My Ray Peat notes - A TLDR thread
If diet doesn't provide glucose and fructose. Then liver can't make thyroid(T4 to T3) as easily and will down regulate thyroid. Sucrose and lactose are effective at maintaining production of thyroid hormones. Calcium and sodium stimulates metabolic rate.
Diabetics survived and recovered when plain white sugar is added to diet.(Referring to study on diabetics who were wasting away)
Male Pattern Baldness: No evidence that testosterone is responsible. Prolactin is increased in balding men and women. Prolactin is also know as the molting hormone. Prolactin and cortisol rise during stress.
Anti-aromatase foods are important. Orange juice, guava, and others contain similar chemicals. Celery, parsley, and aspirin are anti-estrogenic. Milligram of Vitamin K for every standard 325mg aspirin is recommended.
Niacin flushing isn't healthy becasue it releases serotonin, histamine, and toxic prostaglandins. "No flush niacin" is no more healthy. Niacinimide is recommended.
Vitamin D is a regulatory material in bone and hair growth. Parathyroid hormones when temporarily released helps bone and hair growth. Chronic elevation of parathyroid will damage bones.
Daily carrot salad- Fiber in carrot isn't digestible and has slightly antimicrobial properties. Liver releases bile with toxic chemicals and hormones to be excreted. These can be reabsorbed in damaged small intestine. Carrot fiber helps remove those toxins from small intestine
Juicy fruits should be eaten raw. Starchy fruits should be cooked. Undercooked starch particles can enter bloodstream(starch persorbtion) and block capillaries killing cells and organs. Also causing premature aging.
Potatoes when thoroughly cooked(more so when boiled in water) are good. Best when eaten with butter or other saturated fat. (helps prevent persorbtion of starches) Also best served warm to minimize amount of resistant starches which increase endotoxins.
Seafood and liver recommended weekly.
Milk, liver, cheese, eggs, meat, and seafood are good sources of B vitamins. Will help neuromuscular and cognitive function. Vitamin B1 is especially helpful with memory and recall.
In the 20s people lost weight on less than 1700 calories a day due to having faster metabolisms. Poor diet and stress slows the metabolism and body begins to burn fat. Brain and red blood cells need sugar and will convert muscle to sugar if necessary. (This deserves on thread)
Sugar is muscle sparing and prevents catabolic breakdown. Muscles at rest will increase fat metabolism. More muscle=more fat burning at rest. Active muscles prefer sugars. Too much muscle stress will increase estrogen. Muscles produce testosterone.
Heart is one of the main receptors of testosterone.
Glucose in eggs/embryo stimulates brain growth. Removal of glucose in eggs/embryo increases death of brain cells. Restricting sugar during pregnancy is generally not advised. Gestational diabetes scare originated from glucose tolerance test in 60s.
Pregnant women normally have blood glucose levels of about 130(?). Progesterone also helps with metabolism of glucose and helps prevent miscarriages. Low progesterone will cause low blood sugar in pregnant women and potential miscarriage.
High estrogen increases chance of miscarriage.
Citric acid causes you to lose calcium in the urine. Calcium carbonate is safer calcium supplement and stimulates born formation. Milk/dairy recommended as calcium sources, or 1/4 teaspoon of eggshells. Oyster shells are more toxic than eggshells. Bone meal contains heavymetals
Cortisol causes catabolic effect on muscles. Carbohydrates in form of fructose can help spare amino acid loss from cortisol. (Fructose periworkout to replinish muscle & liver glycogen so metabolism stays high which helps to recover faster & prevent muscle wasting for glycogen)
Ray Peat when asked about his normal diet: milk, eggs, orange juice, oysters or liver weekly, gelatinous food every day (Your needs will obviously vary)
Fasting is catabolic and will consume healthy tissues to aquire glucose. Fasting increases cortisol and metabolic rate higher for first few days until metabolism is downregulated due to low amount of sugar and high amount of amino acids in blood. Hormonal glands downregulated.
Brain acts as a detoxifying organ. Albumin and lipoproteins released into bloodstream when liver is overburdened and helps detoxify blood. Albumin is bood measure of liver health. Giver and fructose can help increase albumin by removing reabsorbtion of endotoxins. <4 unhealthy
Fruit juice has more minerals than refined carbs. Potassium found in most fruits acts as insulin and helps lower glycemic load of carbohydrate(or insulin response from protein)
Milk slows absorption of lactose and calcium stimulates metabolism to increase use of sugars. Milk drinkers are often thinner.
Liver spots are caused by PUFA and stresss
Increasing cholesterol via sugar can be therapeutic
Small amount of fat helps stimulate the intestines and absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Small amount of PUFA fats in natural fat sources are stored gradually overtime as the body preferably metabolizes saturated fat. This slow accumulation of PUFA in the body overtime leads to aging
Under stress fat is released(PUFA) so stress becomes more harmful over time as we age since more PUFAs have been accumulated and can be released.
Aspirin improves calcium retention in bones and is safe if taken along with vitamin K. Vitamin K regulates calcium, protects arteries from calcification, and allows bones to use CO2. Carboxalate(?) binds calcium to the bone. Liver and Kale with butter are food sources
T3 and caffeine have topical use to help hair regrowth. Possible hair regrowth oil: olive oil, DHEA, natural progesterone. Olive oil, 25mg of DHEA, 50 milligrams natural progeserone. Creates a week's worth
Coconut oil can have an antihistamine effect and can help moderate coffee's negative effects along with sugar. All cells can produce histamine when adequately stressed.
Poorly digested or undigested starches(resistant starches) causes behavior changes, anxiety, and aggression. Causes endotoxins via bacterial overgrowth that can inflame intestines and liver.
Cooked starch is turned to glucose and causes insulin release. Excess glucose is stored as fat quickly when you eat more than you need/can metabolize.
Eating too much pure protein/protein only meals causes a fall of blood sugar and increase of cortisol which is catobolic to muscles and thymus. Will cause fat deposition around waist similar to Cushing's syndrome.
Leaky gut may be caused by radiation, estrogen, PUFA, heavy metals, etc. Leaky gut is when intestines become inflamed and leaky capillarries destroys the barrier between substances in intestine and blood and affects other tissues and organs via the blood stream.
On treating diabetes: Fructose is metabolized without needing insulin. Experiments with people with diabetes: patients who were allowed to eat as much sucrose as the wanted eventually recovered.
Type 1 diabetes may be a type of autoimmune disease. Inflamation reaction to prostaglandins and PUFA. Saturated fat only diets didn't develop experimental diabetes in studies. Diabetes symptoms with normal blood sugar may be be caused by damaged/undigested starches and PUFA.
Progesterone is highly concentrated in the brain. May oppose testosterone in excess. May help with epilepsy or athiritus.
On yeast and fungal infections: If yeast are starved of sugar, they will seek areas high in estrogen and release filaments looking for sugars and invade tissues and become deadly. Low thyroid people often have high estrogen and this favors yeast infection.
On yeast and fungal infections cont: Flours or precipitates of sulphur will help kill fungus. Vinegar may also help. (Vinegar+coconut oil+shredded carrot(?))
Vitamin E helps maintain fertility and prevent miscarriage. Needs increase with age and PUFA intake. Quality supplemental vitamin E is extremely hard to find. (idealabs supposed to have a good one)
On sugar and cancer: Animals with tumor normally have stable blood sugar. Even when cutting supply off. Cancer will send stress hormones to release sugar. Also cancer will consume surrounding tissue. In studies cancer will consume high concentrations of sugar until it died.
On liver: A damaged liver will ruin the whole organism. Is the chemist for the body. If the liver is not getting enough protein or B vitamins it can lose its ability to detoxify. You may get horomone imbalances. Tissues may become more fibrous and lungs will become inflamed
Endurance exercise causes heart atrophy, reduction of testosterone, reduction of fertility, and lungs become inflamed.
How to reduce serotonin: Reduce intestinal inflammation, avoid resistant starches, avoid salads, and avoid undercooked vegetables.
Fasting releases PUFAS which oxidize. Destroys enzymes ability to produce energy. Failure to produce energy causes a stress response. Depending on efficiency of liver, time without food until stress response varies. In individuals with unhealthy liver, this can affect sleep.
Fructose and lactose are preferred forms of sugar. Usually absorbed within first foot or so of the intestine. Lower insulin response to fructose, and lactose from milk is combined with fat which slows its release and therefore the stress response. (milk before bed)
Vitamin B1 is correlated with short term memory and improves mood. Often lowered by stress. Deficiency causes sluggishness, poor mood, psychosis, and hallucinations. Dose recommended: 10mg up to 100mg for extremely stressful situations.
If you are healthy you can meet challenges without experiencing stress. Healthy people store about 7-8 ounces of glucose in the form of glycogen in the liver, muscles, and brain. If relaxed and not stressed you can go longer without experiencing stress.
Once glycogen stores becomes low, adrenaline begins to rise and once it reaches a certain level cortisol is released. Cortisol can dissolve tissues like the thymus to get sugars when blood sugars drop. Next, muscles will be broken down.
Heart, brain, and lungs contain a lot of testosterone which prevents their breakdown exept under extremely stressful situations.
Candida thrives when you lack the membrane surface antibodies. The antibodies depend on thyroid and progesterone. If you are low thyroid you will have problems regulating blood sugar. If you starve candida of sugar it will attempt to invade via filaments int surrounding cells.
200mg of sulphur 2 or 3 days in a row can help eliminate bacteria overgrowth
Stress- falling blood sugar and rising lactic acid is the universal feature of stress. Lactic acid is the main source for producing endorphins or endogenous opiates. Endorphins are a sign of stress.
IBS is an inflamed bowel. Gluten resembles a protein that tissues make under the influence of estrogen or stress. Seeds contain toxins to protect against digestion.
Increasing CO2 by breathing into bag can lower lactic acid. Chronic elevated lactic acid is correlated with cancer. Higher altitude also increases CO2.
People with alzheimers generally lack stimulation
You want sugars that don't strongly stimulate insulin which leads to storage as fat. Fructose moderates production of fat, raises temperature, increases conversion of carbohydrates to energy, and actives the thyroid better than glucose alone.
Fruit, honey, and white sugar are preferred sources of fructose.
Vitamin A activates enzymes that make steroids. Increases ability to make pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA. Brain is a major steroid forming organ along with skin and gonads.
Topically applied progesterone may help with skin discoloring. It can be absorbed through skin.
Caffeine if taken on an empty stomach will drop blood sugar and stimulate stress. Best if taken with food.
On light: Red light therapy is good. Avoid intense midday sunlight to mitigate oxidative damage stress which can affect pufa.(?) Damage is not localized to skin. Darkness is cortisol producing.
Healthy liver should be able to store 8 hours of glycogen to get you through the night. If thyroid is low or estrogen is high then liver may have difficulty storing glycogen. Adrenaline is activated when glycogen is low to use remaining bit.
After liver glycogen is empty and can't respond to adrenaline, cortisol is released, and turns protein and fat into glucose. This will dissolve they thymus over a few days. Then the muscles will atrophy.
Fruit is the best food for not triggering a stress response. Potassium handles sugar in place of insulin. Eating fruit produces less insulin and cortisol than other foods.
Salt consumption inversely correlated with blood pressure. Calcium deficiency is responsible for high blood pressure. Calcium(& vit D) decreases parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid causes aldosterone to increase. Aldosterone removes calcium from bones and moves it into soft tissues.
Having more muscle mass is healthy and can help produce testosterone and lower cortisol. Testosterone also can help heart and brain. Muscle also serves as energy reserve during stressful catabolic events.
Vitamin K can reverse osteoporosis and remove calcium from the arteries. Works with coenzymeQ10 to maintain oxidative metabolism in mitochondria. May prevent excess clotting. Helps stabilize blood pressure.
Eating too many fermented food may cause stress due to lowering blood sugar via lactic acid. Liver consumes glycogen to process lactic acid into glucose. Bacteria may produce lactic acid and other endotoxin in the intestines. Esp when resistant starches give them food source.
The reason eggs have a bad reputation is that they are extremely concentrated protein and the per person eats an eggs without carbohydrates their blood sugar is going to fall, especially if their liver that doesn't have good glycogen stores the egg will drop their blood sugar...
That will activate mast cells and you'll have allergic reactions. Protein without the carbohydrate will increase inflammation. Sugar, progesterone, and aspirin are things that will protect you for most surges of histamine, serotonin, etc
Low thyroid can cause SIBO which can be a root cause of leaky gut. Digestion slows down when metabolic rate slows down from hypothyroid. Stomach becomes sluggish doesn't secrete much, or move food fast enough.
Stomach, pancreas, and liver should wash your whole small intestine clean so that there no bacteria can thrive when thyroid is functioning well.
Foamy urine is a sign of excess excretion of steroid hormone precursors and is a sign of stress.
Darkness is stressful, cortisol is normally highest in morning after fasting and being in darkness.
Saturated fats inhibit stress hormones by preventing release of PUFAs from storage. Saturated fats help inhibit inflammation and act as liver protectors. PUFAs exacerbate liver cirrhosis. Fibrotic, clotting, inflammatory, and tumor diseases are all closely associated with PUFA
Excess carotene can down regulate the thyroid if not enough B12 and thyroid hormone is produced. (Limit carrot and sweet potato frequency)
The more indigestible the food the more it supports bacterial growth.
Frequent eating is less stressful and less likely to cause diabetes and fat storage.
Greek yogurt is preferred over very acidic yogurts. Higher lactic acid in sour yogurts from bacteria increases inflammation.
Temperature is a good gauge of metabolism. Estrogen lowers temperature. Thyroid, progesterone, and DHEA help maintain a high metabolic rate, even at rest. Increasing adrenaline can compensate for hypothroidism, in that case, morning temperature will be higher than midday.
Hands and feet will be cold in the case of high adrenaline compensating for hypothyroidism. Normally, you want body temperature to increase from morning to midday.
How estrogen is removed from body: If liver is working, protein intake is adequate, and your thyroid is functioning, the liver will send the estrogen to your kidneys after progesterone retrieves it from cells of the body and brings it to the liver.
On alcoholic drinks Estrogen from yeast will stimulate the adrenals to produce cortisol and estrogen. Cortisol leading to beer belly and estrogen leading to man boobs(aka bitch tits).
Stress will make you lose copper from from your respiratory system(?)
Sugar helped prevent scarring when packed into wounds(was referring to 3rd world country using resources they had available or something like that)
Antibiotics lower cortisol and estrogen and progesterone increased. Raw shredded carrot salad caused similar changes. Endotoxins are estrogenic and lowers testosterone and progesterone.
Inflammation of nose and throat often starts in the intestine. Close relationship between respiratory system and digestive system.
Some fruit is good about 30 minutes before a high protein meal because the fruit replenishes the liver with glycogen. Eating big dose of protein without sugar you stimulate insulin which lowers circulating glucose and turns it into fat. Lower blood glucose also releases cortisol
DHEA may reverse graying hair. Copper also plays a role. Shellfish are a good source of copper without excess of iron.
Blue light in absence of red light damages mitochondria. Red light neutralizes harmful effects of blue light
Beef and lamb are preferred over chicken, pork, and turkey due to ruminants having less unsaturated fat due to nature of digestive system.
