Does BPC 157 Relieve Joint Pain?

By Joe Zagami

BPC 157 is one of the most intriguing yet controversial therapeutic health breakthroughs in recent history. But with all the hype – and there’s a lot of it – we have one burning question: Is BPC 157 the best solution for joint pain relief?

Let’s find out.

What Is BPC 157?

You might’ve heard people on social media call Body Protection Compound 157 (BPC 157) the “Wolverine” peptide. This refers to the iconic, tough-as-nails Marvel Comics character known for his superhuman ability to regenerate. Nice. But what is BPC 157?

Let’s start at the beginning: BPC 157 is a peptide.

If your palms get sweaty when you think about high school science class, don’t worry. The short version is that peptides are short chains of amino acids (anywhere from two to 50). They send instructions to cells. In this case, BPC 157 consists of 15 different amino acids that are isolated from human gastric juice.¹

But that doesn’t make it natural. In fact, BPC 157 is synthetic. Its specific combination of amino acids doesn’t occur naturally. And many believe that’s what makes BPC 157 so powerful.

What Does BPC 157 Do?

Depending on who you ask, BPC 157 does everything from wiping out inflammation around tendons and joints to speeding the healing and recovery process after surgery. Some swear it can decrease post-workout soreness, reduce blood pressure, improve gum health, and regulate gut health.

It’s easy to see why some people might think it’s a sort of superhuman healing solution. But what does the research show?

Cell culture studies link BPC 157 to increases in nitric oxide production. This promotes angiogenesis, which is the creation of new blood vessels.² More blood vessels mean more blood. And that should mean more oxygen and nutrients getting to injured areas. The idea is that this can lead to faster, more complete healing.

Plus, animal studies have shown that BPC 157 counteracts inflammation and upregulates growth hormone receptors, which can also promote healing.³

According to some medical experts, the list of alleged BPC 157 benefits seems to grow by the day. They speculate that BPC 157 may be able to:

• Heal the GI tract

• Reverse mitochondrial damage

• Accelerate bone, ligament, and tendon healing

• Improve mood and brain health

• Regulate the production of hormones and neurotransmitters

• Protect the heart and cardiovascular system

• And boost the body’s natural immune response.

No wonder people are curious – and excited – about the healing potential of BPC 157. But what does the research say about its ability to relieve joint pain? We’ll tackle that in a moment.

First, let’s look at how people are taking BPC 157.

How Do You Take BPC 157?

There are a few different ways to administer BPC 157. The most common methods of BPC 157 administration include:

• Oral liquid solution

• Nasal spray

• Oral capsule

• And local injection.

According to medical experts, the effects of BPC 157 appear to be systemic. For instance, if you have a knee injury, ingesting a BPC 157 capsule may still have significant healing benefits. However, these same experts suggest local injections – while painful – are the best method for orthopedic injuries like muscle tears.

Of course, each method comes with pros and cons.

Pills are easy to take. But there’s no good clinical evidence to suggest that taking a BPC 157 pill will help heal a muscle tear any faster. On the other hand, local injections – which have a good amount of anecdotal support – require the assistance of a medical professional.

There’s a lot to consider. But before you can even think about delivery methods of BPC 157, we need to talk about the elephant in the room.

Above: Some medical experts suggest that local injections of BPC 157 are effective for healing orthopedic injuries like muscle tears.

Is BPC 157 Legal?

This is a complicated question. But the short answer is no.

Some online retailers claim it is legal with a prescription. That’s not exactly true. And this is why most of the BPC 157 products online are marketed as being “for research purposes only.” To be blunt, it’s little more than a dog whistle for consumers who want to try BPC 157 without going through a doctor.

No surprise, this has gotten the FDA’s attention. And not in a good way. To further complicate issues, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) put BPC 157 on its banned substances list.⁴

For some people, these actions only boost the credibility of BPC 157. After all, if BPC 157 doesn’t work, why ban it? Good question. In the case of WADA, the organization points to potential safety concerns. It says there’s “a concerning lack of published [human] clinical trial data” on BPC 157.

And that brings us back to the question at hand…

Does BPC 157 Relieve Joint Pain?

It’s true that a growing body of scientific evidence points to BPC 157 being effective at accelerating soft tissue healing.⁵ It’s also true that medical experts, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts from all walks of life are excited by the potential of BPC 157. (Heck, we’re excited about it, too.)

Just one problem…

As of this writing, there are no randomized controlled trials of the effects of BPC 157 in humans.

Not a handful. Not a few. Zero.

One doctor writes, “there isn’t a shred of human clinical data that [BPC 157] would work. ” For most people, that’s a dealbreaker. And rightfully so.

Sure, anecdotal evidence has its place. But when making informed choices about what we put in our bodies to help optimize the natural healing process? You should always look for proven solutions backed by rock-solid clinical research. And lots of it.

Still, let’s say you were desperate for relief. And maybe a complete lack of evidence didn’t bother you.

Well, there’s another drawback to using BPC 157 for joint pain: getting it in the first place.

Thanks to its questionable (at best) legal status, acquiring BPC 157 is no easy task. Yes, someone could buy it from a retailer that sells it “for research purposes only.” But that requires either preparing a solution of BPC 157 and injecting it yourself (which is dangerous, and we do not advise), or taking it in another form. Like a pill or a capsule.

Plus, it’s all but impossible to know what you’re getting is the real deal. Or safe.

Think about this: “research-grade” does not mean “safe for human consumption.” In other words, it would require outside testing from an independent lab just to verify that it’s what it says it is. To most people, this probably doesn’t sound very cheap, fast, or simple.

Ok, but what about BPC 157 supplements – like nasal sprays and pills?

A one-month supply of what some retailers try to pass off as BPC 157 pills will set you back about $400. That’s not exactly pocket change. Yes, it’s cheaper than what you might pay an “antiaging clinic” to administer via injections. (Good luck getting insurance to cover those, by the way.) But there’s a big problem with this…

It’s most likely NOT real BPC 157.

Remember, BPC 157 isn’t legal for human use. So, who knows what’s really in those pills?

Don’t risk it.

Putting It All Together

So, what’s our verdict on BPC 157?

There may be exciting potential for BPC 157 in the future. But today?

BPC 157 is not the best way to help relieve joint pain or optimize joint health.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that our bodies are designed to health themselves. They gravitate naturally toward a pain-free state. But there are two things you must do to help your body achieve this state – so that you can help optimize joint health and relieve joint pain.

First, you need to fight inflammation.

By supporting healthy levels of inflammation and oxidative stress, you help your body’s natural recovery process. They can slow the natural recovery process to a crawl if left unchecked.

Second, you must support collagen synthesis.

This is the process by which your body builds and repairs connective tissue. If your body doesn’t have the raw materials it needs to make adequate amounts of quality collagen, relief may always seem out of reach. This makes optimal collagen formation a top priority for joint pain relief. (More on that HERE.)

You can accomplish both objectives with a true anti-inflammatory diet and the right supplements.

Look, there’s no shortage of joint support supplements out there. However, they aren’t designed to solve the underlying causes of nagging joint pain and discomfort. Plus, most of them don’t contain clinically proven doses of the best natural ingredients for joint health.

But ours do.

Our mission at SaltWrap™ is to help you come back stronger. We do this through a unique approach we call Therapeutic Sports Nutrition™. Every science-based therapeutic blend we release is designed from the ground up to support your recovery. So that you can keep doing what you love.

Our Therapeutic Sports Nutrition breakthroughs use clinically researched ingredients in clinically supported doses. Not because they’re cheap or easy to source. (They’re not.) But because we believe that optimal recovery and performance require the best support tools possible.

If that’s something you’re interested in, then check out our full line of Therapeutic Sports Nutrition breakthroughs.

By the way, every purchase in the SaltWrap Store is protected by our 90-day Love-It-Or-Free Guarantee. If you aren’t 100% satisfied with your purchase – for any reason – within the first 90 days, you’ll get a full refund. No hassles, no questions asked. (You don’t even have to send the open bottle back.)

Not sure where to start, or which SaltWrap solution might be right for you? Don’t sweat it. You can take our Supplement Quiz HERE. It’ll help get you started and pointed in the right direction.

We believe our award-winning supplements are the best you’ll find anywhere. But if you’re not interested in them, that’s fine. We have plenty of free resources that can help you come back stronger, too.

Here are some of our most popular in-depth guides:

• The Ultimate 5-Step Injury Recovery Guide

• The Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Simplified

• The Definitive Guide to Collagen Synthesis

• Supplements for Injury Recovery: The Definitive Guide

• How to Combat Sarcopenia (Age-Related Muscle Loss)