ModerateCaution
Berberine
Berberine can lower glucose and may confound glucose interpretation if an unapproved metabolic peptide is used.
Recommendation: Avoid unsupervised stacking; monitor glucose only under clinician care.
HGH Fragment 176-191
Peptide ·Insufficient evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
HGH Fragment 176-191 is a synthetic C-terminal fragment of human growth hormone marketed for fat loss and lipolysis. It is not FDA-approved for any indication, is prohibited in sport as a GH fragment, and human fat-loss efficacy is not established. Published support is mainly adipocyte and animal work, with limited and mixed human development data for related AOD9604 formulations.
What it's good for
The bottom line
Evidence rating insufficient. Most-documented uses: experimental anti-lipogenic activity in adipocyte models, related aod9604 studied for obesity, no approved human fat-loss benefit. 3 sources indexed (1993–2013), with 3 interaction records on file.
The science
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
The fragment corresponds to a C-terminal region of growth hormone reported to reduce lipogenesis and influence fat-cell lipid handling in experimental systems. It is not full growth hormone and should not be used to treat GH deficiency. Any injectable research product carries sterility, identity, and dosing uncertainty.3,2
Class
Unapproved C-terminal growth hormone fragment
Found in food
None as a dietary supplement
Low-status signs
No recognized dietary deficiency state exists for this peptide
Dosing
Dosing & protocol.
Common range
No FDA-approved human dose; no evidence-based supplement dose exists
Recommended form
Not recommended for human use; laboratory research reagent only
Peptides are generally not reliably orally bioavailable unless a specific studied oral formulation is used. Human use of research-grade products is not appropriate.
Forms
Forms & what to buy.
Ranked by evidence and value.
Laboratory Research Reagent
Intended for nonhuman laboratory use only. Not for human administration.
Lyophilized Research Peptide Vial
Human identity, sterility, and potency cannot be assumed. Injection of research products is unsafe.
Oral or Spray Products Recommended
Reliable systemic exposure is not established. Marketing claims are not clinical data.
Cost
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Laboratory Research Reagent.
BudgetBest value
$60 /mo
$2.00 per dose
Mid
$180 /mo
$6.00 per dose
Premium
$450 /mo
$15.00 per dose
Research-market pricing is not a dosing recommendation; human use is not FDA-approved unless specifically stated. Updated 2026-06-04.
Goals
Goal-based dosing.
Fat Loss
Dose: No FDA-approved dose
Timing: Not applicable
Human fat-loss evidence is inadequate and product quality is a major concern.
Metabolic Research
Dose: Protocol-specific laboratory concentration
Timing: Laboratory protocol only
Not a human supplementation goal.
Sports Performance
Dose: No approved dose
Timing: Not applicable
GH fragments are prohibited in sport.
Lab work
Markers to track.
What to test, the optimal window inside the conventional range, and how long a response takes.
Fasting Glucose Glucose
No reliable clinical direction is established; monitor if any endocrine-active product exposure occurs.
Optimal
70–90 mg/dL
Conventional
70–99 mg/dL
Responds in
Baseline and as clinically indicated
70optimal99
Do not use glucose monitoring to justify unsupervised peptide use.
HbA1cFasting insulin
Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 IGF-1
Unexpected IGF-1 elevation suggests mislabeling or other GH-axis exposure.3
Optimal
80–250 ng/mL
Conventional
50–300 ng/mL
Responds in
Baseline if endocrine concern exists
50optimal300
Routine IGF-1 is not a safety guarantee.
Growth hormoneIGFBP-3
Why people use it
Symptoms it's matched to.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
High body fat
8% relevance
Marketed mechanism is adipocyte lipid handling, but human efficacy is not established.2
MetabolicInsufficient evidenceAvoid
Use evidence-based obesity care.
Weight gain
6% relevance
Related GH-fragment trials did not establish approved weight-loss therapy.2
MetabolicInsufficient evidenceAvoid
Do not use in place of approved treatments.
Poor metabolic flexibility
4% relevance
Mechanistic claims are speculative for humans.
MetabolicInsufficient evidenceAvoid
Monitor metabolic disease through standard care.
Safety
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Injection-site reaction
- Headache
- Nausea
- Unknown long-term endocrine effects
- Product contamination or mislabeling risk
- Possible glucose variability in susceptible users
Interactions
Interaction records.
ModerateCaution
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Alpha-lipoic acid may improve insulin sensitivity and obscure adverse glucose effects from peptide exposure.
Recommendation: Avoid combining for self-directed fat-loss protocols.
ModerateCaution
Green Tea Extract
Weight-loss supplement stacking can increase adverse-effect burden while efficacy remains unproven.
Recommendation: Avoid multi-agent weight-loss stacks, especially with liver disease, anxiety, or hypertension.
Sources
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Randomized controlled trials
1- 1A double blind placebo controlled study of the effects of AOD9604 in overweight and obese subjectsNeeds sourceNo linkStier H et al. · Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2013
Human evidence did not lead to approval
Mechanistic & preclinical
2- 2The effects of human GH and its lipolytic fragment (AOD9604) on lipid metabolism following chronic treatment in obese mice and beta3-AR knock-out miceNeeds sourceNo linkHeffernan MA et al. · Endocrinology · 2001
Effects depended on animal model
- 3Antilipogenic action of synthetic C-terminal sequence 177-191 of human growth hormoneNeeds sourceNo linkWu Z et al. · Biochemical and Molecular Biology International · 1993
Reduced lipogenesis in experimental preparations
Keep exploring
Deep dives & adjacent profiles.
This page is educational. Do not start, stop, or change a supplement or medication based on it without checking with a qualified healthcare professional.
Use this with your stack
HGH Fragment 176-191 in NutriStack.
Add it to your stack, see how it interacts with everything else you take, and get a Stack Score that updates the moment it does.