Peptides are the latest wellness fad. What are they, and are they safe?

Controversial wellness products called peptides are rising in popularity as they're touted by leaders like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.

While some peptides — including drugs like Ozempic — have been rigorously tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), many peptides are untested and unregulated.

These untested peptides are often accessible online for anyone to purchase from loosely regulated manufacturers.

There's now a multibillion-dollar gray market for these products, in which many peptides are sold without human-safe manufacturing processes or human testing to demonstrate their effectiveness, scientists say .

Recently, an FDA advisory panel voted to increase consumers' access to several peptides, saying the products — marketed for sleep issues, wound healing, cognitive disorders and more — should be available through compounding pharmacies with a prescription.

These pharmacies, which offer customized medications, are subject to less oversight than traditional pharmacies and can distribute drugs that have not been FDA approved.

Opponents of the advisory panel's decision argue that these peptides have not gone through rigorous clinical testing and could pose risks to consumers.

So what does this advisory panel decision mean for peptide regulation, and how might it affect consumers? And at the end of the day, are the peptides safe? Here's what you need to know.

What are peptides? Broadly speaking, peptides are short chains of amino acids, the same building blocks that make up proteins.

Peptides are smaller than proteins, and their structures are less complex.

Body-made peptides can act as messengers throughout the body, telling cells what to do.

Some are considered hormones and some are not.

There are about 7,000 known peptides that help organs communicate with each other and direct various bodily functions and behaviors, including blood sugar control and mood.