Ray Peat on Protein

Estrogen's influence on tryptophan metabolism

"Estrogen strongly influences tryptophan metabolism by increasing its conversion to serotonin at the expense of niacinamide – which explains the symptoms of pellagra when dietary tryptophan is lacking. When sufficient protein is present in the diet, promoting serotonin synthesis does not lead to niacinamide deficiency, but conditions that increase the influence of estrogen also exacerbate the dysfunctions involving serotonin."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Biological water retention and its relationship to cellular energy

"Water retention by the living substance is a topic that reductionist biology has been reluctant to discuss. There are no pumps for biological water, and it took a long time before a water channel protein was proposed. The structural molecules of a cell, its metabolites, and water are mutually dissolved in each other, and their affinity for each other is influenced by the energetic relationship of the cell to its environment. This mutual affinity is regulated by the balance of hormones and nutrients. ATP is a crucial factor in regulating the optimal state of water retention."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Effects of hypothyroidism on muscle fatigue and metabolites

"When metabolic energy fails, as in hypothyroidism, muscles fatigue easily, absorb excess water, and the barrier structure loosens. This allows macromolecules, ATP, and other metabolites to leak out while foreign substances enter. Typical muscle enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase appear in the bloodstream in typical hypothyroid myopathy; and heart proteins, including a specific form of lactate dehydrogenase as well as the muscle protein troponin, appear in the blood after cardiac strain or fatigue combined with hypothyroidism or systemic inflammation."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Blood-brain barrier and cellular stress: Detection in the blood

"The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has sometimes been treated as something unique, but it is only a special case of cellular resilience that exists everywhere. For example, after intense exercise causing fatigue and muscle damage, a specific brain protein, S100B – considered a key component of the BBB – can be found in the bloodstream. The exchange of substances, even proteins and nucleic acids, between cells and their environment increases under stress. The detection of substances like S100B in the blood is now recognized as an indicator of depression and brain injury."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Changes in blood viscosity in hypothyroidism

"The stiffness of red blood cells in hypothyroidism increases the viscosity of the entire blood, and changes in blood proteins contribute to this."

September 2018 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Comparison of cholesterol content in fat and muscle tissue

"In the body, fat tissue with a high fat content shows a significantly lower cholesterol content than muscle tissue. This is partly because muscles produce more cholesterol than fat tissue, but also because the structural proteins of cells have a high affinity for cholesterol. As a result, fat and proteins are mutually soluble in each other."

September 2018 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Composition of protoplasm and cholesterol as a lubricant and stabilizing agent

"I think it is correct to consider protoplasm as a complex type of solution made of proteins, water, cholesterol, and other lipids, nucleic acids, ATP, and smaller amounts of other substances – with a viscosity that changes when small changes in dissolved substances shift the balance of cohesive forces. Due to its molecular shape and hydrophobicity, cholesterol acts in this complex system both as a lubricant and as a stabilizer. It reduces cell stiffness by increasing the mobility of proteins."

September 2018 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFAs and the impaired normal functions of cholesterol

"In combination with unstable polyunsaturated fats, cholesterol cannot perform its normal functions. The unstable polyunsaturated fats inactivate the corrective (ABCA) protein that removes the damaged form of cholesterol."

September 2018 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Harmful substances in leaves that impair nutrient digestion

"Leaves contain many substances that can be harmful and disrupt the digestion of protein and other nutrients, such as tannins and polyunsaturated fatty acids."

September 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Sodium as a protein-sparing factor in kidney function

"There is even evidence that sodium can spare protein: If there is not enough sodium available to excrete it through urine for acid buffering, the kidneys waste protein to form ammonium as an ionic substitute for sodium."

Nutrition For Women

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—though more transiently—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

Changes in the intracellular milieu and their effects on enzymes and chemical reactions

"These changes in the solvent or intracellular milieu alter chemical reactions—by modifying enzymes and sequestering classes of chemicals, similar to how the aprotic solvents DMF and DMSO accelerate reactions and change reactivity. After such solvent changes, it is expected that the chemical consequences will amplify or solidify these changes. For example, proteins could be altered to form suitable patterns of memory molecules and endorphins (protein fragments with morphine-like effects) as well as chalones."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional factors in aging and reproduction

"Even in affluent cultures, protein deficiency, inappropriate physical stress, and emotional tension contribute to premature aging of the individual and damage to offspring."

Nutrition For Women

Protein is crucial for the removal of estrogen

"Lipschuts (Steroids and Tumors, 1950) reported that protein is crucial for the removal of estrogen."

Nutrition For Women

Thyroid hormones and vitamin A against the effects of estrogen

"Thyroid hormones and vitamin A promote protein metabolism and counteract some effects of estrogen. In fact, it is known that hyperthyroidism can lower estrogen levels below the normal range."

Nutrition For Women

Consider iodine and electrolytes in estrogen imbalance

"Iodine, protein, and electrolyte balance should be especially considered in women who may have an estrogen imbalance."

Nutrition For Women

Cysteine’s influence on thyroid function during stress and hunger

“Cysteine, an amino acid abundant in muscle and liver, blocks the synthesis of thyroid hormone. When we starve or are under stress, cortisone causes these protein-rich tissues to break down. If metabolism continued at a normal rate, stress or hunger would quickly destroy us. However, the cysteine released from muscle inhibits the thyroid, slowing metabolism.”

Nutrition For Women

Recovery and function of the thyroid after supplementation

“Contrary to widespread beliefs about the thyroid, the gland resumes its function after stopping supplementation, even if it was suppressed, and sometimes taking thyroid hormone can restore gland function to normal. Taking thyroid hormone can sometimes help thin people gain weight by improving protein metabolism, and it often helps to sleep more peacefully.”

Nutrition For Women

Protein deficiency in the diet as a cause of excess estrogen

“A very common cause of excess estrogen is a protein deficiency in the diet – the liver simply cannot detoxify estrogen if it is undernourished.”

Nutrition For Women

Cortisone’s effect on protein conversion and immunity

“Cortisone stimulates the conversion of protein to sugar, and since there are no stored proteins (except small amounts circulating in the blood), this means cortisone initiates the conversion of the organism into fuel for the problem area. In acute emergencies, lymphatic tissues shrink first, which is acceptable since they can be restored after the animal recovers; and their function – immunity – operates partly on a longer timescale, from days to weeks. However, if these tissues are chronically depleted by stress or malnutrition, an infection is more likely to be fatal – as in old age or poor populations.”

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional and hormonal influences on cellular respiration

“Various nutritional, hormonal, or toxic conditions affect respiration in different ways: For example, vitamin E deficiency, excess estrogen, toxic thyroid function, and DNP (the formerly popular, carcinogenic reducing agent) cause oxygen to be consumed without producing the normal amount of useful energy. A deficiency in vitamin B2 or copper can prevent oxygen consumption. Cancer (contrary to persistent dogma) involves a defect in cellular respiration and causes a tendency toward hypoglycemia, which is often compensated by converting protein into sugar, leading to the terminal wasting condition (cachexia).”

Nutrition For Women

Stress management through nutritional and environmental correction

"In general, stress should first be addressed by correcting the underlying deficiency – whether environmental or nutritional. An increased nutrient need usually concerns protein and fat; in acute hypoglycemia, a larger amount of sugar may be necessary. This suggests that the adrenals might be exhausted. In this case, in addition to other nutrients, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium should be supplied."

Nutrition For Women

Effects of cancer on stress hormones and nutrient needs

"Cancer overstimulates the anti-stress hormones of the adrenal cortex and often leads to severe loss of strength and weight through the mobilization of fat and protein. Blood sugar and glycogen storage get out of balance. During or after cancer treatment, a diet against hypoglycemia seems sensible: frequent small meals, liver (or comparable nutrients), magnesium, potassium. Vitamins A, E, C, and pantothenic acid are especially important under stress – but basically all nutrients are needed."

Nutrition For Women

Nutrient needs for stress resistance and recovery

"Stress apparently increases a person's need for all nutrients – including calories and protein. The vitamins most commonly used to improve stress resistance are A, C, E, and pantothenic acid. The minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, and zinc can support during the initial stress phases, and in the final, extreme stress phase – when the adrenals are exhausted – sodium supplements may be necessary."

Nutrition For Women

The role of vitamin A in protein deficiency and immunity

"Vitamin A can partially compensate for a protein deficiency, and a protein deficiency can damage the immune system."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional and nutrient recommendations for stress-related mineral imbalances

"Under stress, both adrenal hormones and mineral metabolism get out of balance – whether the cause is a chaotic lifestyle or a surgical procedure. The diet should contain about 90 grams of protein (in frequent meals), as well as eggs as a sulfur source (which is needed, for example, for the formation of joint lubricants). In addition, the ratio of magnesium to calcium should be kept high (for example, through vegetables, bran, fruit) and phosphate intake low (this includes replacing part of the meat with green leaves and using cheese). Vitamin C, vitamin E, and pantothenic acid are needed in particularly large amounts under stress. Vitamin A and vitamin B2 are also crucial for the formation of anti-stress hormones. Inositol is known to protect biological structures from many types of damage and might have this effect in arthritis as well, but I am not aware of any research on this specific application."

Nutrition For Women

Understanding and Properly Meeting Your Nutrient Needs

“You need to learn to recognize what your body needs at any given time. This is easier if your basic diet roughly looks like the one described above: a moderately calorie-reduced diet, a relatively high protein content with high-quality protein sources like eggs, milk, and leafy greens, as well as fresh fruit or vegetables daily.”

Nutrition For Women

Nutrient Requirements for Regulating Estrogen and Thyroid Function

“Besides the nutrients needed to regulate estrogen levels (protein and B vitamins) and the nutrients required by the thyroid (e.g., iodine, manganese, and cobalt), special attention should be given to the anti-stress vitamins involved in progesterone production (vitamin A, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E). Also to the nutrients known to be consumed in greater amounts during estrogen excess: especially folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B6.”

Nutrition For Women

The Impact of a Low-Protein Diet on Estrogen Detoxification in the Liver

“A low-protein diet clearly impairs the liver’s ability to detoxify estrogen and other stress factors.”

Nutrition For Women

The Role of Diet and Thyroid in Stress-Related Diseases

“A diet rich in animal protein and other nutrients – including an appropriate amount of dried thyroid extract when highly refined protein sources are used – can bring immediate improvements in many diseases that specifically arise from stress.”

Nutrition For Women

The Role of Vitamin A in Immune System Health

“Vitamin A is not only important for strengthening membranes but is also needed for protein synthesis, thereby supporting the development of immune tissue.”

Nutrition For Women

The Role of Zinc in Immune Defense and Possible Antiviral Properties

“Zinc has similarly fundamental functions in the formation of protein and antibodies, but may also have a direct virus-killing effect, as observed in vitro. This could explain why it is released during viral infections (and thus lost).”

Nutrition For Women

Recognizing Niacin or Protein Deficiency through Dental Health

“A niacin or protein deficiency can first show up in the gums – for example, through sensitivity or bleeding.”

Nutrition For Women

Effects of Thyroid and Progesterone on Protein Synthesis and Lactate Oxidation

"The crucial effects of the thyroid – especially together with progesterone, which promotes the tissue response to the thyroid and inhibits cortisone formation – are the stimulation of protein synthesis and the prevention of lactate formation or the promotion of its oxidation. This oxidation can be carried out either by the tumor itself or by other tissues, so that lactate does not enter the Cori cycle and is used there for gluconeogenesis."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional therapy and hormonal support for abnormal Pap smears

"Many women with abnormal Pap smears – even if a biopsy shows the so-called carcinoma in situ – returned to normal findings within just two months with a diet that includes: 90 grams of protein, 500 mg magnesium as chloride, 100,000 units of vitamin A, 400 units of vitamin E, 5 mg folic acid, 100 mg pantothenic acid, 100 mg B6, 100 mg niacinamide, and 500 mg vitamin C, supplemented as needed with thyroid and progesterone. Liver should be eaten twice a week. Some of the women apply vitamin A directly to the cervix."

Nutrition For Women

Early feeding of non-human milk and the development of allergies

"Since dietary proteins can enter the bloodstream, early feeding with non-human milk seems particularly likely to promote the development of allergies."

Nutrition For Women

Appetite as an indicator of nutrient needs

"Normally, appetite is probably a good indicator of the specific need for protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamin C, salts, and possibly other nutrients."

Nutrition For Women

Composition of weight loss during fasting and dieting

"In a study on the type of weight loss during a two-week fast, it was found that about 95% of the lost weight came from protein-rich tissues (muscles and glands) and not from fat. A low-calorie diet leads to slower weight loss, but in this case, most of the loss consists of fat."

Nutrition For Women

Adaptation to chronic dieting and loss of protein tissue

"People who maintain a diet permanently can adapt to a low calorie intake (Lancet, April 5, 1975, Miller and Parsonage). This is probably partly due to a loss of active, protein-rich tissue. To replace such tissue, a complete nutrient supply is necessary."

Nutrition For Women

The connection between natural minerals and vitamin stability

"Natural minerals are usually bound to specific molecules, such as proteins or pigments (e.g., heme). In this state, they do not seem to destroy vitamins – unlike various water-soluble, inorganic minerals."

Nutrition For Women

Nutrient Requirements with Excessive Macronutrient Intake

"Those who consume additional amounts of liquid oils increase their need for vitamin E; more carbohydrates increase the need for vitamin B1. A protein excess increases the need for vitamin B6."

Nutrition For Women

The Limits of Calorie Counting in Understanding Metabolism

"The idea that a calorie is just a calorie, or a purely calorie-counting approach, overlooks not only the specific dynamic effect of protein (with oils, one usually talks about uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation) but also processes at the whole-organism level—such as insulin release. This creates a link between how food is consumed (composition and timing) and behavior, appetite, and metabolism."

Nutrition For Women

Balancing Macronutrients in Nutrition for People with Hypoglycemia

"For many people prone to hypoglycemia, it seems sensible to have some protein, carbohydrates, and fat in every meal or snack. However, adjustments often need to be made, such as consuming more calories and eating more frequently."

Nutrition For Women

Training and Increased Protein Intake for More Muscle Mass

"Many nutritionists claim that exercise does not increase protein requirements. However, Russian researchers have found that the combination of training and higher protein intake can increase muscle mass."

Nutrition For Women

Nutrient-Poor Diet and Enzyme Functions

"If we eat in a way that a particular nutrient is very deficient—for example, protein—we lose many of the enzymes responsible for processing that nutrient."

Nutrition For Women

Eating Habits: Combining Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates

"Eat frequently and combine protein, fat, and carbohydrates at the same time, e.g., an egg and an orange or a carrot with cheese. Fruit is the best carbohydrate source; avoid raw starch sources like nuts."

Nutrition For Women

Heat Treatment and Its Effects on Protein Quality

"Heat breaks down protein. Milk from a can or powder has lost considerable amounts of lysine, an important component of protein."

Nutrition For Women

Essential Amino Acids and the Global Nutrition Issue

"What really seems crucial is the carbon framework of the essential amino acids. When the diet provides these along with other nutrients, protein in the diet no longer seems so indispensable. If one could find fruits and vegetables that contain these substances, the global nutrition problem might be easily solved."

Nutrition For Women

Dietary Thermogenesis and the Body's Own Energy Regulation

"Dietary thermogenic factors include sodium, calcium, vitamin D, carbohydrates – especially sugar – and protein. These work together with our body's own factors for energy regulation, especially the thyroid and progesterone."

November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Cholesterol and Progesterone: Synergy

"The functions of cholesterol are similar in many ways to those of progesterone. For example, in the pregnant uterus, the relaxing effect of progesterone is supported by cholesterol (Smith et al., 2005). In the brain, nerve excitation by glutamic acid is controlled by a uptake protein that binds this neurotransmitter, and the function of this protein depends on cholesterol; a reduction in cholesterol prolongs nerve excitation."

November 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Recovery Processes in Nerve Cells and Ion Selectivity

"In the activated state, nerve cells allow extracellular ions like sodium to enter, but the restoration of the selective state occurs instantly. The state of the proteins briefly resembles that of denatured proteins. With excessive stimulation, recovery is incomplete, and if proteins and gel structure remain partially denatured, experimentally introduced foreign molecules (dyes) can be observed inside the cell."

Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain

Importance of Various Orthomolecules for the Stability of Cells and Proteins

"Orthomolecules – besides niacin – include potassium, vitamin E (improves oxygen supply and helps cells retain proteins), inositol (stabilizes cells and proteins against denaturing or drying effects; Webb, 1965), other B vitamins, vitamin C, as well as anabolic steroids (for example androgens and progesterone, ginseng, eleutherococcus) to promote protein synthesis and support the storage of potassium, creatine, and ATP."

Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain

Pharmacological Benefits of Ginseng and Eleutherococcus for Cells

"From a pharmacological perspective, ginseng, eleutherococcus, and 2-benzylbenzimidazole can achieve reduced use of glycogen, ATP, and creatine phosphate (Dardymov, 1971), combined with increased protein synthesis (Rozin, 1971) and enhanced stress resistance of cells and organisms."

Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain

Unpredictable Effects of Viral Proteins on Human Genetics

"The consequences of incorporating the virus's spike protein into our genetic repertoire are hardly foreseeable. The thoughtless activation of our vast epigenetic system of retroelements – without any apparent benefit – should be stopped."

May 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Ling's View on the Binding Energy of ATP

"Since Ling did not assume that the binding energy of ATP is constantly consumed to drive sodium pumps in the cell membrane, he was not concerned with the energy that could be released by hydrolysis of this bond. Like Albert Szent-Györgyi, he was aware that the ATP molecule adsorbs to protein molecules with considerable energy and that its presence determines the shape of the protein molecule."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The Role of ATP in Cell Stability

"In a muscle cell, the presence of ATP stabilizes the muscle in its relaxed state. And in every cell, similar connections between ATP and proteins stabilize the cell in a fundamental resting state, in which it prefers potassium over sodium."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Induction Principle in Ling's Cell Theory

"The induction principle, which is central to Ling's view of cell structure and function, is something every chemistry student learns early on: the transmission of electron-withdrawing properties of different atoms and groups through connected atoms. Carbon dioxide, a Lewis acid, strongly pulls electrons from the proteins to which it is adsorbed, thereby increasing their acidic properties. This affects properties such as contraction and nerve activation, as well as oxygen binding and enzyme activity."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Protein Interactions and the Influence of Central Adsorbates

"Anything that binds to a protein – such as potassium or ammonium – has an inductive effect on the protein's structure and its interactions with the environment. And substances that adsorb particularly strongly, especially ATP and steroids, significantly influence the system's properties. Molecules that bind strongly to proteins change how proteins affect the properties of water; and the properties of water determine the metabolism of cells as well as their interactions with each other and the environment. Ling called these influential binding molecules central adsorbates."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The Effects of Carbonic Anhydrase Activation

"Stress activates the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which converts gaseous CO₂ (the form that binds to proteins and promotes structured surface or vicinal water) into ionizable carbonic acid/bicarbonate that leaves the cells. Activation of this enzyme raises the intracellular pH and tends to excite cells; its inhibition lowers intracellular pH, calms cells, and conserves energy."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nighttime Body Processes: Protein Breakdown

"During the night – even despite the calming effect of sleep – protein breakdown is much faster than its synthesis, and calcium is lost from the bones."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Mitigating the Harmful Effects of Excess Serotonin

"Avoid prolonged fasting and strenuous exercise, increase free fatty acids, combine sugar with protein to keep free fatty acids low, and use aspirin, niacinamide, or cyproheptadine to reduce free fatty acid formation caused by unavoidable stress; also avoid an excess of phosphate relative to calcium in the diet, consume milk and other anti-stress foods before bedtime or at night, and spend the day in a very bright environment with regular sunlight exposure—all of this can minimize the harmful effects of excessive serotonin and reduce the associated inflammation, fibrosis, and atrophy."

July 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Reductive Stress Triggers Regenerative Cellular Processes

"Reductive stress activates multiple levels of regenerative processes (as alternatives to the protective functions of carbon dioxide) to stimulate respiration, increase blood flow, and provide energy and materials for the renewal of cell structures. Prostaglandins, cytokines, estrogen, and nitric oxide are produced in a coordinated manner, and cell behavior changes defensively. The structures of the cytoskeleton are remodeled as reductive chemistry converts protein disulfides into sulfhydryl groups, thereby changing the shapes and—most importantly—the solvent properties of the cell material."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Counteracting Oxidative Damage with Aspirin and Bioflavonoids

"Oxidative damage, such as lipid peroxidation, is a seriously harmful phenomenon. Aspirin and bioflavonoids strongly protect against lipid peroxidation as well as against DNA mutations and protein damage caused by the most toxic free radical, the hydroxyl radical."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Cell Organization and the Influence of Energy on Protein Solubility

"Many of the new observations that view cells as self-organizing coacervate systems resemble Gilbert Ling's observations. For example, ATP increases the solubility of proteins (Patel et al., 2017), and when energy is lacking, some proteins precipitate out of solution and form membraneless organelles, filaments, and granules."

January 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Receptors and the Shift in Focus in Cell Biology

"A receptor is a concept of how order is introduced into an otherwise supposedly random system of diffusing molecules. The behavior of receptor proteins can run parallel to some processes in the cell and be crucial for them. But even then, focusing on receptors tends to distract from what is actually happening inside the cell—and from the real processes that should be understood."

January 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Mechanistic View on the Dynamics of Cellular Life

"The mechanistic tendency is to view a cell’s life in terms of information: digital on-off signals—whether a protein receptor is phosphorylated or not, reduced or oxidized, etc.—and to imagine the cell as atoms arranged in space. This imagined cell may perceive, but it perceives like a logician thinks—without melody, without scent, without erotic meaning."

January 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Cortisol Responds to Low Glycogen Stores

"If there is not enough glycogen stored in the liver, muscles, and other tissues to meet the brain’s nighttime glucose needs, cortisol rises. It then breaks down tissue proteins to provide amino acids and glucose—at the same time, free fatty acids also increase due to this nighttime stress."

January 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

ApoE4 and the Risk of Alzheimer’s

"People with an abnormal lipoprotein, ApoE4, are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, and this abnormal protein is known to cause increased production of NO ("

January 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Dietary Alternatives Before Considering Cytomel (T3)

"Before using a Cytomel (T3) preparation, the problem may be resolved through diet alone. A piece of fruit or a glass of juice or milk between meals, along with enough animal protein (or potato protein) in the diet, is sometimes enough for the liver to produce the hormone."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

Causes of Hypothyroidism: Diet and Lifestyle

"Besides fasting or chronic protein deficiency, common causes of hypothyroidism include excessive stress or aerobic (i.e., anaerobic) exercise, as well as diets with beans, lentils, nuts, unsaturated fats (including carotene), and insufficiently cooked broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or mustard greens."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

Targeted Use of Hydrocortisone to Manage Stress Effects

"Often, a small, physiological dose of natural hydrocortisone can help manage stress better without causing harmful side effects. While symptoms are treated short-term with cortisone, it is important to identify the underlying cause of the problem—such as checking for hypothyroidism, vitamin A deficiency, protein deficiency, lack of sunlight, etc."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

The Role of Nutrition in Preventing Pregnancy Complications

"Sufficient protein, glucose, and sodium to maintain blood volume can prevent most of these problems in late pregnancy—unless the hormonal imbalance is very severe."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

Nutritional Restriction and Protein Metabolism in Aging

"A fundamental metabolic change with age is the slowing of protein turnover in cells. It seems that dietary restriction increases the protein turnover rate in aging animals. I consider it likely that unsaturated fats and the amino acid cysteine both contribute to the age-related slowing of protein metabolism."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

The High Energy Demand of the Brain and Nutrient Requirements

"The brain is energetically a very expensive organ in terms of its energy demand, and the liver must work very efficiently to meet this. Therefore, if there is a nutritional or hormonal problem, the difficulties can be particularly severe. The need for sugar, protein, vitamins, and minerals can be very high."

Email Response by Ray Peat

Aging and the Role of Estrogen in the Availability of Reactive Electrons

"In my experiments, I found that both aging and estrogen stimulation led to a strong increase in the availability of reactive electrons, which I measured through their reaction with a dye. These electrons come from an interacting system involving proteins (cysteine) and glutathione, as well as various cofactor catalysts like ascorbic acid and NADH."

February 2001

Natural Antagonists in the Treatment of Degenerative Brain Diseases

"Antiendorphin, anti-excitotoxic, anticholinergic, antiserotonergic, antiprostaglandin, and antiglucocorticoid drugs have been used with good effect in various degenerative nervous diseases. But all these so-called anti-agents are imprecise antagonists and have many side effects. Natural antagonists and nutrients are usually helpful. Protein, sodium, magnesium, carbon dioxide/bicarbonate, progesterone, thyroid, vitamins, etc., can have healing effects in many brain diseases."

February 2001

Cellular Excitation and Hydration as Fundamental Properties

"I think the only way to approach the general nature of cellular excitation is to consider it through the fundamental properties of living material. Only something as general and fundamental as the hydration state of the cell – its 'moisture condition' – can explain why cells are activated coherently, with interconnected processes occurring at all levels: from chromosomes to mitochondria and enzymes, to the structural protein network of the cytoskeleton and sensory functions."

March 2000

The Role of Carbon Dioxide in Mitochondrial Stability

"Just as carbon dioxide changes the shapes and electrical affinities of hemoglobin and other proteins, I propose that it increases the stability of the mitochondrial coacervate. This attracts additional proteins from its external environment – as well as from its own synthesis machinery – to enlarge both its structure and its functions."

July 2000 - (1)

The role of the thyroid in sleep and energy production

"Since I, as soon as I started taking thyroid, immediately slept deeply and soundly again, and had seen that thyroid alone can fix most people's insomnia (sometimes – as a doctor described from his experience – better than morphine), I began to understand that the adrenaline disturbing sleep was a sign of poor energy production. And that the things that restore sleep – for example thyroid, salt, sugar, protein, and progesterone – act directly on the energy production of cells."

January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Natural factors for correcting edema and supporting cell function

"Thyroid, protein, sodium, and magnesium will correct most edemas. Progesterone works together with them: it increases the efficiency of respiration in mitochondria and changes the ion affinities of structural proteins. Thus, together with other natural factors, it enhances the correction of permeability and water regulation."

January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Influence of carbon dioxide on cell energy and heat production

"The concentration of carbon dioxide influences the structural energy content of the protein-water system. This effect can explain many of the mysteries of cellular heat production well – including the negative heat observed in certain phases of nerve and muscle activity."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

ATPases: More than pumps in muscle contraction and cell function

"But the pump proteins – calcium ATPase, sodium/potassium ATPase, etc. – are proteins that really exist, even though their functions are much more interesting than just pumping. An important connection to consider about these ATPases is that the contractile protein of muscle (myosin) is a calcium-dependent ATPase."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 4

Energy use in cells to restore the resting state

"To understand how energy can be used to restore the cell's resting state without releasing heat, it might be helpful to imagine that physical processes (the change in protein conformation and water structure) are closely linked to chemical equilibria."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 4

The role of ATP and CO₂ in regulating hemoglobin and proteins

"ATP and CO₂ both bind to hemoglobin and thus regulate its affinity for oxygen. The way they bind to this protein suggests that they also bind to many other intracellular proteins and regulate their functions in a similar way."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 4

The influence of carbon dioxide on biological structures and pH value

"Carbonated water is so commonplace that chemists almost feel embarrassed to talk about it. All the water in breathing organisms contains a considerable amount of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide binds to proteins and other amine-containing polymers and dissolves in water, lowering the pH. This strongly influences the interactions between polymers and water depending on the CO₂ concentration. Carbon dioxide alters biological materials and structures in and around our cells."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 3

Polanyi's multilayer adsorption and Rothen's protein layers

"Polanyi's multilayer adsorption was considered impossible by the leading physicists of the time, but the simple idea of electronic resonance eventually made it possible for them to accept the facts. However, Rothen's adsorption of multiple layers of immunologically specific proteins was simply too much for them."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 3

Protein interactions across cell membranes and gene activation

"This protein on one side of the [imaginären] cell membrane pulls on a protein on the other side, and then perhaps the little homunculus that counts molecules decides that now is the right time to carry a message to the appropriate gene to switch it on."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 3

Macromolecular charge and the influence of pH, CO₂ on proteins

"The overall charge of proteins and other macromolecules generally depends on the pH of their environment. Cellular proteins usually carry a negative charge above a pH of 5. The ionization of chemical groups such as hydroxyl, amino, and sulfhydryl groups is responsible for the overall charge. The degree of oxidation or reduction affects the number of sulfhydryl groups, and the structural state of the protein also influences the charge. At high pH, the charge is high, and both the number and arrangement of sulfhydryl groups can affect the charge. The presence of small ions, carbon dioxide, and oxygen also influences the charge of proteins. When the entire living system is involved, bioelectricity interacts with other electron-related phenomena, including oxidation-reduction, pH, donor-acceptor, and free radical reactions."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 2

Blood pH, vessel contraction, and coma in diabetic acidosis

"When the blood pH is high, the cells of the blood vessels are stimulated to contract. When the blood pH is low, nerve activity can be dulled up to coma, as in diabetic acidosis. I think these effects of pH – and the simpler effects of pH on protein charge – are closely related, as is the phenomenon of the injury potential."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 2

Cell damage, repair, and adaptive responses in the organism

"When a cell is damaged (for example by radiation or toxins), its reduced efficiency creates a small, local disturbance in the fields that – as far as the organism's resources allow – triggers repair processes or removal and replacement. If stress is so severe that the entire organism is exposed to lactic acid, the body's adaptation resources are challenged and potentially harmful reactions are triggered. For example, a sluggish liver during stress may allow the lactate concentration in the blood to rise, which can lead to the release of endorphins and pituitary hormones (Elias et al., 1997). Endorphins can increase histamine release, and growth hormone raises free fatty acids; increased permeability of blood vessels can cause proteins and fats to leave the bloodstream – with cumulative harmful effects."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 2

The role of unsaturated fatty acids in enhancing estrogen activity

"Unsaturated fatty acids – but not saturated fatty acids – release estrogen from the serum proteins to which it is bound, thereby increasing its availability and activity in tissue cells."

May 1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nutritional and hormonal support for prostate health

"Thyroid supplementation, sufficient animal protein, trace elements, and vitamin A are the first things to consider for preventing prostate hypertrophy and cancer. Nutritional and endocrine support can be combined with rational cancer treatments, as there is really no clear boundary between different approaches aimed at achieving an endocrine and immunological balance without causing harm."

May 1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Effects of protein breakdown and blockages in the citric acid cycle

"Increased protein breakdown or a blockage of the oxidative utilization of fuels in the citric acid cycle – for example due to poisoning – makes these precursors available so that they can enter the porphyrin metabolic pathway."

1997 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of fat residues in cell regeneration and growth

"Polezhaev's work on regeneration suggests that the fat residues left by degenerating cells stimulate the formation of new cells. Linoleic acid activates – similar to phorbol esters and estrogen – protein kinase C and thus the cell growth system."

September 1995 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Tubercle Formation and Proteolytic Enzymes Inhibited by Fats

“It has been suggested that the tubercle develops and persists because the body’s proteolytic enzymes are inhibited by unsaturated fats. (Older concepts of fat degeneration—which date back to the beginnings of biochemistry—were based on the observation that proteins precipitate at interfaces out of solution, such as at the surface of an oil droplet, forming a kind of protein-like ‘skin’ around fat droplets.)”

September 1995 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Oxygen Deficiency in Aging and Estrogen Excess

“The fact that oxygen becomes reliably scarce during aging, stress, and estrogen excess suggests that a fundamental coordination mechanism might be involved. This could lead to a shift toward conditions that activate the expression of certain genes—possibly the hypoglycemia/stress/heat shock proteins or perhaps simply the proteins that regulate cell division and growth.”

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Keratin Formation as a Sign of Energy-Deprived Cells

“In size and overall structure, keratin filaments resemble scrapie particles and the filaments that accumulate in Alzheimer’s. I see keratin as a protein produced by a cell that no longer has enough energy to make more functional proteins. Normally, keratinized cells arise through rapid cell division at a body surface where little energy is available. In chronic vitamin A deficiency, keratin-producing cells divide faster than normal.”

August/September 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The Importance of Copper for Mitochondrial Respiration and Aging

“Copper is an essential component of cytochrome oxidase, which holds the crucial final position in the mitochondrial respiratory system. Copper is also part of the cytoplasmic SOD enzyme, whose amount decreases with age. Ceruloplasmin, an important copper-containing protein, helps keep iron in its safe, oxidized form. Copper is involved in the formation of melanin (itself an antioxidant) and elastin. The loss of melanin, elastin, and respiratory capacity, so typical of senescence, is also caused by excessive cortisol exposure.”

October 1990 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nutritional Practices to Minimize Cortisol Production

“Additional nutritional practices can minimize our cortisol production (e.g., combining fruit with protein, since protein-rich foods lower blood sugar and stimulate cortisol release).”

October 1990 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Factors in the Traditional Treatment of Immune Deficiency

"Some of the factors I have focused on when working with common (i.e., complex, traditional) immune deficiency are: a deficiency of anti-glucocorticoid hormones, a nutritional excess of iron and unsaturated fats, a nutrient deficiency of vitamin A, folic acid, copper, and protein, as well as exposure to pediculocides and other chlorinated hydrocarbons including dioxins, etc."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The essential role of the thyroid for protein synthesis and energy

"Thyroid function is essential for all cellular processes, including protein uptake and synthesis, growth hormone formation, etc. Without thyroid hormone maintaining respiration, inefficient glycolysis wastes energy; non-oxidized lactate triggers the breakdown of liver protein. Hypoglycemia stimulates the release of glucocorticoids, which maintain blood sugar at the cost of rapid protein breakdown."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lowering estrogen to treat leukoplakia, supported by progesterone

"An optimal treatment for leukoplakia would include a program that lowers the chronically elevated baseline level of estrogen while promoting progesterone production. The body naturally moves in this direction when it receives the right support. With adequate protein intake (eggs, milk, cheese, shellfish, liver, etc.), the liver removes estrogen completely from the blood on the first pass in an otherwise healthy organism."

January 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Balancing vitamin A and thyroid function

"Both vitamin A and carotene tend – like any unsaturated oil – to inhibit the thyroid. Therefore, it is important to balance vitamin A and thyroid supplements: a sluggish thyroid is more easily suppressed by high doses of vitamin A, while a high level of thyroid activity uses up vitamin A faster. An interesting expression of this biological relationship is that a blood protein transports both vitamin A and thyroid hormone."

January 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Non-catabolic stress effects: enzyme inhibition and aging

"Some effects of stress are not catabolic. When detoxifying enzymes are lost, intestinal toxins block other fundamental enzyme systems. This leads, for example, to slowed protein metabolism and reduced superoxide dismutase activity. The resulting increase in lipid peroxidation decreases steroid synthesis."

August/September 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Supporting detoxification and protein metabolism to protect cells

"Similar to anesthetics that change the physical state of the cell and thereby slow down virus replication, the oxidative protection system also has several points of intervention to support detoxification and promote protein metabolism."

August/September 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter
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Supplements according to Ray Peat

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