BPC-157 Side Effects | The A-Z Guide

Researchers interested in working with experimental peptides may have heard rumors about potential BPC-157 side effects. 

But is there any validity to them, or are they all speculation?

Let’s find out. 

Many researchers are actively investigating whether BPC-157 cab accelerates the speed at which tendons, ligaments, and muscles heal. But BPC-157 has not yet undergone sufficient human clinical trials to establish whether it offers any of these benefits. 

So what are the potential side effects of BPC-157? And are they enough of a deal-breaker to render its regenerative properties useless?

The only way to definitively answer this question is by explaining how BPC-157 works and its overall safety profile. 

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What is BPC-157?

BPC-157 is the synthetic version of a naturally occurring peptide that is found and isolated from gastric juice, which is secreted from the gut.

It has recently gathered attention as a peptide with purported regenerative and performance-enhancing properties that may help injuries heal faster. 

As early as 1999, researchers noticed its effects in cell cultures and animals [1]:

“…the potentially beneficial effect on pancreas, liver injuries, endothelium and heart damage, i.e. dysrhythmias following reoxygenation, and blood pressure, along with effect on experimental acute/chronic inflammation, wound and fracture (pseudoarthrosis) healing are described”

“Nevertheless, the reported beneficial effects of this stomach pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on different organ lesions appear to be quite convincing, providing all together a particular network reflecting activity of a special peptidergic defence system.

Supportingly, its interactions with many important systems could provide an evident background for the observed protective effects”

What’s most surprising is how BPC-157 has gained a reputation for its healing properties and has also been revealed to offer other whole-body effects which were previously undiscovered.

A 2019 study examining BPC-157’s ability to heal spinal cord injuries and restore function in rats commented on the other benefits discovered since then [2]:

“BPC 157 has beneficial effects on inflammation, hemorrhage, and edema after traumatic brain injury, various severe encephalopathies (which follow gastrointestinal and/or liver lesions), NSAID overdose, or insulin overdose seizures and on severe muscle weakness after exposure to the specific neurotoxin cuprizone in a rat multiple sclerosis model or magnesium overdose.”

For these reasons alone, researchers are currently experimenting with this peptide to establish whether it can help test subjects recover from injuries at a much faster rate than what the body would normally allow.

According to one physician [3]:

“BPC-157 is a game changer for people who have shoulder issues, tennis elbow, golfers elbow, ligament problems, torn muscles, and it even helps to protect organs like the liver and kidneys”

However, it is important to note the current legal status of BPC-157. It is sold as a research chemical and is available exclusively to researchers. 

There are active efforts right now to add BPC-157 to the list of substances athletes WILL be tested for before a sporting event [4]:

“Recently, our laboratory identified the contents of five confiscated vials. Included in three of these vials were compounds previously reported in an anti-doping context: CJC-1295-DAC (drug affinity complex), ipamorelin, and sermorelin. Additionally, identified and reported here for the first time, were BPC 157 and a variant of mechano-growth factor, MGF R23H.”

“As described, its use in the sporting world as a means of quick injury healing seems apparent. Importantly, however, without proper clinical study, the potential harmful effects of BPC 157 have not yet been documented in detail.”

“… regardless of its capability to enhance athletic performance, this substance should be considered banned under category S0: Non-Approved Substances on the WADA Prohibited List.”

Are these fears based on the potential of BCP-157 to help athletes enhance their rate of recovery, or are these precautions unnecessary?

And adding to this, have any harmful side effects of BPC-157 been discovered to date?

To answer this question, it’s important to understand what the body of medical literature has discovered about BPC-157.

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Benefits of BPC-157

Researchers would not be investigating BPC-157 unless they believed there were potential, tangible benefits from doing so.

So what are the established benefits of BPC-157? 

BPC-157 may reduce the incidence of heart disease

A study was conducted in 2009 which involved rats treated with Digitalis, a drug used to treat congestive heart failure.

However, Digitalis can sometimes induce irregular heartbeats (i.e. arrhythmia) that can lead to other cardiovascular health problems.

BPC-157 was not only effective in reversing Digitalis-induced arrhythmia, but it did so when dosed in isolation [5].

When the researchers attempted to combine BPC-157 with a vasodilator drug known as L-NAME, the results were equivalent to using BPC-157 alone. 

BPC-157 may inhibit pain

One of the most devastating consequences of a severe injury is the amount of pain inflicted on the individual.

The pain can be strong enough to limit functional movement and decrease one’s overall quality of life.

In 1993, rats were tested for their reaction to pain using different tests: A “tail pinching” test, and a “hot plate” test whereby the rats were placed on heated surfaces to assess their reaction to the pain.

Here is what they found:

“BPC 157 reduced the nociceptive response in various assays, involving apparently different pathways, including both indirect as well as direct pain stimulation”

In other words, BPC-157 appears to act as an analgesic – meaning it works to relieve the pain felt by the test subject in question [6].

Moreover, researchers commented on how the pain reduction of BPC-157 was uniquely different from harmful drugs such as opioids and NSAIDs.

This means BPC-157 may be used as a viable alternative to pain medications known for having deleterious side effects.

BPC-157 shows potential in healing bone injuries

An example of how BPC-157 may be useful for treating injuries can be seen in rabbits who have segmental bone defects.

The term “bone defect” refers to a lack of bone where it is supposed to be in normal circumstances.

Researcher Pedrag Sikiric and his team took rabbits with these bone defects and allowed the injury to remain completely unhealed for six weeks.

They then administered BPC-157 in many different ways over 2 weeks: Locally into the bone defect once every few days, intramuscularly once every few days, and intramuscularly every single day at varying dosages (10 nanograms per kilogram of body weight, or 10 micrograms).

In every single method of BPC-157 administration, the bone defects were significantly healed [7].

Moreover, the bones were healed uniformly and they returned to their normal structure:

“no evidence for extracortical new bone formation, bony hypertrophy or ectopic bone formation was noted (avoiding the risk of reluctant osteogenesis outside the desired area)”

In other words, there was no abnormal bone formation or an “overgrowth” of bone.

BPC-157 can increase collagen synthesis

BPC-157 can not only kick-start the synthesis of collagen tissue, but it can also allow the collagen to organize appropriately [8].

Here is why this is important:

Collagen is an essential protein that serves a structural role in ligaments, muscles, tendons, and other important body parts.

Extending from this, collagen has multiple health benefits [9]:

• Improved skin health
• Relief of joint pain
• Growth of hair and nails
• Better cardiovascular health

Collagen supplements are highly regarded by health experts and BPC-157 may have a role to play in this field of study. 

BPC-157 may heal tendon injuries

Tendons are responsible for connecting muscles to bone.

The Achilles tendon is the largest one in the body, connecting the heel bone to the calf muscles.

It turns out BPC-157 is also potent in healing injuries sustained to the Achilles tendon, at least in the rat study being quoted [10]:

“Stable peptide BPC 157 with combined anti-inflammatory action and induction of early new blood vessel formation facilitates early functional recovery in Achilles tendon to bone healing.”

BPC-157 was proven to be superior to methylprednisolone, an anti-inflammatory drug commonly used for treating arthritis and preventing the “rejection” of a new organ during transplant surgeries.

After reviewing the benefits of BPC-157, we can now turn our attention to its documented side effects. 

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BPC-157 Side Effects | What Researchers MUST Know

Are there any BPC-157 side effects that researchers need to be worried about?

Let’s take a look at what the research indicates. 

Out of all the studies done in animals and the few human clinical trials that exist, no adverse side effects or toxicity events have been reported.

This even holds true when extremely high doses of BPC-157 were used.

However, peptides, in general, tend to have a few side effects [11]:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness/fatigue
• Slightly elevated blood pressure
• Redness/pain in the area of injection
• Increase in appetite

Many of the supposed side effects of BPC-157 arise during the first few injections when the body is getting used to the peptide.

But after a couple of days, the side effects tend to subside.

These side effects may also arise when test subjects are administered high doses of BPC-157, 

This assumes that researchers are administering the proper dosage of BPC-157 and that other lifestyle factors (sleep, diet, training) are appropriately taken care of [12].

In summation, the side effects of BPC-157 appear to be minimal and it has a favorable side effect profile. 

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BPC-157 Cancer?

One side effect of BPC-157 that was highlighted in past studies is the possibility of it causing or aggravating cancer.

This belief comes from the fact that BPC-157 is proangiogenic, meaning it stimulates the formation of new blood cells [13].

However, this claim does not lie on solid ground and cannot be taken at face value.

No studies done on BPC-157 to date have shown BPC-157 to initiate the formation of cancer, nor has any connection been found between BPC-157 and the aggravation of existing tumors.

Many more studies done on animals and humans would need to be done in order to substantiate this claim.

One in vitro study done in human melanoma cells found that BPC-157 actually inhibited the growth of the cancer cells.

Specifically, the researchers found BPC-157 worked to prevent DNA synthesis in those cells, which means it may be a potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth [14].

Another interesting study was able to successfully BPC-157 in treating cancer cachexia, a condition in which cancer patients suffer significant weight loss and skeletal muscle atrophy [15].

So does BPC-157 actually cause cancer? As of now, the answer is unknown to us.

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Where to Buy BPC-157 Online? | 2023 Guide

Researchers wondering about the best place to buy BPC-157 online will find the answer below.

There are many online vendors for therapeutic peptides, but the best one without question is Peptide Sciences.

Here are a few reasons why researchers should look no further for sourcing pure and potent BPC-157:

• AWESOME Customer Service: These guys are true professionals. Not only do they respond to every single call and email they get, but they do so in 24 hours and give helpful replies. Researchers won’t find useless “cookie-cutter” answers here.
• FAST International Shipping: Orders in the USA arrive within 2-3 business days (7-10 days for international orders), and products are shipped 24 hours after orders are confirmed. They charge a flat $15 shipping fee on international orders, but this is waived on US orders over $100. 
• HIGHEST Purity Peptides: Through the use of high-performance liquid chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, researchers will get nothing less than the peptide itself. Each product is higher than 99% purity without the use of additives, fillers, or binding agents
• EASY Payment: They accept credit cards or cryptocurrency for the ultimate privacy. 
• TFA-Free: All peptides created and sold by Peptide Sciences are 100% TFA-free! Trifluoroacetic acid is found in many of the peptides from low-quality vendors who import from China. While not getting too deep into the science here, TFA can be exceptionally dangerous.

Our team has yet to find another vendor that can fulfill all of the above criteria, or do so at the same level.

This is why we have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Peptide Sciences as the best place to buy BPC-157 online!

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Bacteriostatic Water for Injection

The tools required for properly handling BPC-157 include bacteriostatic water, sterile vials, and insulin syringes. Researchers must have access to these items and more to correctly administer, prepare, and store all peptide solutions.

If you are unsure of where to get your research supplies, look no further.

Peptides.org has surveyed the web to give you our most highly recommended supplier that can deliver all the required materials for your peptide research.

BacteriostaticWater.org

This supplier wins top ratings with its selection of convenient research kits that are fully outfitted with all the essentials. Save yourself the time and effort of sourcing items from different vendors with your choice of two deluxe kits sold at BacteriostaticWater.org.

The efficient starter research kit comes equipped with:

• Bacteriostatic Water (30mL) – 3x
• Insulin Syringes (0.5 cc/mL x 29g x ½) – 100x
• Alcohol Prep Pads – 200x
• Sterile Empty Glass Vial (10mL) – 1x
• Large Needles + Syringes Combo (3cc x 21g x 1) – 10x

The larger premium research kit contains:

• Bacteriostatic Water (30mL) – 5x
• Insulin Syringes (0.5 cc/mL x 29g x ½) – 200x
• Alcohol Prep Pads – 200x
• Sterile Empty Glass Vial (10mL) – 2x
• Large Needles + Syringes Combo (3cc x 21g x 1) – 20x

Don’t wait to pick up your supply kit from our favorite provider of quality research materials.

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Side Effects of BPC-157? | Verdict

So are the BPC-157 side effects a real cause for concern?

If we are going by what has been observed in every single study done on BPC-157 to date, it appears as if there aren’t any. Even if the possibility of BPC-157 causing cancer exists, it is so speculative to the point where worrying about it is meaningless.

Any side effects of BPC-157 experienced by test subjects can be attributed to the body getting used to it, really high doses, and/or the use of impure BPC-157. Even then, BCP-157 has not been associated with any serious adverse events. 

Researchers interested in experimenting with BPC-157 may consider contacting Peptide Sciences to discuss their research needs. 

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