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July 1, 2025 17 mins

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What if your body's natural defense mechanisms could be amplified to protect your heart, blood vessels, and other vital organs? Recent scientific research is uncovering fascinating insights into how a small peptide naturally found in your digestive system might hold remarkable potential for enhancing the body's inherent protective abilities.

We dive deep into the science behind BPC-157, a stable peptide found in human gastric juice that researchers are studying for its impressive cytoprotective properties. This compound appears to function like cellular armor, shielding tissues from damage while promoting healing across multiple body systems simultaneously. Unlike highly targeted pharmaceuticals, preclinical studies suggest BPC-157 works through "pleiotropic effects" – benefiting various tissues and organs without causing compensatory problems elsewhere.

The cardiovascular implications are particularly striking. Animal studies show BPC-157 therapy counteracting heart damage, preventing heart failure progression, normalizing irregular heartbeats, and even demonstrating what researchers call "life-saving effects" in models with typically fatal electrolyte imbalances. Perhaps most remarkable is its apparent ability to rapidly activate collateral blood vessels – essentially helping the body create detours when major vessels become blocked, restoring critical blood flow through alternative pathways. This fundamental capability could represent a paradigm shift in how we approach circulatory problems.

Our discussion explores the intricate mechanisms behind these effects, from BPC-157's balancing influence on the nitric oxide system to its unique impact on blood clotting – preventing harmful clots without interfering with normal clotting processes. Beyond cardiovascular benefits, the research points to potential protective effects for the gut, muscles, tendons, brain tissues, and more, suggesting a comprehensive approach to cellular protection that medical science is just beginning to understand.

While emphasizing that this research remains primarily preclinical, we consider the profound implications of compounds that support your body's own innate healing capabilities. Could enhancing these fundamental self-protective mechanisms represent the future of health optimization? Call LifeWellMD at 561-210-9999 to learn more about staying at the forefront of wellness science and beginning your personal health journey today.

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your supplement regimen or health routine. Individual needs and reactions vary, so it’s important to make informed decisions with the guidance of your physician.

Connect with Us:
If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with someone who might benefit. For more insights and updates, visit our website at Lifewellmd.com.

Stay Informed, Stay Healthy:
Remember, informed choices lead to better health. Until next time, be well and take care of yourself.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, imagine your body isn't just parts, but
this incredible self-repairingsystem, always working, trying
to protect itself.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yeah, this whole idea to build in defense mechanisms.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Exactly that resilience.
We're talking aboutcytoprotection like cellular
armor.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's a really powerful concept, isn't it?
That cells, tissues, they cannaturally resist damage and heal
.
And science is always looking.
You know how can we maybeamplify that?

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Absolutely, and today we're going to do a deep dive
into the science behind acompound something naturally
occurring that researchers arelooking at for exactly that
supporting these protectiveprocesses.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
We are.
We're looking at a recentacademic review, a paper from
the journal Biomedicinespublished late 2022.
Okay, and it basically pullstogether findings from a whole
bunchomedicines published late2022.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
And it basically pulls together findings from a
whole bunch of preclinicalstudies, so mostly animal model
research.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Right preclinical.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, focusing on this peptide called BPC-157.
And the review covers thisreally wide range of well
beneficial effects seen in thosestudies, particularly around
heart health, blood vesselfunction and protecting
different organs particularlyaround heart health, blood
vessel function and protectingdifferent organs, and this kind
of research exploring the body'spotential and compounds that
might help.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
it's exactly the kind of cutting-edge science that
clinics focused on health,wellness, longevity like
LifeWellMD are really interestedin.
It's about staying informedright, yeah.
Understanding potential futureways to help people on their own
wellness journeys.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Definitely so.
Our mission today really is tounpack the key findings from
this review paper.
We want to get a handle on whatBPC-157 is, look at the science
behind these effects they sawin the studies and understand
why the paper's authors thinkthis research is pretty
significant.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Okay, sounds good, let's get into it.
So you said, bpc-157 is apeptide.
What exactly does that meanhere?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Right.
So the source paper describesit as a stable gastric
pentadegastric type.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Okay, a bit of a mouthful.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, think of it as just a small, stable piece of
protein, but what's reallyinteresting is it's native to
human gastric juice.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Meaning it's something our own bodies make in
the stomach.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Exactly, and its stability is key.
It doesn't break down easily,which is important.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
And this connects back to that cytoprotection or
organoprotection idea.
We started with protectingcells and organs.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Precisely that concept, you know, pioneered by
Robert and Svabo.
It's about these inherentdefenses.
The paper sort of positionsBPC-157, as maybe a late
discovery within that field.
It was initially looked at forprotecting the stomach lining
and also the cells lining bloodvessels, the endothelium.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
So it started in the gut.
It makes sense, since it'sfound there.
But the research discussed inthe review goes like way beyond
just the stomach.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Oh yeah, that's a crucial point they emphasize.
The studies show what they callpleiotropic effects.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Cleotropic.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yeah, it's a science term, but you can basically
think of it like a master key.
It seems to unlock beneficialeffects in lots of different
tissues and systems all at thesame time.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Oh.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
So the potential idea based on these animal studies
is that by supporting thisfundamental cell protection, you
might get broader healthbenefits across different organs
, maybe without causing problemssomewhere else.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
That sounds really different from a lot of modern
drugs that are super targeted,right Like they hit one specific
thing.
The paper even mentions that,contrast, doesn't it, with
things like SGLT2 inhibitors.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
It does draw that contrast.
It notes that, while drugs like, say, sgrt2 inhibitors or ACE
inhibitors, beta blockers havebeen huge for conditions like
heart failure, the source doespoint out that they can come
with a range of potential sideeffects noted in their use
things impacting blood sugar,infection risks, kidney function
, blood pressure, stuff likethat.

(03:40):
The idea explored in the BPC157 research, as this review
presents it, is looking at maybea more foundational, broader
approach to protecting tissues,which is what they observed
across these different studymodels.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
OK, so a naturally occurring peptide from the
stomach that these studiessuggest might act like a
multi-tool for protecting cells.
Where does the review reallydig into its potential for heart
health specifically?

Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, the paper spends a good chunk of time on
the potential relevance forheart issues.
That includes damage from heartattacks, arrhythmias or
irregular heartbeats, both acuteand chronic, heart failure,
problems with lung blood vesselpressure, pulmonary hypertension
and also blood clotting issuesthrombosis.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
And the authors see these as often connected.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
They present them as frequently interrelated health
challenges.

Speaker 1 (04:30):
yeah, Okay, let's take something like damage from
a heart attack, myocardialinfarction.
What did the study suggestthere?

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well, the studies they reviewed included models
where animals had like reallysevere blood flow restriction to
the heart, mimicking a heartattack, or maybe heart damage
caused by different toxins.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Right.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
And the findings pretty consistently show that
giving BPC-157 therapy seemed tocounteract the development of
acute heart failure in thesereally tough situations.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
Wow.
So even when the conditionswere set up to cause heart
failure, BPC-157 seemed to helpthe heart in these animals keep
functioning more normally.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
That's what the reviewed studies indicated.
Yeah, they reported thatdespite these severe setups, the
BPC-157 treatment commonlyopposed the signs of heart
failure and often the heartactually presented as normal in
the treated animals.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Okay, that's pretty striking.
What about chronic heartfailure you mentioned in?
The paper discusses studiesusing a model induced by a
chemotherapy drug.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, doxorubicin, it's a common chemo agent but it
can unfortunately have hearttoxicity as a side effect.
Right, I've heard of that.
Studies reviewed showed thatBPC-157 regimens improved the
animal's overall condition and,interestingly, unlike some other
drugs tested in that specificmodel, like Losartan or

(05:50):
amlodipine, bpc-157 seemed toactually oppose the drop in
blood pressure you often seewith heart failure.
The studies also noted itappeared to reverse increases in
certain blood markersassociated with heart stress and
damage.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
That is intriguing.
Does that suggest maybe aprotective effect for the heart
even during somethingchallenging like chemo?

Speaker 2 (06:09):
The source kind of touches on that.
It suggests the possibilitythat BPC-157 might support the
effectiveness of certain chemodrugs like doxorubicin, without
actually reducing their abilityto fight the tumor.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
How.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well, they propose it might be due to properties like
scavenging those harmful freeradicals and just its
wide-ranging or pleiotropicactions observed in these models
.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
Okay, so the research points to some really promising
potential effects on the heartitself in these animal models.
But how?
How do the scientists writingthis paper think BPC-157 might
actually be working?
What are the mechanisms?

Speaker 2 (06:47):
A really central mechanism they highlight is its
interaction with the nitricoxide system, the NO system.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
Ah, nitric oxide.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
That's crucial for blood vessels right, Absolutely
critical for keeping bloodvessels healthy functioning
properly, and it also plays abig role in blood clotting or
thrombosis.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
So how does BPC-157 seem to infect the NO system in
these studies?

Speaker 2 (07:08):
The research suggests it has kind of a balancing
effect.
Maybe it seems it can encourageNO release, which helps relax
blood vessels.
It's good.
But it also seems to counteractthe negative effects they saw
in studies when the NO systemwas either blocked too much,
which led to high blood pressureand clotting issues in the
models, or when it wasstimulated too much, leading to
dangerously low blood pressureand bleeding problems.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
Huh.
So instead of just pushing itone way, it's like it helps
nudge the NO system back towardsnormal when it's gone out of
whack in either direction.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
That seems to be the implication from the studies
they reviewed.
Yeah, and beyond that.
The paper talks about potentialdirect effects on the blood
vessels themselves, helpingcontrol their tone, whether they
squeeze down or relax, andactivating specific pathways
inside the vessel cells that areimportant for health, like the
SIRT Kevulin-1-ENOS pathway.

Speaker 1 (07:56):
Okay, that's interesting, but here's
something you mentioned earlierthat really caught my attention
and it ties back to blood flow.
The paper talks a lot aboutactivating collateral pathways.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Yes, this really seems to be a key finding
reported in a lot of differentstudies.
They looked at Studies wherethey deliberately blocked major
blood vessels in the animalmodels arteries, veins in the
gut, even major veins drainingthe brain.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
So like the body, finding detours, creating
alternative routes for bloodflow when the main highways
block.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Exactly like that.
The research described howBPC-157 therapy appeared to
rapidly activate thesecollateral vessels, basically
opening up existing smallerdetours or maybe stimulating new
ones to bypass the blockage andreestablish blood flow really
quickly.
They give specific examples,like the zygote vein or certain
loops of vessels in the gut thatseem to take over, and the

(08:46):
authors proposed this rapidvascular recovery was crucial in
fighting off the widespreadproblems caused by the blockages
in these models, things likedangerous pressure buildups in
major veins or big drops inblood pressure.

Speaker 1 (08:58):
That ability to reroute blood flow, find those
detours quickly.
That seems incrediblyfundamental for protecting
tissues when a main vessel isblocked.
Okay, moving from blood flow tosay, heart rhythm and clotting.
What did the research showabout arrhythmias and thrombosis
?

Speaker 2 (09:14):
Right so for arrhythmias and thrombosis.
Right so for arrhythmias,irregular heartbeats.
The studies reviewed showedBPC-157 therapy counteracting a
whole range of them induced bydifferent things.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
Like what.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Like toxicity from certain heart drugs, severe
imbalances in electrolytes likepotassium, both too high and too
low, even issues caused bylocal anesthetics or certain
meds that affect the nervoussystem or gut.
And the paper points outsomething pretty striking what
they term a life-saving effectobserved in studies with severe,

(09:45):
usually fatal, high or lowpotassium levels in the animals.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
Wait, hang on.
It helped save them from fatalpotassium imbalances, but
without actually fixing thepotassium levels in the blood
itself.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
That's what the studies they reviewed indicated.
Yeah, which is fascinating.

Speaker 1 (09:59):
How would that even work?

Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, it suggests maybe a mechanism that's more
direct, affecting the electricalstability or the function of
the heart cells themselves,Perhaps influencing how
potassium moves across the cellmembrane rather than just
changing the overall bloodchemistry moves across the cell
membrane rather than justchanging the overall blood
chemistry.
They also noted it counteractedspecific rhythm problems like

(10:22):
prolonged QTC intervals linkedto certain medications, calling
it a common central effect seenacross studies.

Speaker 1 (10:25):
Okay, really interesting.
And how does this connect tothe flip side of thrombosis or
harmful blood clots?

Speaker 2 (10:31):
The paper really highlights BPC-157's beneficial
effect against uncontrolledescalating thrombosis like clots
.
Getting worse and spreading isa common theme across many
different study models,including those vascular
blockage models and the heartfailure ones we discussed.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
So it seemed to consistently fight against that
harmful clotting.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
The review states it appeared to counteract
thrombosis in well all thevascular studies they mentioned
and it also seemed to help withthrombocytopenia, that's a drop
in platelet count which canhappen with severe clotting.
But here's what's reallyinteresting and different from,
say, typical blood thinners, thestudy showed it reduced
excessive bleeding caused byvarious injuries or agents

(11:13):
without messing with the normalcoagulation pathways.

Speaker 1 (11:16):
You mean the pathways .
You need to actually stopbleeding when you get a cut.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Exactly.
It didn't seem to interferewith that normal process and it
also appeared to help maintainnormal platelet function.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
So let me get this straight Based on these
preclinical stutters, it seemsto help prevent harmful clotting
where it shouldn't happen, butdoesn't stop the body from
clotting normally when it needsto.
That's quite a nuanced effectthey're describing.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
It is a very nuanced potential effect observed in
these models.

Speaker 1 (11:43):
Okay, so beyond the heart and the blood vessels, did
the review touch on otherpotential effects seen in these
studies?

Speaker 2 (11:49):
Oh yeah, it mentions beneficial effects observed
across a pretty broad spectrumin these preclinical models, for
example, counteracting thetoxicity from common painkillers
like NSAIDs.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
Like ibuprofen or naproxen.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
Exactly which, as you know, can damage the gut lining
, cause leaky gut.
Sometimes contribute to heartfailure symptoms.
Cause bleeding lower platelets.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
So potentially helping protect the gut from
those kinds of stresses.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
That's one area suggested by the findings.
Yes, the review also referencesstudies indicating potential
benefits in speeding up healingin various tissues muscle,
tendons, ligaments, even bone,Also helping repair eye damage
and stubborn wounds likefistulas.

Speaker 1 (12:30):
Wow, that's quite a list.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
It is.
They also touch on potentialeffects in counteracting
different types of brain damageor dysfunction seen in various
animal models, or evenobservations of pain-relieving
effects and counteractingseizures induced by different
agents.
In the studies, Goodness.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
So how do they propose it's doing all this?
The mechanisms must be complex.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
They definitely propose multiple potential
mechanisms.
We talked about the NO systeminteraction.
They also mentioned things likeneutralizing harmful free
radicals, havinganti-inflammatory effects
referencing other papers forthat interacting with important
growth factors like VEGFR2,which is involved in blood
vessel growth, influencing whichgenes get turned on or off, and
helping to restore theconnection between the brain and

(13:13):
the gut when it's disrupted.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
It's also worth mentioning.
I think the paper discusses howit was given in these studies
right the administration routes.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's a good point.
Yeah, they used various methodsinjections, giving it orally
and liquid, even applying itdirectly to the skin or injury
site.
And what was interesting isthat surprisingly low doses,
down into the microgram and evennanogram range, seem to show
similar beneficial effectsacross different models.

Speaker 1 (13:38):
So tiny amounts seemed effective, regardless of
how they were given in theseanimal studies.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Correct, which suggests potential for both
local effects right where it'sapplied, and maybe broader
systemic actions too, even atvery small quantities in these
preclinical settings.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
Okay, let's try and wrap up this deep dive into the
BPC-157 research review.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
Sure.
So we've explored what thispeptide is you know, that stable
fragment naturally found in thestomach and how it connects to
this really powerful idea ofcytoprotection, supporting the
body's own defenses.
And we've unpacked this widearray of well promising effects
that were observed in numerouspreclinical studies, as pulled
together in this review paper.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, including those fascinating potential benefits
related to heart healthcounteracting damage, helping
with certain arrhythmias,supporting blood vessel function
, including that really strikingfinding about activating
collateral vessels, thosedetours to restore blood flow
Effects on harmful clotting, butmaybe without messing with
normal bleeding stop mechanisms.

(14:41):
And then broader support fortissue healing and organ
protection across differentmodels, and we touched on some
of the proposed ways it mightwork, like the NO system and
supporting those blood flowdetours.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
Absolutely, and this deep dive.
It really highlights theexciting scientific exploration
that's happening, looking intothe body's own capabilities and
potential compounds that mightsupport them.
It shows the promise thatresearchers see in things like
BPC-157, based on these earlyfindings.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
But it's important to stress again right, this is
mainly preclinical.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Oh, absolutely crucial to remember.
This is primarily research inanimal models.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
Much more study is definitely needed to understand
if and how this might translateto humans, but it's certainly a
captivating area of science towatch but it's certainly a
captivating area of science towatch and, you know,
understanding this kind ofcutting-edge research is exactly
what innovative clinics focusedon health, wellness and
longevity, like LifeWellMD,really prioritize.
Staying informed about thesescientific advancements helps

(15:39):
explore how this knowledge mighteventually inform personalized
approaches, helping people ontheir own wellness journeys,
always grounded in what wecurrently understand Exactly.
So if you, the listener, areinterested in exploring your own
health, own wellness journeysalways grounded in what we
currently understand Exactly.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
So if you, the listener, are interested in
exploring your own health andwellness path, maybe guided by
insights from current knowledgeand working with a team that
really stays informed aboutthese latest research directions
, we definitely encourage you toreach out.

Speaker 1 (16:00):
Yeah, you can call to learn more about how LifeWellMD
can help you start yourwellness journey today.
The number is easy, area code561, then 210-9999.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
That's 561-210-9999.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
561-210-9999.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
And maybe just to leave you with a final thought,
consider the incrediblecomplexity of your body, how all
these systems gut, heart, brain, every vessel are so deeply
interconnected.
What if, supporting thatfundamental ability of
yourselves to protect and healthemselves, as suggested by the
findings in this type ofresearch, what if that's a key
piece in unlocking new levels ofhealth and resilience that

(16:37):
we're really only just beginningto understand?
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