The MASSIVE Benefits of Alpha-MSH.
Alpha-MSH is one of those compounds that seems to do it all.
It stimulates melanocytes to make melanin, which deserves its own deep dive for its importance. Melanin:
transduces all forms of light into usable energy for the body, supporting various biological processes
liberates free electrons and molecular hydrogen & oxygen from water molecules, improving redox, blood flow, mitochondrial function, and inflammation.
Beyond melanin, a-MSH supports:
Metabolic health: a-MSH acts in the hypothalamus to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure, quite literally nature’s Ozempic mechanism but without the gallbladder failure and heart shrinkage.
Sexual health: Administering a-MSH analogues (ex: Melanotan II) boosts libido and erection quality. Also supports sexual function through regulatory effects on dopamine (see below).
Athletic performance & recovery: a-MSH increases glucose uptake and thermogenesis in muscle tissue. Melanin also boosts recovery and performance through its ability to split water, harness light energy, boost the mitochondria, and mitigate nnEMF.
Gut & immune strength:
a-MSH modulates the Nf-kB inflammatory pathway, regulating inflammatory cytokine activity.
Neutralizes lipopolysaccharide, an inflammatory toxin released by gram-negative bacteria due to leaky gut.
Contains anti-microbial properties to fight fungus, bacteria, yeast, and mold (95% of mold patients have suppresses a-MSH).
Dopamine & cognition: a-MSH binds to MC4R receptors to regulate dopamine release in the reward pathway. It also indirectly improves baseline dopamine levels by reducing inflammatory burden and via melanin, which can convert to dopamine under high-stress or hypoxic conditions. Cognitive ability, coordination, goal attainment, and focus are highly dependent on dopamine status (read The Dopamine Restoration Protocol).
Neurological health & resilience: This study found administering a-MSH preserved GABAergic neurons and improved cognitive function in a rat model of Alzheimer’s.
So how do you get it?
Alpha MSH is produced endogenously from the POMC molecule in response to UVB light (covered in depth in my UVB light article). If you’re not getting sufficient UVB at midday or subbing UVB for regular cold exposure, you’re already deficient.
Chronic stress, low-grade inflammation, and circadian dysregulation will also degrade a-MSH, so you must cover all the health bases as always.
This is also where administering the Melanotan II peptide can come in handy, something I may experiment with in future winter cycles. If you’re a 9-to-5-er with little to no access to midday sun, this is an option I’d look into for the myriad benefits above.
Whether you’re a health junkie, elite athlete, looks-maxxer, or chronically ill, optimizing a-MSH should be a priority. Build up to 60 minutes or more of midday sun and regular cold exposure in the winter, supplementing with UVB tools, and safe administration of peptides as needed.