This will usually be related to cancer, or some other source of stress in our lives. And that says to me that . . . The key, argues Pert, is found in complex molecules called neuropeptides. A peptide is made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. There are twenty-three different amino acids.
Peptides are amino acids strung together very much like pearls strung along a necklace.
The brain contains about 60 different neuropeptides, including endorphins. Neuropeptides are the means by which all cells in the body communicate with each other. Individual cells, including brain cells, immune cells, and other body cells, have receptor sites that receive neuropeptides. The kind of neuropeptides available to cells is constantly changing, reflecting variations in your emotions throughout the day. The exact combinations of neuropeptides released during different emotional states has not yet been determined.