What are peptides?

What are peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids and essential building blocks for proteins. These chains can be made up of a minimum of 2 amino acids all the way up to 50. Peptides are naturally occurring within the body and you may recognise some from the list below:

Naturally occurring hormonal peptides within the body

• Insulin – Regulates blood sugar levels

• Glucagon – Helps increase blood glucose levels

• Oxytocin – Affects social bonding, childbirth, and lactation

• Vasopressin (Arginine Vasopressin, AVP) – Regulates water balance in the kidneys

  
  

Naturally occurring Neuropeptides within the body

• Endorphins – Act as natural painkillers and mood boosters

• Substance P – Involved in pain transmission and inflammation

• Neuropeptide Y (NPY) – Regulates appetite and stress response

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Naturally occurring growth and metabolic peptides within the body

• Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide (GHRP) – Stimulates growth hormone release

• Leptin – Regulates hunger and energy balance

• Ghrelin – Stimulates appetite and growth hormone secretion

  
  

Why are peptides important?

Peptides hold great significance within the human body as they regulate almost every process taking place such as metabolism, brain function, immune defense and tissue repair. Due to their essential roles, they are also used in medical treatments, skincare, and fitness supplements.

Science and peptides

Peptides are not only found within the human body, they are also found in foods such as mushrooms, algae and sea vegetables as well as in animals. One of these animals is known as the Phyllomedusa Bicolor frog native to the Amazon jungle. It has been researched for years as it secretes a powerful combination of peptides through its back known as kambo medicine. Researchers have now synthesised a number of peptides from this secretion due to its therapeutic potential in pain management, mental health, cardiovascular health, and neurological disorders.

Peptides that have been synthesised from Kambo

• Phyllocaerulein – Affects blood pressure, digestion, and pain modulation.

• Phyllokinin – A vasodilator that lowers blood pressure.

• Dermorphin – A powerful opioid-like peptide that acts as a painkiller.

• Deltorphin – Another opioid-like peptide, highly selective for delta-opioid receptors.

• Adenoregulin – Interacts with adenosine receptors, possibly affecting brain function and sleep.

• Sauvagine – Affects stress response and hormone regulation by acting on the pituitary-adrenal axis.

  
  

How is Kambo used today?

Indigenous people have used Kambo medicine within healing rituals, for cleansing and to prepare for hunting for years within their tribes. Today we see this medicine being shared within the Western world for it’s deeply cleansing properties. Kambo is offered in 1:1 or shared ceremonies to assist with inflammation reduction, mental health and emotional healing, physical detoxification and boosting the immune system. 

To learn more about Kambo and experience its power check out our Kambo medicine page!