Dr. Abud Bakri on Huberman Lab: peptides, uses and safety

The episode is titled Peptides: The Science, Uses & Safety | Dr. Abud Bakri and runs about 2 hours 48 minutes. It covers BPC-157, GHK-Cu, the bioregulators pinealon and epithalon, GLP-1 medications and retatrutide, melanotan, peptides that raise growth hormone, where people get these compounds, and the gap between animal data and human evidence.

The background below is general context written for this page. For what Dr. Bakri said about any of it, listen to the full conversation.

BPC-157 is a synthetic chain of 15 amino acids based on a sequence found in a protein in human gastric juice. It is popular for tendon, ligament and gut recovery. It is one of the main peptides Huberman and Dr. Bakri discuss.

Most of the research is in rats and in cell cultures, where it has been studied for tendon healing, wound repair and gut injury. Human data are very limited, with no large controlled trials. It is not approved by the FDA for any use, and in 2023 the FDA listed it among bulk substances that raise significant safety concerns for compounding.

GHK-Cu is a small peptide of three amino acids bound to copper. It occurs naturally in human blood, and levels are lower in older adults. You will find it in many skin and hair products.

The evidence comes mainly from lab studies and small cosmetic trials of topical products. Injected GHK-Cu has much less human research behind it, so safety and dosing for that route are not well established.

Pinealon and epithalon (also spelled epitalon), both covered in the episode, are very short peptides sold as bioregulators. Epithalon is a four-amino-acid peptide modeled on an extract of the pineal gland. Both came out of a research program in Russia that studied them for aging.

Much of the published work comes from that one group, and a lot of it is in cells and animals. Independent, well-controlled human trials are scarce, so claims about lifespan or sleep in people rest on thin evidence.

GLP-1 medications come up at length in the episode. GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic a gut hormone that affects appetite, stomach emptying and insulin release. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are FDA approved for type 2 diabetes and for chronic weight management, and they have large human trials behind them. Tirzepatide also acts on a second hormone receptor, GIP.

Retatrutide acts on three receptors: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. It is investigational. It has been tested in clinical trials but has not been approved by the FDA, and versions sold online as research chemicals come with no guarantee of what is in the vial. Common side effects across this drug class include nausea and other stomach symptoms.

Melanotan refers to lab-made versions of a hormone that darkens skin. A related drug, afamelanotide, is approved for a rare condition that causes severe pain from light. Melanotan II, the version usually sold online for tanning, is not approved in the United States.

Reported side effects of unapproved melanotan include nausea, flushing and changes in moles, and health regulators in several countries have warned people against buying it.

Some peptides prompt the pituitary gland to release more growth hormone. They work in two main ways. Some copy the hormone that signals the pituitary (sermorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin), and others act on the ghrelin receptor (ipamorelin and the GHRP family).

Tesamorelin is FDA approved for one narrow use, reducing excess belly fat in people with HIV-related lipodystrophy. Most of the others are not approved, and long-term human safety data are limited. Raising growth hormone and IGF-1 can affect blood sugar and fluid balance. This group of peptides is part of the conversation on the episode.

Sourcing is a large part of the episode. Many peptides people use are bought online and labeled research use only or not for human consumption. That label means they are not made or tested to drug standards. A vial can hold less or more than the label says, a different compound, or contaminants such as bacterial toxins, and you have no way to tell by looking.

Compounding pharmacies are regulated, but the FDA restricts which bulk substances they can use, and several popular peptides are on that restricted list.

Results in rats often do not carry over to people. Animals in these studies are often given doses, routes and timing that do not match how people use the compounds, and many promising animal findings fail in human trials. Huberman and Dr. Bakri come back to this difference during the episode.

The most reliable evidence comes from randomized, controlled trials in people, run long enough to catch side effects. For many popular peptides those trials have not been done.

The episode is free on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The Huberman Lab website has the official show notes and timestamps, which help if you want to go straight to one topic.

This page is a reference for a podcast appearance. It does not recommend any peptide, dose or source, and it does not make you Dr. Bakri's patient. If you are thinking about using a peptide or a GLP-1 medication, talk to a clinician who knows your history, your medications and your labs.