Selank Peptide Benefits, Dosage & Side Effects

So you’ve been dealing with stress at work and struggling with how you can keep it from taking over your life.

We all know that feeling: long hours, heavy workload, tight deadlines, job insecurity, and, of course, tedious work.

At the end of the day, you’ll need some remedy to help you stop those burdensome worries, let go of everything, and live blissfully.

Selank is an emerging anti-anxiety peptide drug under investigation for its benefits on human psychological health.

What is it? Are the selank peptide benefits any good? Read on to find out.

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Set Yourself Free From Anxiety – Learn Selank Peptide Benefits

What Is Selank Peptide?

Selank is a synthetic peptide derived from tuftsin, another peptide vital for the immune system. As an anxiolytic peptide drug, selank can help patients improve anxiety and depression, learning, memory, and cognition.

But hold on a second!

What is “tuftsin,” and why do scientists synthesize selank based on it?

Tuftsin is an endogenous peptide (a naturally occurring compound in the human body) that also shows anxiolytic effects. The peptide was named after “Tufts University,” where it was first discovered in 1983.

Usually, the amount and concentration of the natural tuftsin in our bodies are minimal. However, when the body is under stress, it releases more tuftsin to settle down the stressor and calm the body.

Unfortunately, the lifespan of tuftsin is very short, no more than several minutes, meaning its effects on our nervous system is transient. To prolong the effects of tuftsin, scientists are working on another synthetic peptide that mimics it but with higher stability.

And here comes the emergence of selank.

 

How Does Selank Peptide Work?

Selank is an Analog of the Peptide Tuftsin

Since selank is synthesized based on the structure of tuftsin, it’s technically referred to as a “synthetic analog” of tuftsin.

For this reason, selank “mimics” many of tuftsin’s effects, including:

• Modulate the expression of Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
• Affect the balance of T helper cell cytokines
• Influence the concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters
• Induce metabolism of serotonin
• Increase the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

 

However, two of the primary effects of selank on anxiety are correcting the metabolism of serotonin and increasing the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which are further explained below.

 

Selank Induces Metabolism of Serotonin

Did you know that a hormone called “serotonin” plays a crucial role in our psychological health?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that acts as a hormone, functioning by carrying messages between our nerve cells and throughout the body. Thanks to serotonin, we can control our mood, appetite, sleep, memory, learning, and social behavior.

Although 90% of serotonin is found in the gastrointestinal tract and only 10% is produced in our brain, this substance is a primary factor in depression and anxiety. Therefore, a lack of serotonin may lead to psychological problems.

Selank has been found to increase serotonin levels by correcting any decrease in serotonin metabolism.

According to a study, selank enhances the metabolism of serotonin in the brain stem 30 minutes after injection to animal subjects. This effect of selank is superior to tuftsin, as the latter doesn’t cause any changes in serotonin levels.

 

Selank Increases Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor

Have you ever heard of a unique protein called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” or BDNF?

This protein is found in our brains and plays a vital role in our central and peripheral nervous systems. Without the BDNF, our neurons and synapses wouldn’t be able to survive, function, or grow in the usual way. Also, the BDNF is active in the brain areas responsible for learning, memory, and higher thinking.

A study showed that BDNF is involved in depression as the expression of BDNF is lower in depressed patients. Suicidal behavior is also linked to lower BDNF expression, which may be independent of depression.

On this account, maintaining an average BDNF level is crucial to fighting against anxiety and depression. Fortunately, this is where selank can step in and help.

According to research, the peptide selank, when administered intranasally, regulates BDNF expression in the rat hippocampus. Specifically, at doses of 250 or 500 µg/kg body weight, selank significantly increased BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus 3 hours after administration.

The findings suggest that selank, which has anxiolytic and nootropic properties, can regulate hippocampal BDNF levels in rats.

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Selank Peptide Benefits

Promote Relaxation and Reduce Anxiety

As mentioned above, selank is efficient in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety and depression by correcting the serotonin metabolism and increasing the expression of the BDNF.

In fact, selank has been studied in Russia to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

The study found that the effects of selank were similar to another drug used for treating anxiety called “medazepam.” Medazepam, a long-acting and rarely prescribed benzodiazepine drug in the United States, is an anxiolytic medication for treating anxiety and panic disorders.

However, selank peptide benefits were superior as it also had anti-neurasthenic and psychostimulant effects.

 

Improve Cognitive Functions Like Memory

Anxiety, learning, and memory have all been linked together for a long time.

The correlation is inverse, with increased anxiety resulting in a decreased ability to recall memories or store new information.

While it is evident that selank can improve cognitive functions such as learning and memory by reducing anxiety, it is also thought that selank can improve cognition directly and independently.

According to research, selank improves memory stability in rats and thus the memory storage process. Notably, this benefit was observed regardless of the rats’ anxiety levels, indicating that the peptide has effects beyond simply reducing stress-induced memory impairment.

But how does selank affect memory independently of anxiety?

Selank appears to affect memory by influencing the expression of specific genes in the hippocampus. Selank can even help to restore memory and learning after brain damage. In at least one study, rats with neurological impairment had their cognitive processes restored after receiving selank. This effect appears to be related to the selank’s artificial inhibition of the brain’s catecholamine system.

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Selank Peptide Dosage

Selank is a nasal drop that is administered through the nostrils.

This pharmaceutical should only be used in the nose as selank is very easy to break down in the digestive system and loses its effectiveness.

In contrast, being taken through the nostrils, selank is more likely to be absorbed through the blood-brain barrier and exerts its anxiolytic on our nervous system.

So how much selank should you take?

Based on anecdotal evidence, you can take 2-3 drops of selank in each nostril up to 3 times a day. The selank treatment may last up to 2 weeks and can be repeated after 1-3 weeks until the condition improves.

 

Selank Peptide Side Effects

Up until now, research on selank exhibits minimal side effects.

Clinical studies have shown that selank is similar to tranquilizers at low doses but without the unwanted side effects of tranquilizers, such as amnesia, withdrawal, and dependence.

In conclusion, more clinical research is necessary to fully determine the selank peptide benefits and its side effects on humans. Until then, we may have more alternative approaches to treating anxiety that helps patients get rid of mental disorders most efficiently.

 

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