Still, thousands of Americans are too impatient to wait for these drugs to clear the bureaucratic red tape to get the glow up of their dreams. So they’re turning to the so-called “gray market” to get what they’re looking for.

What are peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. They’re naturally found in the human body and act as messengers to cells, telling them when to do things like produce hormones, repair damaged tissue, and reduce inflammation, according to Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Insulin, for instance, is one of the most well-known peptides.

‘Everything comes with a risk … but for me it’s so worth it’

While the human body produces its own peptides, many people are turning to lab-made creations to change their look. Despite the lack of regulation, influencers across the internet are touting the injectable drugs.

Fitness influencer Ryan Johnson, who uses his own glow up to promote himself, is a big promoter of peptides, often sharing his experiences using the drugs.

“I was an easy person to disrespect cause I wouldn’t stand up for myself physically or mentally,” he told The Guardian. “And I get a lot of young men come to me, they’re just like, ‘I wanna feel respected by the people around me so I wanna get bigger and I wanna look better, you know, but also change what I see in myself.’ Cause if you change what you see in yourself, you won’t allow people to treat you that way.”

Now, Johnson markets peptides as life changing, saying they do everything from help him achieve the perfect tan and “jacked” physique to improve his sex life.

Many of Johnson’s posts advertise the products, saying he’ll give those who directly message him the information about where he gets his peptides. When asked whether he believes he’s being irresponsible in doing so, Johnson brushed off the concerns.

“Everything comes with a risk, of course, but for me it’s so worth it,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s attitude toward the drugs seems to be common among peptide users. Heather Craig, an artist who said her illnesses kept her from being able to work, told The Guardian it doesn’t matter that the drugs are unregulated, because she doesn’t trust the FDA, anyway.

“I’m honestly not concerned,” Craig said. “It just doesn’t seem that bad. I mean, like, it’s literally a naturally occurring amino chain acid that happens in your body and they’re recreating it in a lab.”

But doctors beg to differ, saying you can’t always be sure you’re getting what you order. While there are plenty of legitimate peptides out there (like most GLP-1s), many peptides are manufactured in China and don’t adhere to U.S. health and safety standards.

A cardiologist, Dr. Eric Topol, told The Guardian that about 20% of the peptides people buy aren’t really what they’re being sold as. Guardian writer Adam Gabbatt tested that himself, ordering peptides from an online pharmacy. An independent lab found his order contained none of the peptide he paid for — but did contain arsenic and lead.

Topol also warns that there’s no scientific evidence to back up the claims about these “miracle” drugs, and there’s no telling what the long-term effects of using them could be.

“One of the very popular groups of peptides is related to growth hormone and while that could increase some muscle mass, it has no proven effect on promoting longevity or lifespan — but what it could do is unleash tumor progression,” Topol said.

The ‘gray market’

So, how are people getting their hands on these peptides if they’re not legal? Something called the “gray market.”

The gray market refers to the legal gray area into which these drugs fall. Legally, peptides can be sold for lab and research purposes — labeled “not for human consumption.” But once they’ve been shipped off, there’s no way for the manufacturer to know exactly how the drugs are being used and if humans are ignoring the warning.

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