Vitamin drips and the pursuit of high ferritin have been replaced by a new health trend – peptide injections. Short chains of amino acids, discovered 100 years ago, are now hailed as the source of youth, slimness and beauty. American billionaires organize peptide parties, where instead of cocktails they serve syringes with an anti-aging composition, and Hollywood celebrities vie with each other to talk about the miraculous properties of peptides. Russians also keep up with the new fashion and order drugs on the Internet. Lenta.ru looked into why this trend worries doctors and why it is dangerous.
Peptides sent conference participants to intensive care
In 2025, in Las Vegas, two participants at RAADfest, the largest anti-aging conference, nearly died after being injected with peptides. They were given injections right during the event, and on the same day the women felt unwell. They both complained of the same symptoms: difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat and swollen tongue.
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that make up proteins. They are naturally produced in the body and are involved in the regulation of many processes. For example, some hormones are peptides, including insulin. Other peptides may affect the immune system, inflammation, metabolism, or tissue repair.
They work not directly with “genes”, but through cells: they bind to specific receptors and trigger certain biochemical reactions. Depending on the structure, one peptide may, for example, enhance collagen production, while another may affect appetite or blood sugar levels.
Some peptides are used in medicine – these are registered drugs with proven effectiveness and controlled dosages. But most of the peptides that are discussed on social networks today are experimental substances: their action and safety have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, doctors draw a clear line between peptides as medicines and peptides as an element of biohacking.
By the time the ambulance arrived, both were in serious condition. The first one had to be intubated on the way to the hospital and then connected to a ventilator. The second woman lost control of her head and neck muscles. She could not open her eyes or speak.
Investigation into the case of dangerous injections continued eight months and ended in March 2026. However, it was not possible to prove that the women almost died because of the peptides. The final document states that the commission was not provided with the substance administered to the victim, so it could not be tested.
Dr. Kent Holtorf and his colleagues, who organized a peptide tasting at the conference, were fined. True, not for using a dangerous drug, but for performing a procedure without a state medical license. However, Holtorf is convinced that the peptides were not to blame for anything.
Why have peptides become popular?
Peptide injections have become popular around the world as the new miracle cure for rapid transformation. And the conference on life extension, which almost ended in the death of two of its participants, and the months of investigation that followed, led to the fact that interest in these injections only grew.
The stars assure that the results of such procedures are amazing. For example, American comedian and martial artist Joe Rogan told subscribers that the so-called “Wolverine injection” peptide healed him in two weeks elbow tendonitis, which doctors had been treating for years without success. Fitness blogger Ryan Humiston said that the peptide pinealon relieved him of sleep apnea.
And actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who has tried hundreds of wellness practices, admittedthat she became a fan of NAD+. Strictly speaking, this substance does not belong to peptides, but is actively discussed in the context of biohacking and “energy injections.” “I have a great little NAD+ pencil. You can use it to give yourself an injection when you need a boost of energy. This is fantastic,” the celebrity boasted.
What will happen to peptides next?
Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman believes the current popularity of peptides is just the beginning. In his opinion, in the near future, people will begin to use peptides every day, like regular vitamins. “This will become commonplace,” sure He.
His ideas have already begun to come to life. For example, in the office of the American startup Superpower, employees can take peptide injections instead of morning coffee. Syringes and ampoules with drugs are stored in the office kitchen refrigerator. The founder of the company and part-time biohacker Max Marchione does not see anything unusual in this and claims that peptides will become the next evolutionary stage of humanity.
Marchione’s ideas to hook humanity on peptides still sound like science fiction. However, now thousands of people around the world are ready to try droppers and tablets with peptides to improve their body. They are not even bothered by the fact that the effectiveness of these products is questionable, and they are sold by bloggers and nutritionists from social networks or dubious sellers on marketplaces.
At the same time, buyers are convinced that the peptides are natural and therefore absolutely harmless. “Peptides are not chemistry, they are fixatives. Only for adults,” writes a blogger with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. “Yes, yes, like in the cartoon: if something broke, the fixer came running, fixed it, and left.”
Can peptides cause harm?
According to Svetlana Kanevskaya, professor and head of the Internal Medicine Clinic at the European Medical Center, the safety of peptides depends on many factors: where they are registered, how they are used, in what dose and to whom exactly they are administered. Only those peptides that have undergone large clinical studies, proven effectiveness and are under constant monitoring can be considered absolutely safe.
There are few such drugs. These include insulin, semaglutide, Semaxsome cardiological, oncological and immunomodulatory drugs. Other biohacking injections, anti-aging drips and pills are considered potentially dangerous because their side effects have not been studied.
According to Kanevskaya, the risk of developing cancer is especially greatly increased by the so-called anti-aging peptides, which stimulate cell growth, tissue regeneration and microcirculation of the bloodstream. These same mechanisms feed cancer cells. Thus, in theory, if there is a microscopic tumor or precancerous predisposition somewhere, the injection of such a peptide could lead to the rapid growth and spread of malignant cells.
Other side effects are also possible. Even the safe and approved semaglutide has dozens of potential complications, from nausea and headaches to organ failure. The difference is that all undesirable consequences are predictable, which means they are easier to control. No one knows what will happen after taking peptides from the Internet.
For example, the NAD+ peptide, beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow and other celebrities, is harmless at first glance. It is produced in the body and is definitely not poison. But when introduced into the bloodstream through an IV or injection, it often causes nausea, loose stools, jaw pain, and chest tightness. Researcher Rachelle Pojednik, who studies this peptide at Stanford University, explainedwhich most likely causes the effect of the immune system.
“The body sees NAD+ in the blood and thinks something has happened. It’s like the cells exploded and something that shouldn’t be there got into the bloodstream,” she explained. In response to this, the immune system can react violently, causing unpleasant symptoms, or activate the functioning of the kidneys and liver and urgently remove the substance from the body.
This market today is almost in a gray area, almost unregulated and not subject to strict control. In practice, this means that drugs sold through instant messengers or social networks have no guarantee of quality, exact composition and safe dosage.
Buyers may purchase a counterfeit product that, at best, will be a dud, and at worst, an unknown substance with a questionable composition. “Hormones, stimulants, sexual drugs and other pharmacological substances can be sold under the guise of peptides,” Kanevskaya warned.
Is it worth the risk?
If we are talking about medications, then the decision is made by the doctor, who also monitors side effects and the effect of taking them. You should be careful with other means. For example, peptides in cosmetic creams and serums are safe and usually do not cause allergies, so they can be used without fear.
The situation is completely different with dietary supplements and injections of peptides for healing. Kanevskaya emphasizes that when buying them, a person must clearly understand that these are not harmless vitamins, but a substance with questionable effectiveness and unknown consequences.
Even if a person considers such a risk acceptable, you should not take anything without consulting a doctor. Ideally, drugs should be selected individually after testing and examination. And injecting yourself with unknown drugs on the advice of friends and nutritionists from the Internet is dangerous, Dr. Kanevskaya is sure.
Source: Lenta