Peptide Therapy: BPC 157: Could BPC 157 be the Great Healer?

Could this be the answer to healing? This week we introduce you to another peptide: BPC 157.

BPC 157 is a powerful healing agent. It heals wounds and injuries anywhere in the body. It is especially being used for tendon or ligament injuries, gut repair and to reduce gut inflammation. It works quickly and doesn’t have side effects. Could BPC 157 be the Great Healer? Read on for the details!

** Please note: If you want the longer, more detailed version of this article, then please click here ** 

BPC 157 stands for Body Protein Compound 157 and is a synthetic peptide (Chang CH, 2011).

BPC 157 has huge potential. It speeds up the healing of wounds and has other powerful effects on health (Chang CH, 2011).

So far, the research has mainly been done on small rodents so BPC 157’s effects on humans is still being researched (Gwyer D, 2019). Scientists are still trying to understand the precise healing mechanisms of BPC 157 (Gwyer D, 2019).

What Can BPC 157 Do?

Healing:

BPC 157 benefits almost all organs, even when given at low doses (Chang CH, 2011). It has anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory effects (Chang CH, 2011). BPC 157 is used in wound healing.

Gut:

BPC 157 can be very useful in gut repair to return the gut to good health, as it protects cells and organs (Sikiric P, 2017). It heals gastric and whole intestinal tract lesions and wounds, fistulas, blood vessels and neurons (Sikiric P, 2017). With these properties, BPC 157 can be used for leaky gut, gut repair, weaning off PPIs (proton pump inhibitor drugs), heart repair and other tissue repair needs.

Tendons & Ligaments:

BPC 157 can regenerate tissue (Chang CH, 2011) and improve tendon, ligament and bone healing (Seiwerth S, 2018). BPC 157 can help heal different kinds of tissue, including skin, muscle, bone, ligament and tendon. 

Repairs Damage:

It can protect against the negative effects of alcohol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, such as Ibuprofen) on the gastric cells and lining (Sikiric P, 2020). It helps with side effects of NSAIDs, which is primarily damage to the liver (Sikiric P, 2017).

Leaky gut syndrome is a result of increased gut permeability. This is caused by things like physical stress, mental stress, NSAIDs, alcohol, pesticides and many other contributing factors; which can all make the gut ‘leaky’. BPC 157 can heal leaky gut syndrome (Park JM, 2020).

Other Benefits:

BPC 157 can improve behavioral disturbances due to overstimulated or damaged neurotransmitters systems. It modulates serotonin and dopamine (Sikiric P, 2016).

BPC 157 counteracts cancer cachexia (a wasting syndrome common in cancer patients) and muscle wasting (Sikiric P, 2020).

Anecdotally it is being used to reduce gut inflammation and heal leaky gut, and to heal muscle, tendon or ligament injuries.

How Does BPC 157 Work?

It is not entirely clear how BPC 157 works but there are theories:

• It is attracted to signaling molecules produced by injured tissues, yet exactly how this works is not known.
• It is thought to speed up angiogenic repair (Seiwerth S, 2014). Angiogenesis is the creation of new blood vessels and is critical for wound healing.
• BPC-157 increases the delivery of nutrients and various healing factors that are required for growth and repair. This increases the healing of joint structures, tendons, and ligaments.
• It is also thought to upregulate growth hormone receptors in injured tissues (Chang CH, 2014). This amplifies the effect of growth hormone and helps speed healing.

Side Effects?

According to studies, there are no side effects or toxic effects from using BPC 157 (Chang CH, 2011). Few studies report any adverse reactions (Gwyer D, 2019).

The effect of BPC 157 is quick and usually occurs after one dose, while long-lasting effects also occur (Chang CH, 2011).

It is best to work with an experienced Functional Medicine practitioner when using peptides. Our clinic can help you with BPC 157 or other peptides.

** Please stay tuned for our next blog on Peptide Therapy **

As always, please get in touch with us. If you or someone you know is struggling with an injury, gut damage or general health issues, contact our clinic today.