00:00:00
This peptide was originally isolated as a gastric juice.
00:00:03
So meaning it played a major role in just gut protection and gut repair.
00:00:08
We've learned though clinically that BPC 157 actually goes far beyond that.
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And here's what really makes it so powerful.
00:00:15
It accelerates tissue repair.
00:00:17
It supports tendon, ligament, and muscle healing.
00:00:19
It improves joint recovery, protects and repairs the gut lining, and supports anti
00:00:25
angiogenesis, which meaning it improved blood flow to like injured tissues.
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So, you have knee, elbows from playing pickleball, whatever it is, that's what it
00:00:35
does.
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Welcome to Health Decoded, your number one source for real health information with your
00:00:41
host, doctor Alessi and Matt Tack.
00:00:46
Welcome to Health Decoded, your cohost, Matt Tack.
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I'm actually running solo today with doctor Alessi out, so I have a very special episode
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for you in order.
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So as we dig into this Christmas week, we're wrapping up an incredible year at Alessi
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Functional Health, and I wanted to do something a little bit different for this solo episode
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because there's one topic that consistently gets people excited, curious, and asking great
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questions in our clinic.
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It's peptides.
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So, I'm going to be talking a little bit about peptides, but full transparency, I use peptides
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on an everyday basis.
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We prescribe them across many of our clinic protocols.
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When used correctly, they could be used as one of the most powerful tools to help you age or
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even help you feel ten years younger.
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So whether you're listening to this while wrapping presents, traveling for the holidays,
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or sneaking in a Christmas workout, maybe eating a few cookies too, this episode is for
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you.
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Today, I'm gonna break down what peptides actually are and why they're becoming such a
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big part of modern functional and longevity medicine, and my top five peptides that I
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believe everyone should at least be educated on.
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This isn't about hype, this is just pure education.
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So, let's dig in.
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What is a peptide?
00:02:14
So before we talk about specific peptides, we need to make sure everyone understands what a
00:02:20
peptide actually is because there's a lot of confusion out there.
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Simply put, peptides are short chain amino acids that act as signaling molecules in the
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body.
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So, to give you an example, if you think of a full length novel, peptides are sentences or
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even paragraphs, small, specific, and very, very targeted.
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So, to peptide education, which we get it from Peptide University, that's how we stay up to
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date on everything, standards used in clinical programs, Peptides function by this, sending
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messages between cells.
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They also turn biological processes, either on or off, and support healing, repair,
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metabolism, immunity, and even hormone signaling.
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So, your body already makes thousands upon thousands of peptides naturally.
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So then what's the issue?
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As we age or as inflammation sets in, stress, gut issues, even chronic disease pile up, our
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natural peptide production naturally is going to decline as we age.
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So, that decline shows up in a slower healing process, poor recovery, joint pain, gut
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dysfunction, skin aging, hormone imbalances, and a general feeling of, man, don't really
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bounce back like I used to.
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So, clinical peptide therapy is about restoring signals the body already understands.
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So, not forcing it to do something completely unnatural.
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That's why peptides fit so beautifully into the functional medicine protocol.
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They don't override physiology, they just purely remind it.
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Alright, so now let's dig into my top five that now you've been educated at just what a peptide
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is.
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So, BPC-one 157, they call this the repair peptide.
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If I had to pick one peptide that consistently just delivers across the board, it's gonna be
00:04:24
BPC-one 157.
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BPC-one 157 stands for the body protecting compound, and this peptide was originally
00:04:31
isolated as a gastric juice.
00:04:34
Meaning it played a major role in just gut protection and gut repair.
00:04:39
So, we've learned though clinically that BPC-one hundred fifty seven actually goes far
00:04:44
beyond that.
00:04:45
And here's what really makes it so powerful.
00:04:48
It accelerates tissue repair.
00:04:51
It supports tendon, ligament, and muscle healing.
00:04:53
It improves joint recovery, protects and repairs the gut lining, and supports
00:04:59
angiogenesis, which meaning it improved blood flow to like injured tissues.
00:05:05
So, you have knee, elbows from playing pickleball, whatever it is, that's what it
00:05:10
does.
00:05:11
So, in the clinic, what do we use it for?
00:05:14
So, we use it for that chronic joint pain, tendon, ligament issues.
00:05:20
You have post surgical recovery, it's good for leaky gut and inflammatory gut conditions is
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really what we predominantly use it for.
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And then patients who just like don't feel like they heal like they used to, When you say that,
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VPC one hundred fifty seven is your go to.
00:05:36
So, I love about it because it does the actual it supports the actual repair of that tissue,
00:05:43
of whatever's going on.
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Gut lining, tissue repair, doesn't matter.
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It targets the source.
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So, this is one of those peptides where patients always come back and say, I didn't
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just feel better, I actually healed a lot faster.
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So, there's a big, big distinction between those two.
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So, we want to make sure that you are healing faster because people want to feel better
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faster.
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And then you also feel and heal better than you you were before.
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So, here is number two.
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I'm gonna step into number two because these actually run-in parallel with one another.
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So, BPC one hundred fifty seven is great comboed up with TB five hundred, and they call
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this the system healing accelerator peptide.
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So this is derived from ethomycin, which is a beta four peptide.
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It's BPC 157 is the precision repair tool, hyper focused where the inflammation exists.
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TB 500 is the system wide connector.
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So, they talk to one another.
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It works by supporting cellular migration to injured areas, it's reducing inflammation,
00:06:54
improve flexibility and mobility in tissues, and enhancing overall recovery capacity.
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So, clinically, what do we use this for?
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Injuries are widespread or complex, recovery has stalled, and there's really that chronic
00:07:09
inflammation layered in old injuries.
00:07:12
So I, as an athlete, love this one because the value in it is so high.
00:07:19
I call myself the forever athlete, but it's also good for the weekend warriors, the aging
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joints, and just patients with those musculoskeletal joint disease or even just
00:07:30
those old injuries that may have occurred.
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So the big takeaway here that I want you to take with TB five hundred, it doesn't just heal
00:07:38
one spot, it's a global connector and improves the environment for healing throughout the
00:07:43
body.
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So that's why BPC one hundred fifty seven and TB five hundred are often combined as a blend.
00:07:50
And they do blend peptides, so that is a those are two very good common blends that we'll
00:07:56
actually issue in our protocols.
00:07:58
Now let me step into number three.
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It's GHKKU, the longevity and regeneration peptide.
00:08:06
So let's talk a little bit more about this.
00:08:07
It's a longevity focused peptide, also known as the copper peptide.
00:08:13
This peptide actually naturally, you naturally decline with age.
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That's why supplementation exists.
00:08:20
So, that decline correlates with skin aging, you'll lose that collagen in your skin, poor
00:08:26
wound healing, hair thinning, increased inflammation.
00:08:30
So, I have thinner hair, that's why I use it.
00:08:31
I want to protect the hair that I have.
00:08:33
So, GHKU has also been shown to support collagen production and elastin production,
00:08:42
improve skin quality and the overall firmness of it, enhanced wound repair.
00:08:46
It also modulates inflammation, and, it does support nerve and tissue regeneration just like
00:08:53
the top two I aforementioned.
00:08:55
Yes.
00:08:55
It's popular in aesthetics, but here's the thing.
00:08:58
Clinically, it's much more than a cosmetic peptide.
00:09:01
GHKU supports cellular communication and repair at a genetic expression level, which is why
00:09:09
it's often discussed with the longevity research.
00:09:13
So this is one of those peptides that just doesn't look like it's a, oh, I'll get you
00:09:19
feeling younger.
00:09:20
It actually helps your tissues behave younger.
00:09:23
So it's going to the core.
00:09:25
And during the holidays, so when you're sleep stressed and then the sugar intake is always a
00:09:29
little bit higher, that's what really matters.
00:09:31
It's a great compliment, to those things when you get you kind of get in a season of maybe a
00:09:37
little bit of bad habits, right?
00:09:38
Copper peptide is a great, great tool.
00:09:42
So now let's dig into mind number four, the inflammation and gut regulator, which is also
00:09:49
known as KPV.
00:09:51
This is a short peptide derived from the alpha MSH.
00:09:56
This is one that is huge, huge, huge for gut health, immune regulation, and inflammatory
00:10:02
conditions.
00:10:04
So KPV works by reducing inflammatory signaling, supporting the gut lining integrity,
00:10:12
and then helping calm an overactive immune response.
00:10:15
We're always like putting stress on the immune system.
00:10:19
So it is always overactive.
00:10:21
We're getting hit in multiple different directions.
00:10:23
That's why KPV is such a great peptide for that.
00:10:26
So in practice, we use KPV for patients dealing with chronic gut inflammation, autoimmune,
00:10:33
autoimmune patterns of dysregulation, skin inflammation, food sensitivities, and
00:10:39
systematic inflammatory load.
00:10:41
So here's why KPV matters so much.
00:10:45
You cannot out supplement a dysregulated immune system, but KPV helps restore balance instead
00:10:53
of suppression.
00:10:54
So, for many patients, it's the missing piece in finally calming that inflammation at the
00:11:01
root of where it's coming from.
00:11:04
Hope that helps.
00:11:05
So, number five, my number five peptide is actually I got a one and then a bonus.
00:11:11
It's what I call a blend, as you can blend the others too.
00:11:17
But, this one is called CJC twelve ninety five plus an iprimalin blend, the recovery and
00:11:24
growth duo.
00:11:25
Again, I use all these on a daily basis and micro supplementation, but this is one of the
00:11:32
most well known and effective combinations.
00:11:35
Here's why.
00:11:36
These peptides work together to support natural growth and hormone release, not synthetic
00:11:42
growth hormone, your own.
00:11:45
So the benefits here include improved sleep quality, better recovery, increased lean muscle
00:11:52
support, which everyone needs as they age, enhanced fat metabolism, and improved energy
00:11:59
and overall vitality.
00:12:01
This combo is especially powerful because CJC twelve ninety five extends the growth hormone
00:12:07
signaling to become stronger and more resilient, and ampermirelin stimulates or
00:12:12
releases that without spiking the cortisol levels.
00:12:15
So it keeps your cortisol levels at a neutral.
00:12:18
So here's the translation.
00:12:20
You recover better, sleep deeper, and feel more resilient.
00:12:24
When you want that, right?
00:12:26
Without the harsh side effects of people associating with just older approaches.
00:12:31
So for many adults, this is the peptide combo that makes them say, I finally feel like myself
00:12:38
again.
00:12:39
So in closing, I wanna just wrap this up as we close out 2025.
00:12:47
And here's what I want you to remember.
00:12:49
Peptides aren't magic, but they are messengers.
00:12:52
So when used appropriately under medical supervision, they can help your body do what it
00:12:57
was designed to do, heal, recover, and thrive.
00:13:02
So if you're curious about peptides, like I was and I dug in functional medicine or what
00:13:09
personalized protocol could look like for you, head on to Alessi Functional Health and book an
00:13:14
introductory appointment.
00:13:17
So as always, if you heard this on the podcast, please make sure when you come into the clinic,
00:13:23
let us know.
00:13:23
And if you found value in today's episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with
00:13:28
someone who wants to feel stronger, younger, and healthier heading into the new year.
00:13:34
So from all of us at Alessi Functional Health, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and cheers to
00:13:41
an even healthier 2026.
00:13:43
Thank you again for listening in to Health Decoded.
00:13:46
I'm Matthew Tech, and I'll see you on the next one.
00:13:50
Thank you for tuning in to Health Decoded, where we break down the truth about all things
00:13:55
health and empower you to take charge of your well-being.
00:13:58
If you found value in today's episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with
00:14:04
someone who needs to hear this.
00:14:06
For more resources and personalized support, visit us at alessifunctionalhealth.com and sign
00:14:11
up for our newsletter.
00:14:13
To hear your questions answered live on the show, send them to askalessifxhealth dot com.
00:14:19
That's askalessifxhealth dot com.
00:14:24
Until next time, stay curious, stay empowered, and remember, your health is in your hands.