Peptides are short protein chains of about two to 100 amino acids. Your body produces peptides that serve essential functions in some of your body’s most necessary processes, but why all the narrative now?
“People are trying to really understand what peptides are, if they’re safe to use and how they might utilize them in their everyday life and protocols,” says Dr. John Oliver, founder of BioPerformance, a fully integrative wellness facility.
"Amino acid chains, depending on their size, can be called different things. It can be used for different things within the body. At their purest form, when they're strung together, they can be a peptide, a hormone, or even proteins when they're large enough. Depending on how big they are in the sequence of amino acids, what they do in the body varies greatly," Oliver says.
The collagen you put in your coffee is a peptide that falls into the protein category. They are much different than the smaller amino acid chains that Oliver uses for cell signaling and cell communication, where he’s working towards a desired effect within the body, like improving a dysfunction within the body or improving health and longevity.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: JOHN OLIVER | FEEL YOUR BEST
“I use peptides pretty conservatively and they have a high safety profile when used correctly. We can target certain pathways more specifically than some of the drugs and treatments we’ve had in the past. The side effects and undesired results come when misused and likely without supervision. The more doctors like me and scientists learn about and use them, the more we learn about them,” he says.
One of the big ones on social media and in the news is Ozempic, a semi-glutide that was developed for diabetes but later discovered to help people lose body weight, an off-label use.
"With anything that causes metabolic changes and shifts in the body, there needs to be caution by monitoring the dosage and duration of use. Patients need to be guided by a healthcare provider who understands this, or you can cause major metabolic shifts and dysfunction within the body," says Oliver.
"I do have some people who have reached out after self-administering Ozempic, and they were having issues with their liver, pancreas and GI tract. Every patient will react to these things differently. So, it's essential to work with a provider who understands how peptides work, understands the human body and will look at each patient individually to see if this peptide is even right for them."
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: HOLISTIC SKINCARE + WELLNESS | PARIS BEAUTY SALON
Another popular peptide Oliver uses is NAD in the form of drips, daily injections, or nasal sprays. “It really does move the needle regarding cognitive function and short-term memory improvement,” he says.
“We also do things that will help patients increase their natural growth hormone production by the pituitary gland better than any synthetic growth hormone,” Oliver explains. “That helps patients maintain or increase lean muscle mass and bone density. It also strengthens tendons, ligaments and cartilage tissue. It increases metabolism and decreases inflammation, supporting longevity and anti-aging.”
“It’s an exciting area of medicine because we’re always identifying new peptides. We’re seeing a lot of fantastic changes, and we’re helping people live healthier lives,” says Oliver.
©2026 ICONIC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
"*" indicates required fields
