How this is made

Evidence grades, A to F

Each peptide gets one grade for the use it is marketed for — the reason people actually buy it — not for the best thing it has ever been tested for. SS-31 is approved for a rare disease, Barth syndrome, but people buy it for “mitochondrial anti-ageing”, so it is graded for that. Where uses differ a lot, the page shows a grade per use.

AStrong human evidence

Regulatory approval for that use and multiple supportive randomised controlled trials.

BModerate human evidence

Approval for a narrow indication, or at least one solid positive randomised trial in humans.

CPreliminary human data

Small, early or open-label human studies only. Promising, unconfirmed.

DPreclinical only

Animal or cell studies only. Any human “evidence” is anecdote.

FTested and failed

Human trials failed — an adequately powered trial missed — or the evidence points to net harm.

• Registrations without trials don’t lift a grade. A national registration in one country, an orphan designation or a compounding category is not evidence that something works.
• F means a real test failed. An adequately powered human trial missed its goal, or the evidence points to net harm. Small or missing studies earn a C or D, not an F.
• Grades rate evidence, not safety. A grade-B compound can still be on the FDA’s safety-risk list.
• Each grade was set by one research pass and re-checked by an independent review; when the review changed it, the page says so.

User reports

• Where they come from. Two independent Deep Research reads of public Reddit threads per peptide. Each read counted the people who described their own use, and classified the outcome, benefits, side effects and reasons for stopping.
• Men 45–60 means men who state an age between 45 and 60 in their post. Nothing is inferred from writing style. “All men” and “Everyone” are wider groups.
• How the two reads are combined. Counts are added, then the people both reads probably counted twice are subtracted. That overlap is estimated from the threads both reads cited, and capped so it can never exceed the smaller read. Every combined number is therefore approximate.
• Percentages only from n ≥ 10. Below that, you get counts (“3 of 5”) and a small-sample badge, never a percentage or a chart. The star score also needs at least 10 reports.
• User score = (positive + half of mixed) ÷ everyone who reported, shown as 1–5 stars.
• Anecdata, not evidence. These are self-selected, unverified posts; many people combined several compounds; nothing confirms what was actually in the vial. A high user score is not evidence that something works or is safe.
• Quotes cite the subreddit and link only. Usernames are never shown.

How goals are assigned

A peptide is listed under a goal when its marketed use, class, page tags or summary mention that goal, or when enough users reported that benefit (at least 2 people and at least a quarter of all its reports). Every entry on a goal page says why it is there. A goal tag means “people use it for this”, not “it works”.

Sleep

Falling asleep, sleep depth and sleep quality. User benefit keys: sleep.

Recovery & injury

Tendons, joints, injuries, wound healing and recovery from training. User benefit keys: recovery, injury healing, joint tendon, inflammation.

Fat loss

Body weight, belly fat, appetite and blood sugar. User benefit keys: fat loss, appetite reduction, blood sugar.

Cognition & mood

Focus, memory, anxiety and mood. User benefit keys: cognition focus, mood anxiety.

Libido & sexual health

Desire, erections and sex hormones. User benefit keys: libido, erection.

Longevity

Anti-ageing, mitochondria and healthy ageing claims. User benefit keys: none.

Skin & hair

Wrinkles, skin repair, tanning and hair growth. User benefit keys: skin, hair.

Immune

Infections, immune support and inflammation-related immune claims. User benefit keys: immune.

Muscle & strength

Lean mass, strength and growth hormone for body composition. User benefit keys: muscle, strength.

Ranking inside a goal: evidence grade first, then user score, then name.

Legal status

• US FDA: FDA approvals and labels, the FDA’s compounding category lists and advisory-committee records, and HHS policy notices. “Approved for … only” means the approval covers a different use from the one people buy it for.
• WADA: the 2026 Prohibited List. “Likely prohibited (S0)” means the substance is not named, but WADA’s catch-all rule for unapproved substances probably applies. “Not named” is not a clearance.
• EU: the European Medicines Agency and, where found, national regulators. Shown when we found something.
• All checked on 13 Nov 2026. Rules change; a re-check note appears on pages where a pending policy could change the status.
• Safety and legal updates appear as a banner when new information reverses the earlier picture, with a link to the regulator or review.

Limits

• Research is a snapshot dated 13 Nov 2026. Newer trials or rulings are not reflected until the next check.
• Editorial ratings are the editors’ opinion and are labelled as such. Where a safety update contradicts an older editorial safety rating, that rating is withdrawn.
• Sources are linked only on primary hosts (PubMed, regulators, trial registries, Reddit). Others are counted but not linked.
• No sellers, no sponsored content, no commission links, no tracking beyond cookieless page counts.