The Lower Your Cortisol Levels, The Younger You Look

[haidut]

Peat has this quote popping up on the forum every once in a while.
“The main features of aging can be produced... | Ray Peat Forum
"..."...The main features of aging can be produced directly by administering excessive amounts of cortisol. These features include atrophy of skin, arteries, muscle, bone, immune system, and parts of the brain, loss of pigment (melanin), deposition of fat in certain areas, and slowed conduction velocity of nerves. The physiology of aging (especially reproductive aging) overlaps the physiology of stress.”

Forum user @LeeLemonoil recently posted this study, explaining the effects of glucocorticoids on the aging epigenome.
Cortisol Sets "aging-clock" Ahead

And now this study found that the perceived age of a person is strongly affected by their cortisol levels. So, anti-glucocorticoid substances could be a legitimate aspect of anti-aging therapies. Given the powerful anti-cortisol effects of pregnenolone, it would explain why Peat looked visibly younger after his mega-dose pregnenolone experiment he wrote about.
http://www.psyneuen-journal.com/article/S0306-4530(12)00068-6/abstract
"...This study demonstrates that high levels of cortisol are associated with a higher perceived age. This association was attenuated in offspring from long-lived families compared to their partners, suggesting enhanced stress resistance in these subjects. Future research will be aimed at elucidating potential mechanisms underlying the observations in this study."

 

[TubZy]

I think a lot of the pro skin properties from pregenolone mainly are coming from the conversion into progesterone. I seemed to notice the benefit when both supplementing them separately.

 

[haidut]

I think a lot of the pro skin properties from pregenolone mainly are coming from the conversion into progesterone. I seemed to notice the benefit when both supplementing them separately.

Yep, quite possibly one of the beneficial pathways. There is an old study floating around the forum somewhere with topical steroids for skin anti-aging. Testosterone has the biggest effects, but progesterone was also up there.

 

[encerent]

You can lower your stress, sleep more and reverse your prematurely aged looks.

 

[Epistrophy]

I definitely never had a cortisol increase until recently. I have always looked 3 years younger than my real age. I am 31 now but my some of my friends look in their 40's

 

[golder]

Yep, quite possibly one of the beneficial pathways. There is an old study floating around the forum somewhere with topical steroids for skin anti-aging. Testosterone has the biggest effects, but progesterone was also up there.

Does this mean a small amount of T base dissolved in tocopherol would hypothetically work well added to my facial moisturiser? Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 5487]

Does this mean a small amount of T base dissolved in tocopherol would hypothetically work well added to my facial moisturiser? Thanks.

@haidut

This post correlates with what I posted on a a new thread. Cortisol is is end all. It starts it's rise around 23-25 when peoples kidneys cannot keep up with the acid load.

Here is the pathway:

"Acid-base balance in the body influences adrenal hormone production of cortisol. When bicarbonate [HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]." "Dietary induction of acidosis increases serum cortisol concentrations [38]."

"Cortisol activates the tryptophan metabolism pathway which is carried out by rate-limiting enzymes of tryptophan catabolism, 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Cortisol directly stimulates TDO activation and may augment IDO activity indirectly through inflammatory cytokine signaling such as interferon gamma [49,50]. Excessive or chronic cortisol production acquired from a ‘Western’ dietary lifestyle could play a role in augmenting the tryptophan metabolism pathway and drive downstream molecular events that promote carcinogenesis."

"Upregulated cortisol bioactivity driven by diet-induced acidosis may be a factor in metabolic syndrome by promoting insulin resistance. Chronic hyperglucocorticoidism upregulates visceral obesity while reducing insulin sensitivity mainly in visceral adipocytes which appear to be more responsive to cortisol than subcutaneous adipocytes due to higher expression levels of glucocorticoid receptors [58,59]."

"Acidosis associated insulin resistance through cortisol activity may result in compensatory pancreatic insulin secretion and higher levels of circulating insulin in the serum, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia." As Travisord would say: [sick]"


Well documented on @Amazoniac Post here.

"The Primary Sources Of Acidity In The Diet Are Sulfur-containing AAs, Salt, And Phosphoric Acid"​

- Acidosis: An Old Idea Validated by New Research (the author appears to be credible, you can tell because he's wearing a tie and has his arms crossed) "The idea that “being too acid” contributes to disease susceptibility, especially cancer, has been around for a long time in the...
raypeatforum.com

Acidosis-->Cortisol-->Wrecking Ball
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heres what I did to get my acidosis under control.

I supplement Magnesium and Potassium Citrates on 1: 4.8 ratio. These alkalinze the cells and the citrate is converted into bicarbonate almost entirely.
"HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]."

1 Hair volume trippled(cortsiol tank)
2 Testosterone Went to the moon(cortisol tank)
3 Have an 8 pack( cortisol tank=insulin tank)
4 Glowing red skin found in youth, at 26

 

[FacelessMan]

@haidut

This post correlates with what I posted on a a new thread. Cortisol is is end all. It starts it's rise around 23-25 when peoples kidneys cannot keep up with the acid load.

Here is the pathway:

"Acid-base balance in the body influences adrenal hormone production of cortisol. When bicarbonate [HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]." "Dietary induction of acidosis increases serum cortisol concentrations [38]."

"Cortisol activates the tryptophan metabolism pathway which is carried out by rate-limiting enzymes of tryptophan catabolism, 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Cortisol directly stimulates TDO activation and may augment IDO activity indirectly through inflammatory cytokine signaling such as interferon gamma [49,50]. Excessive or chronic cortisol production acquired from a ‘Western’ dietary lifestyle could play a role in augmenting the tryptophan metabolism pathway and drive downstream molecular events that promote carcinogenesis."

"Upregulated cortisol bioactivity driven by diet-induced acidosis may be a factor in metabolic syndrome by promoting insulin resistance. Chronic hyperglucocorticoidism upregulates visceral obesity while reducing insulin sensitivity mainly in visceral adipocytes which appear to be more responsive to cortisol than subcutaneous adipocytes due to higher expression levels of glucocorticoid receptors [58,59]."

"Acidosis associated insulin resistance through cortisol activity may result in compensatory pancreatic insulin secretion and higher levels of circulating insulin in the serum, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia." As Travisord would say: [sick]"


Well documented on @Amazoniac Post here.

"The Primary Sources Of Acidity In The Diet Are Sulfur-containing AAs, Salt, And Phosphoric Acid"​

- Acidosis: An Old Idea Validated by New Research (the author appears to be credible, you can tell because he's wearing a tie and has his arms crossed) "The idea that “being too acid” contributes to disease susceptibility, especially cancer, has been around for a long time in the...
raypeatforum.com

Acidosis-->Cortisol-->Wrecking Ball
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heres what I did to get my acidosis under control.

I supplement Magnesium and Potassium Citrates on 1: 4.8 ratio. These alkalinze the cells and the citrate is converted into bicarbonate almost entirely.
"HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]."

1 Hair volume trippled(cortsiol tank)
2 Testosterone Went to the moon(cortisol tank)
3 Have an 8 pack( cortisol tank=insulin tank)
4 Glowing red skin found in youth, at 26

Why citrate forms and why 1:4.8 ratio? How much potassium do you take per day?

 

[Deleted member 5487]

Why citrate forms and why 1:4.8 ratio? How much potassium do you take per day?

Ratio:

Magnesium and Potassium: Ratio K/Mg Melcalin MgK to help in the regulation of action potential: muscle, heart, nervous system and gastrointestinal - Melcalin

Stanchezza e affaticamento cronico, perdita di forza, crampi, fibromialgie, aritmie, scarsa digeribilità e svuotamento gastrico, alvo alterno, disturbi dell’umore, irritabilità, “bipolarismo funzionale” sono alcuni dei sintomi vaghi (MUS) che il nostro fisico può manifestare quando la...

melcalin.com

Citrate converts into bicarbonate entirely once in the body. Bicarbonate is the main acid buffer system that starts to drop at 25 or so.

"Alkalinization of the organism may be achieved by a strict vegetarian or vegan nutrition, or through an increased intake of citrates which are metabolized into bicarbonate ( ~ 60 mMol/day), however because of the one-sided and unbalanced alimentation deficiencies for vitamins, proteins etc."

"Bicarbonate plays a central role in the maintenance of the Acid-Base Balance in the organism and in addition in the optimization of blood perfusion in the circulation and therefore in the Oxygenation of all body-organs." (Hair/Skin are the first to go)

Once you get your acid/base under control everything falls into place. Everything that starts to go to ***t at age 22-28 depends on when peoples kidneys start falling behind.

If you get it under control you stop/reverse the ageing/deteroating health.

Here "
The Bicarbonate-Deficiency-Syndrome (BDS): Professor Dr. med. Klaus F. Kopp"

I do not use sodium bicarbonate anymore, I think magnesium/potassium are much more alkalinzing. Particularly Citrate. He also reccomends urine PH strips. Which I did for awhile, but their not a good guage of systemic acidity.

You also need to be care and get plenty of excersise and don't overeat you need to be exhaling some CO2, which is slightly acid, so you can produce more.

 

[Deleted member 5487]

"In the young healthy human individual, the Acid-Base-Balance is maintained constant primarly by the kidneys which excrete the daily produced metabolic organic acids with the acid urine. The volatile CO2 is being ventilated by the lungs. The average amount of the daily production (and excretion) of acids in the body of a 70 kg human being is about 50 to 80 nMol/day. The Blood-Bicarbonate-Concentration of 25 mMol/L (i.e. pH) is being maintained constant by the De-Novo-Synthesis of Bicarbonate from CO2 + H2O in the tubular cells and by the tubular back-resorption of filtered NaHCO3 from the intratubular fluid."

"The Bicarbonate-Deficiency-Syndrome (BDS): Professor Dr. med. Klaus F. Kopp"

So you need Kidneys functioning, and you need to exhale some CO2 with exercise.

So if your Excersiseing 1hr a day(light/strength-not exhaustive) which will also help with blood flow, lymph flow, and exhaling extra co2(acidity) and your supplementing with citrates. Orange juice is the richest source of citrates.

You will turn net alkaline and blood will flow freely to everything from you hair, penis, and skin. You will be 20 agian.

At 26 now I glow red hot and have a libido of a teen, legit 8 pack as well, cortisol tanked and so did insulin, estrogen, and all the downstream effects.

 

[Bootselectric]

Very interesting, thanks for the update!
How much of this mixture do you take in total per day?

 

[Scenes]

"In the young healthy human individual, the Acid-Base-Balance is maintained constant primarly by the kidneys which excrete the daily produced metabolic organic acids with the acid urine. The volatile CO2 is being ventilated by the lungs. The average amount of the daily production (and excretion) of acids in the body of a 70 kg human being is about 50 to 80 nMol/day. The Blood-Bicarbonate-Concentration of 25 mMol/L (i.e. pH) is being maintained constant by the De-Novo-Synthesis of Bicarbonate from CO2 + H2O in the tubular cells and by the tubular back-resorption of filtered NaHCO3 from the intratubular fluid."

"The Bicarbonate-Deficiency-Syndrome (BDS): Professor Dr. med. Klaus F. Kopp"

So you need Kidneys functioning, and you need to exhale some CO2 with exercise.

So if your Excersiseing 1hr a day(light/strength-not exhaustive) which will also help with blood flow, lymph flow, and exhaling extra co2(acidity) and your supplementing with citrates. Orange juice is the richest source of citrates.

You will turn net alkaline and blood will flow freely to everything from you hair, penis, and skin. You will be 20 agian.

At 26 now I glow red hot and have a libido of a teen, legit 8 pack as well, cortisol tanked and so did insulin, estrogen, and all the downstream effects.

Every single one of your experiments makes your hair triple, 8 pack abs and limitless energy/youthfulness. Is this exponential growth? Your hair must be x1000 density by now.

 

[Deleted member 5487]

Every single one of your experiments makes your hair triple, 8 pack abs and limitless energy/youthfulness. Is this exponential growth? Your hair must be x1000 density by now.

"Through self-education and self-experimentation we can regain authority over our own health and wellbeing."- Danny Roddy

Haha. Im not gonna go back and edit or delete every one of my posts. This is a learning through experimentation and sharing experience/ideas with others

Two years ago, after "Peating"(milk/eggs/danny roddy/haidut stuff) for 2 years, I was 5'10 210lbs and NW3

Now I'm 26 now and 175lbs at 5'10 nw2 with libido throw roof with abbs and shrink wrapped face.

Today I ate

Breakfast
150mg Caffine
14 oz OJ
Canned of Sardines with Olive Oil
3x Beef Oragan Pills and 10k UI Vitamin D, small dose of vitamin K to activate the fat soulable signals.

Lunch I had Philly cheese steak and hasbrowns 1/2

3 Pm I had Philly Cheese steak with hashbrowns. 1/2 Tastes so good

Worked Out

Dinner Had a big plate of potatos, Sardines, Orange Juice, organ pills 3x(ancestrial brand)

Had a class of orange juice later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways. The Bicarbonate and Citrate Stuff is of utmost importance. Just read these lines

"When bicarbonate [HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]." "Dietary induction of acidosis increases serum cortisol concentrations [38].""

"Excessive or chronic cortisol production acquired from a ‘Western’ dietary lifestyle could play a role in augmenting the tryptophan metabolism pathway and drive downstream molecular events that promote carcinogenesis."

""Upregulated cortisol bioactivity driven by diet-induced acidosis may be a factor in metabolic syndrome by promoting insulin resistance. Chronic hyperglucocorticoidism upregulates visceral obesity while reducing insulin sensitivity mainly in visceral adipocytes which appear to be more responsive to cortisol than subcutaneous adipocytes due to higher expression levels of glucocorticoid receptors [58,59].""


That cures about 99% of peoples problem on here.

Once you figure out you need to filer out some excess CO2 production through the lungs and also have plenty of Citrates in the Diet. Your Cortisol will tank and once cortisol tanks, so does estrogen/insulin/trytophan--sertonin pathway...etc. Then you can eat whatever the heck you want like a kid agian( exclusing PUFA) and your metabolism is Running Like a dieasal Engine.

 

[Uselis]

"Through self-education and self-experimentation we can regain authority over our own health and wellbeing."- Danny Roddy

Haha. Im not gonna go back and edit or delete every one of my posts. This is a learning through experimentation and sharing experience/ideas with others

Two years ago, after "Peating"(milk/eggs/danny roddy/haidut stuff) for 2 years, I was 5'10 210lbs and NW3

Now I'm 26 now and 175lbs at 5'10 nw2 with libido throw roof with abbs and shrink wrapped face.

Today I ate

Breakfast
150mg Caffine
14 oz OJ
Canned of Sardines with Olive Oil
3x Beef Oragan Pills and 10k UI Vitamin D, small dose of vitamin K to activate the fat soulable signals.

Lunch I had Philly cheese steak and hasbrowns 1/2

3 Pm I had Philly Cheese steak with hashbrowns. 1/2 Tastes so good

Worked Out

Dinner Had a big plate of potatos, Sardines, Orange Juice, organ pills 3x(ancestrial brand)

Had a class of orange juice later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways. The Bicarbonate and Citrate Stuff is of utmost importance. Just read these lines

"When bicarbonate [HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]." "Dietary induction of acidosis increases serum cortisol concentrations [38].""

"Excessive or chronic cortisol production acquired from a ‘Western’ dietary lifestyle could play a role in augmenting the tryptophan metabolism pathway and drive downstream molecular events that promote carcinogenesis."

""Upregulated cortisol bioactivity driven by diet-induced acidosis may be a factor in metabolic syndrome by promoting insulin resistance. Chronic hyperglucocorticoidism upregulates visceral obesity while reducing insulin sensitivity mainly in visceral adipocytes which appear to be more responsive to cortisol than subcutaneous adipocytes due to higher expression levels of glucocorticoid receptors [58,59].""


That cures about 99% of peoples problem on here.

Once you figure out you need to filer out some excess CO2 production through the lungs and also have plenty of Citrates in the Diet. Your Cortisol will tank and once cortisol tanks, so does estrogen/insulin/trytophan--sertonin pathway...etc. Then you can eat whatever the heck you want like a kid agian( exclusing PUFA) and your metabolism is Running Like a dieasal Engine.

Hey,

as far as main nutritional changes you quit milk and eggs it seems? Eating cheese instead?

 

[Nebula]

"Through self-education and self-experimentation we can regain authority over our own health and wellbeing."- Danny Roddy

Haha. Im not gonna go back and edit or delete every one of my posts. This is a learning through experimentation and sharing experience/ideas with others

Two years ago, after "Peating"(milk/eggs/danny roddy/haidut stuff) for 2 years, I was 5'10 210lbs and NW3

Now I'm 26 now and 175lbs at 5'10 nw2 with libido throw roof with abbs and shrink wrapped face.

Today I ate

Breakfast
150mg Caffine
14 oz OJ
Canned of Sardines with Olive Oil
3x Beef Oragan Pills and 10k UI Vitamin D, small dose of vitamin K to activate the fat soulable signals.

Lunch I had Philly cheese steak and hasbrowns 1/2

3 Pm I had Philly Cheese steak with hashbrowns. 1/2 Tastes so good

Worked Out

Dinner Had a big plate of potatos, Sardines, Orange Juice, organ pills 3x(ancestrial brand)

Had a class of orange juice later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways. The Bicarbonate and Citrate Stuff is of utmost importance. Just read these lines

"When bicarbonate [HCO3- levels are low, the kidneys upregulate glutaminase activity and trigger cortisol production [35-37]." "Dietary induction of acidosis increases serum cortisol concentrations [38].""

"Excessive or chronic cortisol production acquired from a ‘Western’ dietary lifestyle could play a role in augmenting the tryptophan metabolism pathway and drive downstream molecular events that promote carcinogenesis."

""Upregulated cortisol bioactivity driven by diet-induced acidosis may be a factor in metabolic syndrome by promoting insulin resistance. Chronic hyperglucocorticoidism upregulates visceral obesity while reducing insulin sensitivity mainly in visceral adipocytes which appear to be more responsive to cortisol than subcutaneous adipocytes due to higher expression levels of glucocorticoid receptors [58,59].""


That cures about 99% of peoples problem on here.

Once you figure out you need to filer out some excess CO2 production through the lungs and also have plenty of Citrates in the Diet. Your Cortisol will tank and once cortisol tanks, so does estrogen/insulin/trytophan--sertonin pathway...etc. Then you can eat whatever the heck you want like a kid agian( exclusing PUFA) and your metabolism is Running Like a dieasal Engine.

So how much magnesium/potassium citrate do you consume per day? Are you reacting them as bicarbonate salts with citric acid?

Do you take thyroid at all? Or do you feel a focus on alkalizing with citrates is pro thyroid enough to improve hypothyroidism your lowering cortisol?

I seem to get best effects with carbonates reacted with acids too. I have felt amazing taking high dose aspirin reacted with baking soda, but it requires to much aspirin to be sustainable long term. While baking soda by itself doesn’t do much. And wonder if baking soda reacted with lemon juice would have similar effects.

 

[Tbone107]

So how much magnesium/potassium citrate do you consume per day? Are you reacting them as bicarbonate salts with citric acid?

Do you take thyroid at all? Or do you feel a focus on alkalizing with citrates is pro thyroid enough to improve hypothyroidism your lowering cortisol?

I seem to get best effects with carbonates reacted with acids too. I have felt amazing taking high dose aspirin reacted with baking soda, but it requires to much aspirin to be sustainable long term. While baking soda by itself doesn’t do much. And wonder if baking soda reacted with lemon juice would have similar effects.

Interested in this as well.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

I think ingesting the organic acids( citrate, malate etc.) instead of straight bicarbonate is safer in terms of getting rid of excess alkalinity. Also, it doesn't interfere with stomach acid.

I too am interested in how much magnesium and potassium you're supplementing, @Amarsh213. That thread of Amazoniac is indeed gold.

I switched from magnesium chloride to magnesium bicarbonate at the very end of 2018, and never really looked back. Magnesium chloride, since it has the chloride anion, can be very problematic for people with already high cortisol. The bicarbonate, especially in these cases, is therapeutic, since it lowers cortisol. I believe this switch was very important for me to recover from muscle atrophy, particularly in my arms.Right now I supplement with calcium citrate, magnesium bicarbonate and potassium malate.

Another benefit from citrate is that it prevents kidney stones. The less citrate you urinate, the more acidic your body is( because the citrate, instead of simply being excreted in the urine, is being converted by the body into bicarbonate to neutralize the acidity), so the less potassium and organic acids/ bicarbonate you eat, the higher the risk to have kidney stones.

 

[reality]

Does malic acid also convert to bicarbonate?

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

Does malic acid also convert to bicarbonate?

It's an intermediate in the Krebs' Cycle like citrate, and I once saw a chart comparing the amount of CO2 generated by multiple compounds, and malate could be used to produce CO2 with no problems, so I think both malate and citrate are good.

 

[GorillaHead]

So theanine is the solution!?