Peptide guides
EDUCATIONAL ARTICLES20 GUIDES · 147 SECTIONSComprehensive peptide education — what they are, how they work, safety profiles, legal status, and practical protocols.
Overview
20
Guides
147
Sections
123
FAQs answered
98
Peptides referenced
Evidence-based educational content covering peptide science, safety, legal status, and practical protocols. Sourced from peer-reviewed research and clinical literature.
All guidesJump →
01What Are Peptides? A Complete Introduction8 SECTIONS→02How Do Peptides Work? Mechanisms Explained8 SECTIONS→03Are Peptides Safe? Risks, Side Effects & What the Research Says8 SECTIONS→04Peptides for Beginners: Where to Start8 SECTIONS→05Peptide Legal Status: What's Legal, Prescription, and Banned8 SECTIONS→06Peptide Safety Guide: Side Effects, Risks & Protocols8 SECTIONS→07How to Reconstitute Peptides: Dosing Math, Protocol & Storage7 SECTIONS→08Cardiovascular Peptides: A Guide to Antithrombotics, Natriuretic Peptides, and RAAS Peptides7 SECTIONS→09Gut Hormones: A Guide to Motilin, Secretin, PYY, GIP, Nesfatin-1, and Glucagon8 SECTIONS→10Antimicrobial Peptides: A Guide to Cathelicidins, Defensins, Magainin, and Clinical AMPs9 SECTIONS→11GnRH Analogs: A Guide to Agonists, Antagonists, and Clinical Uses7 SECTIONS→12Endogenous Opioid Peptides: A Guide to Dermorphin, Deltorphin, Kyotorphin, Nociceptin, and MIF-17 SECTIONS→13Thymic Peptides: A Guide to Thymopentin, Thymopoietin, Thymulin, and Thymus Extract7 SECTIONS→14Pain Peptides: A Guide to Substance P, Bradykinin, CGRP, Ziconotide, and Galanin7 SECTIONS→15Amylin Analogs: A Guide to Pramlintide, Cagrilintide, and the Amylin-GLP-1 Axis7 SECTIONS→16Collagen Peptide Types: Type I, II, III, and Hydrolysate Dipeptides Compared7 SECTIONS→17Peptide Therapeutics in Oncology: Proteasome Inhibitors, HDAC Inhibitors, and Beyond8 SECTIONS→18Somatostatin Analogs: A Guide to Somatostatin, Cortistatin, and SSTR Pharmacology6 SECTIONS→19Nootropic Peptides: Semax Variants, Selank, Dihexa, and Cerebrolysin Compared6 SECTIONS→20The Melanocortin System: α-MSH, NPY, Galanin, and Melanocortin-Receptor Pharmacology6 SECTIONS→Start here
01GUIDE
What Are Peptides? A Complete Introduction
Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds, typically containing between 2 and 50 amino acids.
8 SECTIONS · 7 FAQRead →
02GUIDE
How Do Peptides Work? Mechanisms Explained
Peptides exert their biological effects by binding to specific receptors on or within cells, triggering signaling cascades that alter cellular behavior.
8 SECTIONS · 7 FAQRead →
03GUIDE
Are Peptides Safe? Risks, Side Effects & What the Research Says
The safety of peptides cannot be addressed with a single answer because peptides are an extraordinarily diverse class of molecules.
8 SECTIONS · 7 FAQRead →
All guides
20 ARTICLES
01
What Are Peptides? A Complete Introduction
The Basics: Amino Acids, Peptide Bonds, and Molecular Structure · Peptides vs. Proteins: What Is the Difference? · Natural Peptides: What the Body Already Produces
8 sections
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02
How Do Peptides Work? Mechanisms Explained
Receptor Binding: How Peptides Communicate with Cells · The GLP-1 Pathway: Appetite, Blood Sugar, and Beyond · The Growth Hormone Axis: Secretagogues and the Pituitary
8 sections
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03
Are Peptides Safe? Risks, Side Effects & What the Research Says
Understanding Evidence Levels: Clinical Trials vs. Animal Studies · FDA-Approved Peptide Drugs: Known Side Effects · Research Peptides: What We Know and What We Do Not Know
8 sections
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04
Peptides for Beginners: Where to Start
The Major Peptide Categories: A Map of the Landscape · How to Evaluate Evidence: The Beginner's Framework · Understanding Dosing: Basics for Beginners
8 sections
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05
Peptide Legal Status: What's Legal, Prescription, and Banned
The Regulatory Framework: How Peptides Are Classified · Category 1: FDA-Approved Peptide Drugs · Category 2: Compounding Pharmacy Peptides
8 sections
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06
Peptide Safety Guide: Side Effects, Risks & Protocols
General Safety Principles: The Framework Before the Details · Side Effects by Peptide Class: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists · Side Effects by Peptide Class: Growth Hormone Secretagogues
8 sections
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07
How to Reconstitute Peptides: Dosing Math, Protocol & Storage
Supplies You Need Before You Start · The Math: Concentrations, Units, and Dose Calculations · The Physical Reconstitution Procedure
7 sections
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08
Cardiovascular Peptides: A Guide to Antithrombotics, Natriuretic Peptides, and RAAS Peptides
Peptides in cardiovascular medicine: where they fit · Antithrombotics — direct thrombin inhibitors (bivalirudin) · Anti-platelet peptides — GPIIb/IIIa antagonists (eptifibatide, RGDS)
7 sections
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09
Gut Hormones: A Guide to Motilin, Secretin, PYY, GIP, Nesfatin-1, and Glucagon
Gut-brain axis intro — why gut hormones matter · Motilin — Phase III MMC contractions and the erythromycin connection · Secretin — the first hormone ever discovered (Bayliss & Starling, 1902)
8 sections
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10
Antimicrobial Peptides: A Guide to Cathelicidins, Defensins, Magainin, and Clinical AMPs
Why AMPs matter — the antimicrobial resistance crisis · Mechanism — membrane disruption and how AMPs kill bacteria · Cathelicidins and LL-37 (human AMP family)
9 sections
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11
GnRH Analogs: A Guide to Agonists, Antagonists, and Clinical Uses
GnRH biology — hypothalamic pulsatility and LH/FSH regulation · Agonists — flare then suppression (leuprolide, buserelin, histrelin, nafarelin, alarelin) · Antagonists — immediate suppression (cetrorelix, ganirelix)
7 sections
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12
Endogenous Opioid Peptides: A Guide to Dermorphin, Deltorphin, Kyotorphin, Nociceptin, and MIF-1
Opioid Receptor Primer: μ, δ, κ, and NOP · Dermorphin: A μ-Selective Heptapeptide From Frog Skin · Deltorphin: A δ-Selective Peptide From the Same Frog Family
7 sections
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13
Thymic Peptides: A Guide to Thymopentin, Thymopoietin, Thymulin, and Thymus Extract
Thymic Biology: T-Cell Maturation and Immunosenescence · Thymopoietin: The 49-Amino-Acid Parent Protein · Thymopentin (TP-5): The Five-Amino-Acid Active Fragment
7 sections
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14
Pain Peptides: A Guide to Substance P, Bradykinin, CGRP, Ziconotide, and Galanin
Peptides in Pain Pathways: Nociceptors to Supraspinal Modulation · Substance P and the NK1 Receptor · Bradykinin and the B2 Receptor
7 sections
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15
Amylin Analogs: A Guide to Pramlintide, Cagrilintide, and the Amylin-GLP-1 Axis
Amylin Biology: A Second Beta-Cell Hormone · Pramlintide (Symlin): The First Amylin Analog · Cagrilintide: A Long-Acting Weekly Amylin Analog
7 sections
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16
Collagen Peptide Types: Type I, II, III, and Hydrolysate Dipeptides Compared
Collagen Types Primer: 28 Types Known, 3 That Matter Most · Type I — Skin, Bone, Tendon: The Structural Collagen · Type II — Articular Cartilage and the Undenatured UC-II Mechanism
7 sections
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17
Peptide Therapeutics in Oncology: Proteasome Inhibitors, HDAC Inhibitors, and Beyond
Peptide Therapeutics in Oncology: Where Peptides Fit · Proteasome Inhibitors: Bortezomib and Carfilzomib for Multiple Myeloma · HDAC Inhibitors: Romidepsin for Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma
8 sections
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18
Somatostatin Analogs: A Guide to Somatostatin, Cortistatin, and SSTR Pharmacology
Somatostatin Biology: Hypothalamic Inhibitory Hormone · SSTR1-5 Receptor Subtypes and Tissue Distribution · Cortistatin: Structural Homolog with Distinct Biology
6 sections
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19
Nootropic Peptides: Semax Variants, Selank, Dihexa, and Cerebrolysin Compared
Nootropic Peptide Landscape: Mostly Russian-Origin, Limited Western Trials · Semax Family: Parent Molecule, Semax 4-7, and N-Acetyl Variants · Selank: Anxiolytic Heptapeptide and GABA Modulation
6 sections
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20
The Melanocortin System: α-MSH, NPY, Galanin, and Melanocortin-Receptor Pharmacology
Melanocortin System Primer: MC1R-MC5R, POMC, α/β/γ-MSH · α-MSH Biology: Pigmentation, Appetite, Inflammation · POMC and the Melanocortin Precursor Protein
6 sections
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Curated, evidence-based peptide recommendations ranked by research quality and community evidence.
STACKING
Stacking Guides
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DIRECTORY
Full Peptide Directory
Browse all peptide profiles with mechanisms, protocols, side effects, and regulatory status.
Education is the foundation of responsible peptide use — these guides exist to replace rumor with referenced, reviewable evidence.
— THE EDITORS