Are Peptides the Key to Longevity, Reducing Biological Age and Inflammation with Regan Archibald
I know A LOT of us don’t even know what peptides are! But they are super important and are things we can be using to help us in the aging process for a number of things — like weight loss, cognitive function, longevity, building muscles, hormones, injury, pain, recovery — and the list goes on! Let’s dive in with Regan, who sees peptides as the future of medicine with their ability to change the cellular response and learn how to optimize our health!
Growing up on a farm, Regan knew he FOR SURE didn’t want to be a rancher and would much rather follow his doctor Uncle’s footsteps. So he started learning about nutrition and mindset principles, with the end goal to get into sports…in order to get out of farm and ranch work. From there he continued on to school and learned both eastern and western medicine. A medical doctor friend turned him onto the idea of peptides. Since he was suffering from ADHD himself as a result of repetitive concussions from sports, he began to dabble in peptides back in 2008-2009 (back then, Cerebrolysin and C-max) and and to try to tame his wild brain and noticed a HUGE difference. Through his continuous research, he realized there are peptides available to help SO many things, yet, no one was talking about it.
Is Semaglutide safe and effective and how does it work?
One you may be familiar with due to recent hype is Semaglutide (GLP-1 agonist). If you’re stuck on your weight loss journey, options like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide may be helpful. The pancreas is responsible for secreting insulin. The more insulin sensitive we are, the more we can put on muscle mass, the more you burn fat, the less inflamed you are, etc. If you become insulin resistant, your body starts breaking down, and that is what accelerates diseases patterns. These GLP-1 agonists create more insulin sensitivity in the body. People who use this peptide have experienced losing weight up to 30% of their bodyweight in adding this to lifestyle. Lifestyle is super important to factor in.
What are the drawbacks to using a peptide like Semaglutide?
If you don’t use it right, you can actually lose muscle mass. If you combine Semaglutide with BPC157, you don’t lose muscle mass and it helps to mitigate some of the side effects of the GLP-1 agonists. In addition, in MOST people, cravings will subside. About 5% of the population may see an increase in cravings due to an overactive ghrelin pathway and being leptin resistant. This is why it’s really important to go upstream and fix those other pathways before you begin Semaglutide and to run a comprehensive blood panel.
Benefits of BPC157 and Cycling Peptides
BPC157 is known as the “Wolverine Peptide”. It stimulates both stem cells and nitric oxide which helps with better circulation. It has also been shown to be really effective for a number gut issues, including permeability, as well as muscle/tendon healing properties. It’s important to cycle these peptides because you don’t want to push a pathway for so long that it starts having diminishing effects.
What Are Peptides Used For in Midlife?
Peptides are meant to optimize your health. There are some cases where hormones are needed to build a bridge. If you’ve got good adrenal health, your adrenals will pick up the slack when your ovaries stop producing. But in MOST cases (over 80% of females), we can use peptide(s) to help stimulate the pituitary into hormone producing gear — even in menopause.
All of this and much more on this episode!
About Regan Archibald
Regan Archibald, Lac, FMP, 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 2004, East West Health and Integrated Pain Specialists. Regan is the founder of Go Wellness and is the creator of the Peptide Mastery Course. He is a member of the International Peptide Society. He is the author of 8 books, including, Never Stop Healing and Your Health Transformation.
As a Peptide Expert, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Functional Medicine Practitioner, Regan brings immense innovation and cutting-edge options for those looking to recover from pain, balance hormones, or increase performance or optimize their health. His clinic, East West Health, is the first Medically Managed Peptide Program that includes the use of Acupuncture and Herbs, Regenerative Medicine, and Functional Medicine.
Website: https://acueastwest.com/
In this episode, you will learn:
- What are PEPTIDES
- Which ones work best as we navigate metabolism issues and menopause?
- How to use Semaglutide for safe and effective weight loss?
I can’t wait to dive into this conversation with Regan Archibald because he is the expert on all things peptides. Most of you that will be listening don’t know what peptides are, or you’ve heard very little about them. They are things that we could be using in so many areas of our life when it comes to longevity, building muscle, cognitive hormones, weight loss, injury, pain recovery, and the list goes on and on. We need more experts in this, and we’re lucky to have Reagan to shed some light.
[00:00:54] Introduction. We’d be generally healthier if more people knew about peptides.
Regan cites the use of peptides as the future of medicine. They are natural expressions in the body, folded proteins that change a cellular response.
[05:09] Why isn’t everyone talking about peptides?
Regan took it upon himself to start interviewing experts and created a medical course in 2019 for doctors to learn how to use peptides in their practice. His clinic East West Health has deployed more peptides prescriptions than almost any other clinic in the country.
[10:19] Semaglutide is not intended for someone who wants to lose 5 or 10 lbs.
Using semaglutide as a weight loss aid has become quite trendy lately, but we must be cautious about this approach. While it may be medically necessary for some people, using it to shed a few pounds can be slippery, especially when it involves messing with insulin levels. The potential long-term damage to one’s health cannot be ignored, especially without properly monitoring the right labs.
[11:44] BPC-157 is the wolverine peptide known for its potent healing and regenerative properties.
It stimulates nitric oxide, which helps with better circulation and vasodilation, so you get nice nourishment for your muscles. The other thing with BPC-157 is it helps heal any intestinal barrier.
[17:16] Use peptides “in addition to” and not “instead of” your healthy foundations.
Regan reminds us that peptides should be employed with nutrition and exercise. We don’t use them to treat disease. “That’s where it differs from Western medicine, which is diagnosing a disease with a singular cause and then a singular treatment. What we’re doing is just optimizing health. So if you’re already healthy and you’ve got good nutrition, good habits, good lifestyle – use peptides, you’ll feel better, you’re going to age slower, and you’re going to put on more muscle.”
[19:41] Peptides and menopause.
Hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormones have been gaining popularity, and now there’s another contender: peptides.
Peptides play a crucial role in regulating hormones and offer a natural and safe way to manage hormonal imbalances.
[24:09] Four out of five peptides that people use are from the black market.
It would be best to have a compounding pharmacy that offers safe and prescriptive access. It’s so much better to do it correctly rather than have poor outcomes that come at a cost.