Something else I just heard about, from the “Biohacking” world: Body protecting compound (BPC)-157. This is a gut peptide that people believe can act as an “anti-aging” agent. (Vukavic 2022). It was originally studied for potential benefits for inflammatory gut conditions using animal models, based on observed “cytoprotective” actions such as wound healing, but has since been studied in other inflammatory conditions, and is being tested (but no published results yet) in humans to address Ulcerative Colitis and Multiple Sclerosis (Seiwerth 2021).
Compared to other supplements, BPC157 has a huge advantage. Unlike most gut peptides, which are broken down by gastric juice, BPC-157 is stable and therefore can be taken orally. It is also water soluble meaning it does not need to be given oil or alcohol, which can be unpalatable. This is super convenient for commercialization!
Does it really live up to the hype?
This is hard to know, because although there are a fair number of research papers published about it, most of the papers come from animal or in vitro models (e.g. cultured tissue) from the same group. There not very much information from human studies, and FDA has made no evaluation of safety or effectiveness. As long as it is marketed as a “supplement”, evidence of effectiveness and safety are not required. Caveat emptor! (Buyer beware). It might be safe. Or not. It might have “cytoprotective” effects. Or not.