Health

How the FDA Created a Peptide Black Market

Because the agency has banned most peptides, products from overseas labs dominate the market. How does that protect Americans?

John Stossel | 6.17.2026 2:10 PM

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People are excited about peptides.

The internet is filled with claims: Peptides raise your energy, boost metabolism, clear your skin, slow down aging, build more muscle, repair injuries.

I want some!

But there's a problem: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bans most of them.

Why?

Anita Gupta, an anesthesiologist and pharmacist who was on the FDA committee that recommended the ban, explains, "There is a lot of hype. We all want to hack into our health, right? Get better really quickly. But we can't reboot our own bodies, can't undo an injection. There could be an immune response."

"Could" be.

But peptides are definitely useful. Insulin is a peptide. So are the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

"People can lose up to a third of their body weight," says........

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