Estrogen, Serotonin, and the Cycle of Water Retention“Estrogen increases the production of serotonin, and both substances boost the production of prolactin, activate the renin-angiotensin system, and increase the release of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin – all of which act synergistically with estrogen and promote water retention. Serotonin increases the production of estrogen, so under stress a vicious cycle can easily develop.” September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Serotonin, Estrogen, and the Promotion of Pituitary Hormones“Serotonin is – together with estrogen – the most important promoter of prolactin release. It also promotes TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, GH, MSH, POMC, vasopressin, and oxytocin – in other words, all pituitary hormones.” September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Estrogen’s Effect on the Production of Prolactin and Growth Hormone“Estrogen promotes the production of prolactin, a protein hormone, as well as its close analog, growth hormone. Ionizing radiation, aging, and oxygen deficiency all cause biochemical changes similar to those induced by estrogen.” Nutrition For Women |
Substances That Counteract Estrogen in Cancer Therapy“Anything that causes tissue atrophy tends to promote cancer. The important question is: What can stimulate differentiation and useful function in cancer cells? There are many substances that promote differentiation and counteract the effects of estrogen, and some of these have proven useful in cancer therapy. Substances that counteract estrogen include dopamine and nickel as prolactin inhibitors; chalones, tissue-specific proteins that inhibit cell division (and possibly – more fleetingly – the peptides of memory); the aprotic solvents DMF and possibly DMSO; progesterone and testosterone; thyroxine and iodine; magnesium-ATP, the stable form of the biological energy molecule; vitamin A, a protein-sparing nutrient that promotes differentiation, as well as vitamin E (and the closely related coenzyme Q or ubiquinone).” Nutrition For Women |
Modulation of the Dopamine-Serotonin Antagonism by Progesterone, Thyroid Hormones, and Other Factors“The dopamine-serotonin antagonism (e.g., in the control of prolactin release) can be influenced by progesterone, thyroid hormones, and other factors.” Nutrition For Women |
Psychoactive Substances and Their Effects on Chronic Diseases“During LSD research, it was observed that people with chronic headaches, asthma, or psoriasis sometimes fully recovered during treatment with frequent LSD doses. Another ergot-derived alkaloid, bromocriptine, is now used to suppress lactation (such as that caused by a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor that can develop after taking oral contraceptives) and is experimentally used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Both LSD and bromocriptine shift the ratio of two brain chemicals, DOPA and serotonin, toward DOPA dominance. Effects include inhibition of prolactin release. Excess prolactin is involved in breast cancer and other forms of cell proliferation, presumably also in the rapid cell division seen in psoriasis.” Nutrition For Women |
Reducing Prolactin Excess with B6, Thyroid Hormones, and Progesterone“All effects of prolactin excess (including amenorrhea) that respond to an increase in the DOPA/serotonin ratio can to some extent also be achieved with other, more readily available means. Vitamin B6, thyroid hormones, and progesterone all have this effect.” Nutrition For Women |
The Connection Between Tryptophan, Serotonin, Prolactin, and Acne“Since tryptophan promotes the formation of serotonin, which stimulates prolactin release, and prolactin in turn stimulates the production of sebum (oil) in the skin, large amounts of milk – in the absence of B6, thyroid hormones, progesterone, etc. – could promote a tendency toward acne.” Nutrition For Women |
Denckla’s Theory of a Pituitary ‘Death Hormone’ in Aging“W. Donner Denckla suspected that there is a death hormone in the pituitary that appears at puberty and initiates the aging process by suppressing oxygen use. He claimed that mere administration of thyroid preparations would not protect against it, and that it is an independent hormone, although it often appeared in tissue extracts together with prolactin and growth hormone. Although I think there is still much to learn about pituitary hormones, I do not believe Denckla discovered anything other than puberty.” Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life |
The Role of Estrogen and Prolactin in Impairing Respiration“Estrogen and prolactin do many things to impair respiration.” Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life |
Diverse Functions of Pituitary Hormones in Prostate Growth“Pituitary hormones have diverse functions, including effects on epithelial tissue beyond their classical roles. Growth hormone, ACTH (Lostroh and Li, 1957), as well as ACTH together with prolactin (Tullner, 1963) stimulate prostate growth. Prolactin – which is increased by estrogen – stimulates the growth of the lateral prostate in rats (Holland and Lee, 1980) and stimulates the growth of human prostate epithelial cells in vitro (Syms et al., 1985).” May 1998 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
The Role of LH, Growth Hormone, and Prolactin in Stress and Estrogen“LH (luteinizing hormone) increases when progesterone or testosterone is lacking, and both growth hormone and prolactin (which are evolutionarily closely related) increase under various stress conditions as well as through estrogenic stimulation.” May 1998 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Hormone Levels and Survival of Prostate Cancer Patients“Prostate cancer patients with higher LH levels and lower testosterone died the fastest (Harper et al., 1984). Also, a high ratio of testosterone to estradiol or testosterone to prolactin corresponded to better survival (Rannikko et al., 1981). Viewed alone, patients with higher testosterone levels had a better prognosis than those with lower levels, and patients with lower growth hormone levels fared better than those with higher growth hormone levels (Wilson et al., 1985).” May 1998 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Hormonal Influences on Cell Division in the Prostate“In human prostate slices, several hormones – (including insulin and probably prolactin) – stimulated cell division; testosterone did not do so under these experimental conditions (McKeehan et al., 1984). Contrary to stereotypical views, there is evidence that additional androgens could control prostate cancer (Umekita et al., 1996) and that antagonists of prolactin and estrogen could be sensibly used in hormone therapy.” May 1998 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Hormonal Changes in Men Over 50 and Prostate Enlargement“At age 50, men often show an excess of both prolactin and estrogen as well as a deficiency of thyroid hormones and testosterone. At this age, prostate enlargement often becomes noticeable.” May 1998 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Osmotic Adaptation of Salmon and Hormones That Promote Accelerated Aging“Another type of fish, the salmon, which returns to freshwater to reproduce, shows the opposite extreme of adaptation to an osmotic problem. After living isotonically in the hypertonic marine environment, maintaining its mineral content and osmolarity lower than that of seawater, it must suddenly adapt to the extremely hypotonic freshwater. The release of prolactin and glucocorticoid steroids seems to facilitate this sudden adaptation, but these hormones also seem to produce an explosively rapid form of aging. I think their condition resembles the cushingoid symptoms that frequently occur in middle-aged humans.” July 1991 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Estrogen Treatment and the Shock Phase of the Stress Response“Hans Selye pointed out that estrogen treatment mimics the first, shock phase of the stress response. An excess of estrogen (or any stressor) causes the pituitary to release prolactin and ACTH, and both hormones act on the ovaries, causing progesterone production to stop.” October 1990 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Possible Carcinogenic Properties of Tryptophan via Prolactin Release“Since tryptophan stimulates prolactin release, I thought it might prove to be as carcinogenic as reserpine.” May 1990 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Cortisol as a Biological Eraser and Tissue Modulator“Although it is important to be aware of the deadly effects of chronic, unchecked exposure to cortisol (as well as estrogen and prolactin), these hormones, which cause atrophy and loss of function in various tissues, also have a creative function. I have elsewhere called them the biological erasers, the hormones of new beginnings.!® In the case of cortisol, it might be helpful to compare its effect on tissue cells to the process of winnowing wheat, where the chaff is blown away while the grain is preserved. I think there is a mechanism – as suggested by Meerson – where functional stress preserves the cells and systems needed in the current environment, while unused cells are eliminated or reduced by cortisol.” August/September 1988 – Ray Peat's Newsletter |
Ray Peat on Prolactin
Supplements according to Ray Peat
-
Dried Organic Pasture-Raised Beef Liver Capsules
Normal price CHF 59.90Normal priceBase price forCHF 59.90Sales price CHF 59.90 -
Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder from Pasture-Raised Beef
Normal price CHF 39.90Normal priceBase price forCHF 39.90Sales price CHF 39.90 -
Dried Organic Pasture-Raised Beef Thyroid in Capsules
Normal price CHF 64.90Normal priceBase price forCHF 64.90Sales price CHF 64.90 -
Vitamin D3 + K2 MK7 - 4000 IU + 200 µg Drops
Normal price CHF 19.90Normal priceBase price forCHF 19.90Sales price CHF 19.90
