Popular weight-loss drugs can become an atomic bomb at high doses, doctor warns

As interest in peptides continues to grow, experts are increasingly looking beyond weight loss to their potential role in healthy aging.Functional medicine expert Dr.Will Cole told Fox News Digital that peptides are "intimately connected" with longevity, cellular healing and metabolic health."[Peptides] help with cellular communication," said Cole, co-author of the upcoming book "Heal Your Cells." The recommendations for peptides depend on the context in which they're used, he said, noting that the answer often falls "somewhere in the middle."THINKING ABOUT PEPTIDES? DOCTORS REVEAL KEY DOS AND DON’TS AS ‘WILD WEST’ MARKET GROWSCiting previous research, Cole noted that an estimated 93% of U.S.

adults are metabolically unhealthy, leaving only about 7% who meet the criteria for optimal metabolic health — a figure he described as "wild."Peptides have surged in popularity for weight loss, muscle building, performance enhancement, chronic disease management and even wound repair.(iStock)"That's common, but not normal," Cole said.

He added that while GLP-1 medications can be beneficial, improving metabolic health also requires addressing lifestyle and other underlying factors.FDA TO REVIEW 7 POPULAR PEPTIDES TOUTED FOR WEIGHT LOSS, HEALING AND LONGEVITYCole shared that he does not believe "macro-dosing" GLP-1s "forever and ever in perpetuity" is the solution to improving metabolic health.While GLP-1s can reduce food cravings — often referred to as "food noise" — and promote weight loss, Cole said he’d like to see more research on how decreasing the desire for food could also decrease cravings for love, relationships and other mood-boosting factors.The semaglutide weight-loss drug Wegovy, made by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, is designed to treat type 2 diabetes, but is widely known for its weight-loss effect.(James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)Cole questioned whether suppressing food cravings could have unintended effects on other reward-relat...