Peptide Therapy

What are Peptides?

Peptides can be thought of as small proteins that act as highly specific signaling molecules in many crucial functions in our bodies. They assist in hormone production, cell signaling, and cell-to-cell communication. Researchers and clinicians alike are looking at peptides as a breakthrough in medicine because:

  • Low toxicity
  • High chemical and biological diversity
  • High potency and specificity
  • Good efficacy, safety, and tolerability
  • A broad range of targets
  • Enhances cell growth

But perhaps the biggest advantage of therapeutic peptides is the fact that they are amenable to rational design. Therapeutic peptides can be designed to be involved in virtually any cellular process. This means that they can be designed to block interactions of proteins as long as enough of the sequence of the target site is known and conditions allow for the peptide to bind it. 

What Conditions Can Peptides Therapy Treat?

Peptides can be used to treat a wide range of illnesses. The list of potential conditions that can benefit from peptides is nearly endless, but here are just a few:

  • Insomnia
  • Inflammation
  • Cancer
  • Dementia
  • Lyme Disease
  • Joint Injury
  • Erectile Dysfunction 

How do they work?

Semax has been shown to protect the body and brain from various types of oxidative damage/stress. It also improved memory and attention in a Russian study of task performance in healthy men. Semax also decreased learning time in animal studies. Other benefits include: Increases brain BDNF levels. Prevents the breakdown of enkephalins. It protects the nervous system from oxidative damage. Affects the expression of genes related to the immune and vascular systems during a stroke.

    What is peptide therapy?

    Peptides are more specific to physiologic pathways and work quicker on the cell surface. They send out multiple signals that cleans up the cellular communication in your body. Peptides work “epigenetically”, they turn off genes that manifest disease and turn on longevity promoting genes. Peptides jumpstart the healing process because they interact with hundreds of healing pathways in the body, which is also why they work quicker than most therapies. Not only do most of the peptides bypass the typical digestive barriers that can keep them from being absorbed, they activate the entire body through cell-to-cell communication so that the area in distress gets the signal instantly which leads to rapid accelerations in healing.

    Peptide therapy is a treatment method that stimulates cellular regrowth systems. Peptides are made up of short amino acid chains, and they are able to attach to receptors on the surface of cells. This allows them to provide cells and molecules with instructions for specific actions. Peptides are critical to facilitating body responses and actions, and they can be beneficial for treatments of specific concerns safely and effectively.

      What makes peptides different from hormonal therapy?

      Peptides are more precise in targeting specific pathways where hormones are broader in therapeutic action. Peptides can activate multiple pathways genetically and through the hypothalamus and pituitary while maintaining a negative feedback loop to the brain which maintains homeostasis in the body. Hormones can block the brains ability to sense what is going on because the negative feedback loop is closed, which can lead to side effects.

        Are peptides safe?

        Peptides have very low to no toxic effects and have proven safety records. They can easily be used simultaneously with other treatments like hormones, medications, and herbs with almost no contraindications.  Many peptides can be given up to a 100x greater dose than medication without any known side effects. Increasing the peptide dose doesn’t equate to a better therapeutic benefit, the body doesn’t respond to what it doesn’t need. Unlike many drugs, there’s no systems override with peptides. Like many medications that are available on the black market, so are peptides, purchasing them outside of a prescription with a knowledgeable medical provider can increase your risks. We shouldn’t have to warn you against buying peptides off of the retail black market, but we will, for your protection. 

          You may decrease your costs but what most non-regulated peptide sources are giving you are fragments of the entire peptide complex which can diminish the results. We only use peptides from carefully vetted compounding pharmacies like Wells Pharmacy, because of their safety standards and qualified controls. Each peptide prescription goes through our medical team review and audit.

          Are there any downsides of Peptide Therapy?

          The safety and efficacy profiles of peptides are unmatched in medicine today. The administration of peptides is typically a subcutaneous injection with an insulin syringe, which can be challenging for many of our practice members. We will take you through an easy training process that will simplify things for you. Peptides for weight loss and muscle building need to be taken 90-minutes away from food on either side. This can be a challenge if you eat dinner late or eat soon after waking in the morning. The cost of peptides from compounding pharmacies is higher than what you will find online by 30% on average but peptides that are patented by Big Pharmaceutical companies are typically 10 times more expensive. In our peptide programs we can bundle your peptides together which will decrease your overall investment by 20%.

          (Changing my thinking about peptides from “How much do they cost?” to, “What would I appreciate most about being the healthiest version of myself?” has given me the freedom to explore peptide therapy for the past 8 years and this along with cellular therapy has been the best investment I’ve ever made for my future.)

          What services do Pinnacle’s Peptide Health Accelerator Programs include?

          Our Collective Peptide Programs are 7 or 12-month comprehensive wellness programs that follow our novel 3/4/5 Method of Healing. You get comprehensive functional medicine testing so that the right peptides and corrective treatments are prescribed. Based on your health goals, our team creates a personalized teaching curriculum that you are coached on so that you keep your gains. You will have monthly visits in person, or virtually, to discuss progress and move you forward in your peptide therapy. Specific targets will be measured, and these monthly visits will also provide time for lab reviews if necessary.

          Below is a sample of the 40 different peptides that we use and prescribe from compliant 503a and 503b compounding pharmacy where we source our peptides.

          We Offer Peptides For:

          N

          Weight Loss

          N

          Anxiety Relief

          N

          Build Muscle + Burn Fat

          N

          Anti-Inflammation

          N

          Injury Recovery

          N

          Immune Boost

          Our Peptides

          Semaglutide:

          Semaglutide is a peptide that has shown promising results in helping people who are overweight or obese lose weight. The medication is an GLP-1 receptor agonist, which works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the body.

          One of the main benefits of semaglutide for weight loss is that it can help people feel fuller for longer periods of time. By slowing down the rate at which food moves through the stomach, semaglutide can reduce appetite and help people consume fewer calories overall.

          Semax Intranasal

          Discovered in the 1980s by Russian scientists. It is used to treat brain damage and cognitive decline. It is also a useful tool for mood and anti-anxiety. The mechanism for improving cognitive function relates to Semax effects on increasing brain chemicals like BDNF and NGF. 

          Semax can increase BDNF and NGF by 8 and 5 times the baseline and acts as a type of fertilizer for the brain to develop new neurological connections.

          Studies have shown that semaglutide can result in significant weight loss for people who are overweight or obese, even without the presence of type 2 diabetes. In clinical trials, participants lost an average of 15-20% of their body weight over a one-year period.

          In addition to promoting weight loss, semaglutide has also been associated with cardiovascular benefits, including a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. This is important because obesity is a risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases.

          Overall, semaglutide is a peptide that can provide significant weight loss benefits for people who are overweight or obese, as well as potential cardiovascular benefits. It is important to note that this medication is currently only approved for use in people with obesity, and should be used in combination with a healthy diet and exercise program under the guidance of a healthcare provider.

          Sarcotropin IPA

          Sarcotropin IPA is a unique formula that can only be obtained with a practitioner’s order. Because it is taken orally and passes through the normal digestive process it is considered to be a medical food. The body’s ability to metabolize Sarcotropin IPA through natural metabolic processes makes it highly desirable as a treatment.

          Sarcotropin IPA helps to decrease fat while allowing desirable muscle to grow. A process that is slow and difficult to achieve without it.   In the 90-day clinical trial Sarcotropin IPA demonstrated:

          • 9% Body Fat Reduction
          • 14% Reduction of Visceral Fat
          • 5% Increase in Lean Muscle
          • 16% Increase in IGF-1 Levels
          Sarcotropin

          KPV 

          KPV has both protective and anti-inflammatory effects specifically in the colon, such as Colitis.  Oral administration of KPV will diminish the inflammatory responses of epithelial and immune cells in the colon. It also decreases the incidence of active colitis, giving the colon tissue an opportunity to heal.

          BPC-157

          BPC-157 is a series of amino acids with remarkable healing properties. For the purposes of this article, note that the effects on the G.I. tract include anti-ulcer properties, cellular protection, and documented healing of leaky gut syndrome.  Lastly, it helps counteract the development of peritonitis and heal intestinal lesions after injuries.

          BPC-157 is remarkably free of side effects and drug interactions. BPC-157 is proven to be a part of an effective treatment for Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. It interacts with the protective nitric oxide generation system, raising NO levels, providing endothelium protection, and healing Ulcerative colitis lesions.

          GHK-Cu

          This peptide modulates and increases copper uptake into cells. For this reason, if you take this peptide, you must ingest an adequate daily dosage of zinc. The human peptide GHK-Cu (glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine) has multiple positive biological actions. First, it increases collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis.

          LL-37

          LL-37 is an antimicrobial peptide involved with our innate immune system of defense against microbes to help treat Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.

          Meet Your Peptides Experts

          Daniel Rasmussen is one of the leading Peptide Specialists in the nation and serves as a Regenerative Therapy and Peptide Consultant at the award-winning clinic he founded in 2010, Pinnacle Integrative Health.  He is a member of the International Peptide Society.

          As a Peptide Expert, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Functional Medicine Practitioner, Daniel brings immense innovation and cutting-edge options for those looking to recover from pain, balance hormones, increase performance or optimize their health. His clinic, Pinnacle Integrative Health, is the first Medically Managed Peptide Program that includes the use of Acupuncture, Regenerative Medicine, and Functional Medicine.

           

          Daniel believes that health isn’t a destination, and that disease doesn’t take vacations. That’s why he’s created one of the most innovative wellness curriculums in America called the “Health Accelerator Course.” 

          If not teaching, writing, or working with patients in-office or virtually, you will find Daniel in the Cascade mountains. He loves to ski, snowboard, backpack, hike, take ice baths, bio-hack, and is passionate about bringing art back into the practice of medicine.

          Maria Lorah, ARNP, FMP, Medical Provider

          Maria specializes in Functional Medicine, where all aspects of health and well-being are considered. She tries to avoid the use of pharmaceuticals, substituting what are called “integratives” which include peptides, supplements, herbals, and compounds which are often the precursors to patented drugs.

          Maria is an expert in the use of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy which is an important part of most regimens to not just prevent, but to treat disease and regain youthfulness.