BPC-157

Other names Body Protection Compound, PL 14736, PL-10, Bepecin, Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157

BPC-157 is a peptide that may improve focus, motivation, and mood. But how science-backed are the potential benefits of this nootropic? Read on to find out.

This nootropic has no healthy human placebo-controlled studies that meet our inclusion criteria. Negative side effects can occur if used carelessly, so make sure you’re aware of the risks of BPC-157.

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Benefits

Read about the effects of BPC-157 in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Can BPC-157 enhance your cognitive performance?

There have been no studies that examined the cognitive effects of BPC-157 in humans.

The only human evidence available for the potential nootropic effects of BPC-157 is anecdotal. People tend to report increased energy levels, mental clarity, and focus, but results appear highly inconsistent. Some users speculate, referencing animal studies as their source of evidence, that their brain is going through a healing process and that this is why they have temporary negative effects from BPC-157. There's a need for more research of higher quality before any of these effects can be considered backed by science. You can read user reports and reviews below in the frequently asked questions section.

Animal studies on the cognitive and behavioral effects of BPC-157

In one rat study [2], researchers restricted the supply of blood and oxygen to the hippocampus, a brain area involved in processes related to memory and learning. They then gave these rats BPC-157 or a control substance (saline). The scientists were interested in whether BPC-157 might help heal the damage done by the lack of blood and oxygen in this brain area. They measured the results with the help of three cognitive tests:

Morris water maze navigation task, which tests spatial learning abilities
Inclined beam walk test, which tests locomotor capabilities
Lateral push test, which tests motor coordination

In the control group, the behavioral performance was impaired in all tasks. In the rats that received BPC-157, the behavioral capabilities were preserved. This might get you excited to click that green buy button to shop for some BPC-157. But not so fast. Conclusions that are valid and practically useful for humans who might want to use BPC-157 are hard to make for several reasons that you should be aware of:

It was an animal study. Animals are in many ways different than humans in how they respond to substances
The rats had their blood and oxygen supply to the hippocampus heavily reduced/removed. It is very unlikely that this will happen to you
Cognitive performance was preserved, not enhanced. There were no performance improvements compared to baseline in the rats that received BPC-157, just no impairment
This is only one study, it should be replicated by other research teams

Several other studies have looked at the effects of BPC-157 in animals with brain injuries or chemically induced cognitive dysfunction [3][4][5][6], generally with positive outcomes showing protective effects from BPC-157. Ultimately, these findings are promising and can be useful for researchers, but not very practically relevant to healthy people who are looking to enhance their cognitive performance.

Risks

The legality and side effects of BPC-157

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about BPC-157

What is BPC-157?

BPC-157 is a peptide.

It is a fragment of the human gastric juice protein BPC [2][10]. This means that BPC-157 can be found in the human body, although usually not in the exact same chemical form that one may consume.

It has been researched for its potential healing effects in the body and brain, but evidence from human studies is scarce.

How do you use BPC-157?

Both oral use and injections of the peptide are common routes of administration for BPC-157.

How does BPC-157 work?

It acts on the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in the brain [11][12].

In a rat study, BPC-157 "strongly elevated (Egr1, Akt1, Kras, Src, Foxo, Srf, Vegfr2, Nos3, and Nos1) and decreased (Nos2, Nfkb) gene expression (Mapk1 not activated)" in hippocampal tissue [9]. It also "counteracted both early and delayed neural hippocampal damage" caused by a lack of supply of blood and oxygen to the brain area. The hippocampus is involved in memory, learning, and mental health.

BPC-157 also " BPC 157 counteracts increased proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α" [13] and reduces oxidative stress in the rat hippocampus.

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of BPC-157 have not yet been fully discovered by researchers.

How does it feel when you take BPC-157?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking BPC-157 is like.

An anecdotal BPC-157 experience report from YouTube

One person who shared his experience with BPC-157 on YouTube said he had increased sex drive, mental clarity, and sleep quality. He also reported physical performance endurance improvements during a bike ride [16].

Anecdotal BPC-157 experience reports and reviews from Reddit

One person who also used TB500 and Modafinil at the time when he used BPC-157 said the following about his experiences with BPC-157:

"

I was in a wayyyy better mood than I had been in years, i'm sure partly because I wasn't in pain.

Slept like a baby (have had terrible insomnia for years)

Energy/libido were off the charts.

I just felt good; happy and relaxed." [17]

Another redditor said the following:

"i was on bpc 157 for 20 or so days 200mcg/day. i subqd it into my knee as i wanted to try it out for a meniscus tear, i can't say if i felt much difference from a nootropic standpoint, however my knee pain did get way better. I also was able to pickup cycling again without any bother.

i was also on cjc 1295/ipa and I did feel sleep effects from that." [18]

Another person reported results that varied a lot from day to day, but overall a strong increase in focus, and a reduction in sleep quality. [19]

Yet another redditor reported mental clarity, energy boosts, mood improvements, and word recall benefits [20]. They also had periods of brain fog and lethargy.

A fifth person sharing their BPC-157 experiences with the nootropics community on Reddit said they had improved focus, social cognition, and felt more intelligent. [21]

Another person on Reddit who had been abusing amphetamines said the following about BPC-157:

"After only 3 days, within an hour of ingestion, I can feel human again. For the first two days, I felt lethargic and drowsy but I could definitely feel something happening. I'm now on the third day and not only am I feeling much better but I feel back to my old self, before the amphetamine abuse." [22]

Takeaway from anecdotal reports and reviews of BPC-157

These anecdotes are likely heavily affected by various biases, such as the placebo effect. Also, they are reports of what happened for single individuals, so the results may not be the same for you. With that said, BPC-157 appears to have some potential cognitive benefits that should be explored further by researchers.

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of BPC-157 in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023