The Current Unpacking the hype around peptides
May 13, 2026
Jonathan Jarry, science communicator at McGill's Office for Science and Society who debunks pseudoscience, breaks down peptide hype. He explains what peptides are and which ones influencers promote. He covers how they are given, safety risks of unregulated injections, why the market exploded, and how policy and celebrities shape public uptake.
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The Peptide Market Is A Mixed Bag
- Social media groups multiple distinct things under "peptides": growth-hormone releasers, experimental peptides like GHK-CU or BPC-157, and non-peptide drugs that mimic peptides like MK-677.
- Jonathan Jarry outlines examples such as hexarelin, ipamorelin, melanotan, BPC-157 and MK-677 to show the category's heterogeneity.
Avoid Self Injecting Reconstituted Vials
- Most of these products are administered by subcutaneous injection from reconstituted vials bought online.
- Jonathan Jarry warns people that this practice involves injecting powders mixed with water into fat tissue, then into the bloodstream.
Cure-All Claims Are Red Flags
- Bold claims that peptides cure everything should be treated skeptically; when something claims to cure everything, it probably cures nothing.
- Jarry compares the peptide hype to fad diets and wellness products marketed as magic solutions.