The growing popularity of peptides has moved beyond research labs and into mainstream consumer culture. On TikTok and Instagram, the hashtag #peptides has amassed hundreds of millions of views, driven by a community of “biohackers” seeking biological optimization. These individuals practice “peptide stacking,” a method of combining multiple molecules to accelerate muscle gain or skin rejuvenation.
However, this popularity is based on a major biological misunderstanding regarding the absorption of these substances. The Inserm recently issued an official warning denouncing the lack of scientific evidence for the effectiveness of peptides sold commercially. The institution emphasizes that most of these compounds are broken down during digestion, losing all specificity before reaching their target.
Beyond ineffectiveness, the digital black market raises crucial public safety concerns. Products purchased online are not subject to any purity or dosage control, exposing users to toxic impurities. The misuse of these hormonal messengers poses risks of serious metabolic disorders and could, in some cases, promote uncontrolled cell proliferation. This trend highlights the need for caution and informed decision-making when considering peptide supplementation.
What Exactly is a Peptide?
A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. If proteins are giant strands of pearls (like insulin or hemoglobin), peptides are fragments of these strands—shorter and more agile. In our bodies, they serve as messengers, telling our cells to produce collagen, release hormones, or repair tissue.
If these molecules command our bodies to be younger or stronger, why not add more? That’s where the problem lies. As the Inserm points out, just because a substance is natural in the body doesn’t mean that external intake is effective or safe.
Peptide Mania: The Illusion of Collagen and Baby Skin
The first playground for peptide mania is cosmetics. We are promised creams and supplements capable of boosting collagen production—the protein that keeps skin firm and declines with age.
But there’s a catch: the gastric barrier. When you swallow a collagen peptide, your digestive system does its job. It breaks it down. Once ingested, these valuable peptides are transformed into simple amino acids.
To the body, it’s a protein intake just like an egg or a piece of chicken. The idea that they will travel intact to the cells of your face to fill a specific wrinkle is, to date, science fiction advertising. “There is no serious study that supports this,” the Inserm emphasizes.
Weightlifting: “Peptide Stacking,” a High-Risk Practice
If the cosmetic aspect sometimes elicits a smile due to its ineffectiveness, the athletic side of this trend is much darker. The practice of “stacking” is emerging—injecting or ingesting multiple types of peptides simultaneously to maximize muscle growth or fat loss. Here, we’re not talking about small moisturizing creams, but powerful molecules, often diverted from their medical use, such as secretagogues of growth hormone.
The danger is twofold. First, these products are mostly purchased from opaque websites, often based abroad, without any pharmaceutical control. You never really know what the vial contains.
Second, playing with your hormones is never harmless. Artificial and anarchic stimulation of certain biological pathways can have serious systemic effects. We are talking about cardiovascular risks, metabolic disorders, and, more worryingly, the proliferation of cancer cells. If a peptide orders cells to divide faster to build muscle, it can also, inadvertently, supply the same order to a latent tumor.
The Time of Science is Not That of Social Networks
We live in an age of immediacy where we wish to “hack” our own aging. But medical research obeys a long timeline. The Inserm recalls that it takes an average of ten to fifteen years for a drug to be authorized for the market. This time is essential to test toxicity, define doses, and observe long-term side effects. The current peptide trend bypasses all these safety steps to respond to a simple aesthetic or athletic desire.
It is important to clarify that peptides are not inherently bad; they are even a fascinating area of research. Medicine already uses them successfully to treat real diseases:
- Diabetes: insulin is the most well-known and widely used peptide in the world.
- Neurological diseases: studies are exploring their ability to protect neurons.
- Cancers: some peptides serve as targeted carriers for chemotherapy.
However, the use of these molecules by healthy people has never been the subject of rigorous clinical trials. Taking peptides out of the hospital setting and injecting them into a fitness routine turns users into voluntary guinea pigs. Without scientific hindsight, no one can predict the health status in ten years of those who succumb today to “peptide mania.”
So, How to Maintain Firm Skin and Toned Muscles?
Since miracle powders and internet injections are at best useless, at worst dangerous, how do you maintain firm skin and toned muscles? The answer from science is less spectacular, but much more effective: you must provide the body with the right building materials so that it works itself!
For collagen, your body knows how to make it from the proteins you eat (meat, fish, eggs, legumes) and vitamin C, which is essential for this production. The real priority is to protect the collagen you already have. According to dermatologists, the sun is the number one enemy. UV rays break down skin fibers much faster than any supplement. Daily sunscreen and quitting smoking are the most powerful gestures in the world.
On the muscle side, the finding is the same. Physical progress relies on a simple tripod: regular training, sufficient protein intake, and quality sleep. It is during the night that your body naturally releases its own hormones to repair tissues. By respecting these basic principles, you achieve lasting results without disrupting your body.
GOOD TO KNOW
Beyond the health risks, the use of many peptides is illegal outside a strict medical setting. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), most peptides aimed at performance (such as those stimulating growth hormone) are classified as prohibited doping products. In France, purchasing these substances on unauthorized sites is punishable by criminal sanctions for possession or importation of poisonous products.
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Ma Santé
