Junk Food, Pt. 2: Other Natural and Synthetic Opioid Peptides
In the previous Junk Food Part 1 blog, we explored the world of the exorphins; opioid peptides that form through the enzymatic digestion of dietary proteins. Due to concerns as to the length of that post, I withheld discussion on several topics with the intention of covering these in a second part. And so here we are with Part 2! let’s start by looking into another class of naturally occurring opioid peptides, the endorphins.
Junk Food, Pt. 1: Exorphins
Do you know every time you drink a glass of milk or eat a slice of bread, you are being exposed to opioids? These opioids are the exorphins, a class of bioactive peptides (BAPs) that bind to and affect our opioid receptors, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “Junk Food”.
Molecules as Art
People often express astonishment to learn I “turned out to be a scientist” and that I “didn’t go into something artistic”. But I don’t see it this way at all, and have always viewed chemistry and drug design in particular as a very much artistic pursuit.
James Lee and the Mysterious No. 2
“Underworld of The East” describes Lee’s captivating 18 year-long adventure traveling as a mining foreman around the British colonies of Southeast Asia from 1894-1912. One of the remarkable things of this work is Lee’s views on psychoactive drugs, their use, and many other matters. Some of his findings detailed in this book are unlike anything else in the world of pharmacology.
