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James weighs in on one of the most talked about topics in functional medicine and what is coming soon to Blackburn Drug. This month, the topic I keep getting asked about is peptides. What are they? Where can we all get them? Are they safe? And why does it matter where they come from? I want to answer all of that honestly, because there is a lot of noise out there, and most of it isn't coming from a pharmacist. So let's start with the basics: Peptides are short chains of amino acids — the building blocks of protein — that act as signaling molecules in the body. Think of them as very precise messengers. Depending on the peptide, they can tell your cells to reduce inflammation, support immune function, protect neurological health, accelerate healing and recovery, improve skin, and support gut health, among others. Many have been the subject of serious clinical research. But that research is exactly why sourcing matters so much. As a pharmacist, I wouldn't recommend sourcing peptides online — and the FDA wouldn't either. Products sold as "research chemicals" or through unlicensed online pharmacies have no guarantee of purity, potency, or safety. There's simply no way to verify what's actually in the vial, and that matters when we're talking about compounds you're putting in your body. |
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