Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[Dan W]

You didn't specifically recommend creatine to anyone but in your interview with John Barkhausen on Autoimmune and Movement Disorders at the beginning of the interview you said

"There are people demonstrating improvement in the degenerative diseases with very simple antioxidant supplements and creatine supplements and such"

It was a generalised statement but it got me thinking of creatine and its involvement in the energy cycle.

Does it have specific benefits or possible uses in degenerative disease

It does seem to have good effects, but I haven't had any experience with it, and it's important to know the purity of any supplement.

1. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e30554.
Creatine protects against excitoxicity in an in vitro model of neurodegeneration.
Genius J(1), Geiger J, Bender A, Möller HJ, Klopstock T, Rujescu D.
(1)Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Creatine has been shown to be neuroprotective in aging, neurodegenerative
conditions and brain injury. As a common molecular background, oxidative stress
and disturbed cellular energy homeostasis are key aspects in these conditions.
Moreover, in a recent report we could demonstrate a life-enhancing and
health-promoting potential of creatine in rodents, mainly due to its
neuroprotective action. In order to investigate the underlying pharmacology
mediating these mainly neuroprotective properties of creatine, cultured primary
embryonal hippocampal and cortical cells were challenged with glutamate or
H(2)O(2). In good agreement with our in vivo data, creatine mediated a direct
effect on the bioenergetic balance, leading to an enhanced cellular energy
charge, thereby acting as a neuroprotectant. Moreover, creatine effectively
antagonized the H(2)O(2)-induced ATP depletion and the excitotoxic response
towards glutamate, while not directly acting as an antioxidant. Additionally,
creatine mediated a direct inhibitory action on the NMDA receptor-mediated
calcium response, which initiates the excitotoxic cascade. Even excessive
concentrations of creatine had no neurotoxic effects, so that high-dose creatine
supplementation as a health-promoting agent in specific pathological situations
or as a primary prophylactic compound in risk populations seems feasible. In
conclusion, we were able to demonstrate that the protective potential of creatine
was primarily mediated by its impact on cellular energy metabolism and NMDA
receptor function, along with reduced glutamate spillover, oxidative stress and
subsequent excitotoxicity.

2. Amino Acids. 2011 May;40(5):1297-303.
Creatine in mouse models of neurodegeneration and aging.
Klopstock T(1), Elstner M, Bender A.
(1)Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University of Munich,
Ziemssenstrasse 1, Munich, Germany. [email protected]
The supplementation of creatine has shown a marked neuroprotective effect in
mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease, Huntington's
disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This has been assigned to the known
bioenergetic, anti-apoptotic, anti-excitotoxic and anti-oxidant properties of
creatine. As aging and neurodegeneration share pathophysiological pathways, we
investigated the effect of oral creatine supplementation on aging in 162 aged
wild-type C57Bl/6J mice. The median healthy life span of creatine-fed mice was 9%
higher than in their control littermates, and they performed significantly better
in neurobehavioral tests. In brains of creatine-treated mice, there was a trend
toward a reduction of reactive oxygen species and significantly lower
accumulation of the "aging pigment" lipofuscin. Expression profiling showed an
upregulation of genes implicated in neuronal growth, neuroprotection, and
learning. These data showed that creatine improves health and longevity in mice.
Creatine may, therefore, be a promising food supplement to promote healthy human
aging. However, the strong neuroprotective effects in animal studies of creatine
have not been reproduced in human clinical trials (that have been conducted in
Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
The reasons for this translational gap are discussed. One obvious cause seems to
be that all previous human studies may have been underpowered. Large phase III
trials over long time periods are currently being conducted for Parkinson's
disease and Huntington's disease, and will possibly solve this issue.

3. Nutr Res. 2008 Mar;28(3):172-8.
Long-term creatine supplementation is safe in aged patients with Parkinson
disease.
Bender A(1), Samtleben W, Elstner M, Klopstock T.
(1)Department of Neurology, University of Munich-Klinikum Grosshadern, 81377 Munich,
Germany. [email protected]-muenchen.de
The food supplement creatine (Cr) is widely used by athletes as a natural
ergogenic compound. It has also been increasingly tested in neurodegenerative
diseases as a potential neuroprotective agent. Weight gain is the most common
side effect of Cr, but sporadic reports about the impairment of renal function
cause the most concerns with regard to its long-term use. Data from randomized
controlled trials on renal function in Cr-supplemented patients are scarce and
apply mainly to healthy young athletes. We systematically evaluated potential
side effects of Cr with a special focus on renal function in aged patients with
Parkinson disease as well as its current use in clinical medical research. Sixty
patients with Parkinson disease received either oral Cr (n = 40) or placebo (n =
20) with a dose of 4 g/d for a period of 2 years. Possible side effects as
indicated by a broad range of laboratory blood and urine tests were evaluated
during 6 follow-up study visits. Overall, Cr was well tolerated. Main side
effects were gastrointestinal complaints. Although serum creatinine levels
increased in Cr patients because of the degradation of Cr, all other markers of
tubular or glomerular renal function, especially cystatin C, remained normal,
indicating unaltered kidney function. The data in this trial provide a thorough
analysis and give a detailed overview about the safety profile of Cr in older age
patients.

4. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Apr;292(4):R1745-50.
Cerebral energetic effects of creatine supplementation in humans.
Pan JW(1), Takahashi K.
(1)Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
06520, USA.
There has been considerable interest in the use of creatine (Cr) supplementation
to treat neurological disorders. However, in contrast to muscle physiology, there
are relatively few studies of creatine supplementation in the brain. In this
report, we use high-field MR (31)P and (1)H spectroscopic imaging of human brain
with a 7-day protocol of oral Cr supplementation to examine its effects on
cerebral energetics (phosphocreatine, PCr; ATP) and mitochondrial metabolism
(N-acetyl aspartate, NAA; and Cr). We find an increased ratio of PCr/ATP (day 0,
0.80 +/- 0.10; day 7, 0.85 +/- 09), with this change largely due to decreased
ATP, from 2.7 +/- 0.3 mM to 2.5 +/- 0.3 mM. The ratio of NAA/Cr also decreased
(day 0, 1.32 +/- 0.17; day 7 1.18 +/- 0.13), primarily from increased Cr (9.6 +/-
1.9 to 10.1 +/- 2.0 mM). The Cr-induced changes significantly correlated with the
basal state, with the fractional increase in PCr/ATP negatively correlating with
the basal PCr/ATP value (R = -0.74, P < 0.001). As NAA is a measure of
mitochondrial function, there was also a significant negative correlation between
basal NAA concentrations with the fractional change in PCr and ATP. Thus healthy
human brain energetics is malleable and shifts with 7 days of Cr supplementation,
with the regions of initially low PCr showing the largest increments in PCr.
Overall, Cr supplementation appears to improve high-energy phosphate turnover in
healthy brain and can result in either a decrease or an increase in high-energy
phosphate concentrations.

5. J Neurosci. 2004 Jun 30;24(26):5909-12.
Prophylactic creatine administration mediates neuroprotection in cerebral
ischemia in mice.
Zhu S(1), Li M, Figueroa BE, Liu A, Stavrovskaya IG, Pasinelli P, Beal MF, Brown
RH Jr, Kristal BS, Ferrante RJ, Friedlander RM.
(1)Neuroapoptosis Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's
Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Creatine mediates remarkable neuroprotection in experimental models of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and
traumatic brain injury. Because caspase-mediated pathways are shared functional
mechanistic components in these diseases, as well as in ischemia, we evaluated
the effect of creatine supplementation on an experimental stroke model. Oral
creatine administration resulted in a remarkable reduction in ischemic brain
infarction and neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia in mice. Postischemic
caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release were significantly reduced in
creatine-treated mice. Creatine administration buffered ischemia-mediated
cerebral ATP depletion. These data provide the first direct correlation between
the preservation of bioenergetic cellular status and the inhibition of activation
of caspase cell-death pathways in vivo. An alternative explanation to our
findings is that creatine is neuroprotective through other mechanisms that are
independent of mitochondrial cell-death pathways, and therefore postischemic ATP
preservation is the result of tissue sparing. Given its safety record, creatine
might be considered as a novel therapeutic agent for inhibition of ischemic brain
injury in humans. Prophylactic creatine supplementation, similar to what is
recommended for an agent such as aspirin, may be considered for patients in high
stroke-risk categories.

Int J Dev Neurosci. 2004 Apr;22(2):95-101.
Tryptophan reduces creatine kinase activity in the brain cortex of rats.
Cornelio AR(1), Rodrigues V Jr, de Souza Wyse AT, Dutra-Filho CS, Wajner M,
Wannmacher CM.
(1)Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600, CEP 90.035-003, Porto
Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Hypertryptophanemia is a rare inherited metabolic disorder probably caused by a
blockage in the conversion of tryptophan to kynurenine, resulting in the
accumulation of tryptophan and some of its metabolites in plasma and tissues of
affected patients. The patients present mild-to-moderate mental retardation with
exaggerated affective responses, periodic mood swings, and apparent hypersexual
behavior. Creatine kinase plays a key role in energy metabolism of tissues with
intermittently high and fluctuating energy requirements, such as nervous tissue.
The main objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of acute
administration of tryptophan on creatine kinase activity in brain cortex of
Wistar rats. We also studied the in vitro effect of this amino acid on creatine
kinase activity in the brain cortex of non-treated rats. The results indicated
that tryptophan inhibits creatine kinase in vitro and in vivo. We also observed
that the in vitro inhibition was fully prevented but not reversed by
pre-incubation with reduced glutathione, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of
tryptophan on CK activity is possibly mediated by oxidation of essential thiol
groups of the enzyme and/or long-lasting adduct formation. Considering the
importance of creatine kinase for the maintenance of energy homeostasis in the
brain, it is conceivable that an inhibition of this enzyme activity in the brain
may be one of the mechanisms by which tryptophan might be neurotoxic.

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2009 Nov;10(7):683-90.
Clinical applications of creatine supplementation on paediatrics.
Evangeliou A(1), Vasilaki K, Karagianni P, Nikolaidis N.
(1)4th Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
[email protected]
Creatine plays a central role in energy metabolism and is synthesized in the
liver, kidney and pancreas. In healthy patients, it is transported via the blood
stream to the muscles, heart and brain with high and fluctuating energy demands
by the molecule creatine transporter. Creatine, although naturally synthesized in
the human body, can be ingested in the form of supplements and is commonly used
by athletes. The purpose of this review was to assess the clinical applications
of creatine supplementation on paediatrics. Creatine metabolism disorders have so
far been described at the level of two synthetic steps, guanidinoacetate
N-methyltransferase (GAMT) and arginine: glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT), and
at the level of the creatine transporter 1(CrT1). GAMT and AGAT deficiency
respond positively to substitutive treatment with creatine monohydrate whereas in
CrT1 defect, it is not able to replenish creatine in the brain with oral creatine
supplementation. There are also data concerning the short and long-term
therapeutic benefit of creatine supplementation in children and adults with
gyrate atrophy (a result of the inborn error of metabolism with ornithine delta-
aminotransferase activity), muscular dystrophy (facioscapulohumeral dystrophy,
Becker dystrophy, Duchenne dystrophy and sarcoglycan deficient limb girdle
muscular dystrophy), McArdle's disease, Huntington's disease and
mitochondria-related diseases. Hypoxia and energy related brain pathologies
(brain trauma, cerebral ischemia, prematurity) might benefit from Cr
supplementation. This review covers also the basics of creatine metabolism and
proposed mechanisms of action.

Neuroradiology. 2007 Feb;49(2):121-7.
Utilization of glutamate/creatine ratios for proton spectroscopic diagnosis of
meningiomas.
Hazany S(1), Hesselink JR, Healy JF, Imbesi SG.
(1)School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
INTRODUCTION: Our purpose was to determine the potential of metabolites other
than alanine to diagnose intracranial meningiomas on proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopy (MRS).
METHODS: Using a 1.5-T MR system the lesions were initially identified on FLAIR,
and T1- and T2-weighted images. Employing standard point-resolved spectroscopy
(PRESS) for single voxel proton MRS (TR 1500 ms, TE 30 ms, 128 acquisitions,
voxel size 2 x 2 x 2 cm, acquisition time 3.12 min), MR spectra were obtained
from 5 patients with meningiomas, from 20 with other intracranial lesions, and
from 4 normal controls. Peak heights of nine resonances, including lipid,
lactate, alanine, NAA (N-acetylaspartate), beta/gamma-Glx (glutamate +
glutamine), creatine, choline, myo-inositol, and alpha-Glx/glutathione, were
measured in all spectra. The relative quantity of each metabolite was measured as
the ratio of its peak height to the peak height of creatine.
RESULTS: Relative quantities of alpha-Glx/glutathione, beta/gamma-Glx, and total
Glx/glutathione were significantly elevated in meningiomas compared to the 20
other intracranial lesions and the normal control brains. Alanine was found in
four of five meningiomas, but lactate partially masked the alanine in three
meningiomas. None of the other lesions or control brains showed an alanine peak.
The one meningioma with no alanine and the three others with lactate had elevated
Glx.
CONCLUSION: While alanine is a relatively unique marker for meningioma, our
results support the hypothesis that the combination of glutamate/creatine ratios
and alanine on proton MRS is more specific and reliable for the diagnosis of
meningiomas than alanine alone.

J Neurotrauma. 2009 Oct;26(10):1635-43.
Neurometabolite concentrations in gray and white matter in mild traumatic brain
injury: an 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
Gasparovic C(1), Yeo R, Mannell M, Ling J, Elgie R, Phillips J, Doezema D, Mayer
AR.
(1)The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico 7131, [email protected]
Single-voxel proton magnetic resonance imaging ((1)H-MRS) and proton MR
spectroscopic imaging ((1)H-MRSI) were used to compare brain metabolite levels in
semi-acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients (n = 10) and matched
healthy controls (n = 9). The (1)H-MRS voxel was positioned in the splenium, a
region known to be susceptible to axonal injury in TBI, and a single (1)H-MRSI
slice was positioned above the lateral ventricles. To increase sensitivity to the
glutamate (Glu) and the combined glutamate-glutamine (Glx) signal, an inter-pulse
echo time shown to emphasize the major Glu signals was used along with an
analysis method that reduces partial volume errors by using water as a
concentration standard. Our preliminary findings indicate significantly lower
levels of gray matter Glx and higher levels of white matter
creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr) in mTBI subjects relative to healthy controls.
Furthermore, Cr levels were predictive of executive function and emotional
distress in the combined groups. These results suggest that perturbations in Cr,
a critical component of the brain's energy metabolism, and Glu, the brain's major
neurotransmitter, may occur following mTBI. Moreover, the different pattern of
results for gray and white matter suggests tissue-specific metabolic responses to
mTBI.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. What would you recommend for someone experiencing septic shock?

Sugar, aspirin, naloxone or naltrexone, antibiotics and laxatives.

Surg Forum. 1976;27(62):11-2.
Improved survival in endotoxemia with aspirin and indomethacin pretreatment.
Fletcher JR, Herman CM, Ramwell PW.

Arch Exp Veterinarmed. 1976;30(6):951-7.
[Effect of acetylsalicylic acid on experimentally induced endotoxin reactions in
swine].
[Article in German]
Schimmel D, Schimmel I, Lutter K, Putsche R.
The time and severity of clinical responses to endotoxin depend on dosage,
Administration of acetylsalicyclic acid and Indometacin prior to endotoxin
application may delay or moderate the clinical phenomena that are likely to
result from certain endotoxin amounts.

Crit Care. 2013 Jan 8;17(1):402.
Benefit of low-dose aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in septic
patients.
Sossdorf M(1), Otto GP, Boettel J, Winning J, Lösche W.
(1)Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Jena,
Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany. [email protected].
ABSTRACT: Analyzing medical records of 979 patients with severe sepsis or septic
shock provided some evidence that the use of low-dose aspirin or non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with decreased hospital
mortality. However, the benefit was abolished when aspirin and NSAIDs were given
together.

J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2011 Jan;2(1):3-6.
Evaluation of nootropic and neuroprotective effects of low dose aspirin in rats.
Ghosh A(1), Dhumal VR, Tilak AV, Das N, Singh A, Bondekar AA.
(1)Department of Pharmacology, N.R.S. Medical College, Kolkata, India.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nootropic and neuroprotective effects of aspirin in
Sprague Dawley rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retention of conditioned avoidance response (CAR) and
central 5-HT-mediated behavior (lithium-induced head twitches) were assessed
using repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) in rats. Rats were divided into
eight groups: control (pretreated with distilled water), scopolamine (0.5 mg/kg
i.p.), ECS (150 V, 50 Hz sinusoidal with intensity of 210 mA for 0.5 s)
pretreated, aspirin (6.75 mg/kg orally) pretreated, combined scopolamine and
aspirin pretreated, ondansetron (0.36 mg/kg orally) pretreated, combined ECS and
ondansetron pretreated and combined ECS and aspirin pretreated groups. Data was
analyzed by the chi-square test and ANOVA.
RESULTS: Findings show that administration of single ECS daily for consecutive 8
days results in enhancement of 5-HT-mediated behavior (lithium-induced head
twitches) and in disruption of the retention of CAR. Aspirin and ondansetron
administration significantly increased the retention of conditioned avoidance
response compared to control. Ondansetron and aspirin significantly prevented
ECS-induced attenuation of the retention of conditioned avoidance response also.
On the other hand, ondansetron and aspirin significantly retarded the ECS-induced
enhancement of 5-HT-mediated behavior.
CONCLUSION: Inhibition of the serotonergic transmission by aspirin is responsible
for its nootropic and neuroprotective actions.

Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;25(3):345-50.
Do aspirin and statins prevent severe sepsis?
Sanchez MA(1), Thomas CB, O'Neal HR.
(1)Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine,
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805,
USA.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Sepsis is an inflammatory condition associated with
significant morbidity and mortality. Given the lack of specific therapies for the
condition, prevention has garnered significant interest and increased importance.
The article reviews the current literature regarding the use of aspirin and
statins for the prevention of sepsis.
RECENT FINDINGS: Aspirin and statins have been integral in the prevention of
atherosclerotic disease. Additionally, statins have proven beneficial in the
prevention of nonatherosclerotic conditions secondary to their pleiotropic
effects. In animal models, this pleiotropism modulates many inflammatory pathways
of sepsis. The platelet also plays an integral role in this inflammatory cascade
of sepsis. Scientific data indicates that antiplatelet therapy, including
aspirin, may attenuate these undesirable effects of platelets. Finally,
observational studies have shown that patients taking statins have a decreased
incidence of sepsis and septic shock, and aspirin may potentiate these benefits.
SUMMARY: Sepsis is a deadly and costly condition with no available, specific
treatment options. The statins and aspirin are well tolerated and widely used for
prevention of cardiovascular disease. Because of their effects on the immune
system and inflammatory pathways, they may present viable medical options for the
prevention of sepsis.

 

[Mito]

Q: Is there a safe way to lower the Homocysteine level in the blood?

RP: A diet rich in folic acid, B12, B6, and good thyroid function. Milk, eggs, orange juice are helpful foods

 

[Close to Nature]

I haven't been active here for a long time, but I decided to share some older and newer original answers from Ray within the community. For an easy transferring into the wiki page, I have already seperated them by the right topic. I hope this will be helpful for some people and bring on some meaningful discussions.


--- 2011 ---

Myopia / Nearsightedness
"My myopia improved about 3 diopters when I spent a few months at high altitude, and took some pregnenolone. I think it's the CO2 balance in the tissues with reduced oxygen pressure, Bohr effect. If you are adapted, the higher altitudes have more effect. The time I noticed the biggest change I was only at 6600 feet altitude, but shorter stays at 8700 feet caused quick improvement. I used that method for several years and stopped the progression while I did it, but when I started to read all day year after year, I neglected it. I got it from Aldous Huxley's Art of Seeing, describing the Bates method. I worked with an optometrist who had studied at Ohio State, when their optometry school was progressive."

Light Sensitivity / Night Blindness
Having liver and shellfish once a week to help with the vitamins and trace minerals, and two quarts of milk per day, and plenty of fruit, should help with the sensitivity and night blindness.

Major Benefits of Milk/Cheese
"The calcium, accompanied by some saturated fat, is a major benefit of milk and cheese".

Colostrum and increased Glutathione
"Colostrum is probably o.k., but increasing glutathione isn't necessarily evidence that something is beneficial; it's a common reaction to injury."


--- 2012 ---

Liver
"Too much liver can inhibit thyroid function, so the amount depends on the individual. I think there are other reasons, but the high A content is the main one. A high ratio of phosphate to calcium contributes."

Gelatin
"Some people feel better with a tablespoon or two of gelatin with their regular foods."

CO2 Bag
"I had a two dollar bag of corn meal that got moist and metabolized for several months, but the movement of air in a house is usually too much for a bag to make a noticeable difference."

Salt
"Salt appetite is usually a good indicator of need."

Eye Floaters
"Avoiding stress, with occasional liver in the diet, regular eggs, to keep the vitamin intake high."

Bloodshot Eyes
"Enlarged vessels in the eye, especially if there's yellow around them, are suggestive of a B vitamin deficiency, especially B2, but there are no really safe supplements of B2, so having liver once a week would be reasonable."

Aspirin
"I think a little aspirin, regularly if not daily, is good prevention, if you are sure to get enough vitamin K, to prevent excess bleeding. The amount depends on how you react to it, and can change as your metabolism adjusts. Taking some at bedtime can be very helpful for sleeping; sometimes I take about 500 mg at night, but other times just a little. I think the crystals are more stable, but I keep the big container (a multi-year supply) in the freezer, and keep out enough for a couple of months. The powdered forms developed an acetic acid smell with time, the crystals don't."

Nutrient Requirement of a Pure Fruit / No-Fat Diet:
"Intestinal bacteria are an important source of B12, and many plant materials contain some. Carotene can be converted to vitamin A when B12 is available. I don't think the real causes of a B12 deficiency are known. A generous dietary source of both A and B12 is desirable, but usually not essential. I think the main reason for having a significant amount of fat in the diet is for its effect on digestion."

Shea Butter
"Shea butter has about 3 times as much linoleic acid as coconut oil."

Hair Washing
"I use either coconut soap or baking soda for washing my hair. I rarely use soap on my skin."


--- 2013 ---

Magnesium Requirement
"Getting enough sodium in the diet helps to retain magnesium, but both of them are lost easily when thyroid function is low; when the thyroid status is good, the requirement for magnesium is easily met by ordinary foods. The things I most often recommend for magnesium are the water from boiling greens such as beet, chard, turnip and kale, and coffee. Magnesium carbonate is a very good supplement, except that it can cause intestinal irritation. People tell me that they don't have bowel irritation from magnesium glycinate. Either Mg chloride or Mg sulfate with baking soda can be absorbed through the skin"


--- 2014 ---

A Children's Protein Requirement
"Growing children need quite a bit of protein containing tryptophan."

Coffee and Niacin
"Dark roast coffee provides the most niacin."


--- 2017 ---

Magnesium Supplements
"Magnesium supplements often cause bowel inflammation, and intestinal irritation can cause insomnia."

Thyroid / Cynoplus
"I always take my cynoplus at night, to go to sleep faster; it has an antiinflammatory effect."

Mineral Balance
"Keeping the TSH a little lower is the best way to assure balance of the minerals, since it helps with the retention of sodium and magnesium. Drinking milk and salting food to taste will provide a good balance when the stress hormones are low."


Cheers!

 

[Close to Nature]

I forgot one more from 2017 about thyroid supplementation. Actually, I asked him if small doses of thyroid (<5 mcg) should better be taken without a meal, because of the evidence that food like coffee, calcium or iron interfere wih thyroid absorption, and if 1/4th of cynoplus (30mcg T4 & 7,5 mcg T3 = 0,75 NDT Grains) before bed needs a meal.

"When you are hypothyroid, there’s usually an increase of stress hormones in compensation, and they hold up the pulse rate and temperature, especially in the early morning. T4 builds up in the body in the first few weeks, so it’s good to stay on a certain dose for at least two or three weeks, watching its effects, then adding a little to the dose, and watching for gradual reduction of stress (lower morning numbers, higher midday numbers) and increase of metabolic rate. It’s best to absorb it slowly, to imitate the normal pattern of secretion, and food helps to slow the absorption. In the evening a little milk, rather than a whole meal, is usually enough."

 

[milk_lover]

Me: "What do you think of exposing the neck/thyroid area to red light to entice metabolism? Like 15 minutes every morning after drinking sugary drink."

Ray Peat: "In principle it could increase circulation to the thyroid, possibly increasing secretion, but I doubt that it has much effect."

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. I was wondering, is there any ailment, other than broken bones or something, that you would consider going into hospital for?

I don’t think I would for a broken bone, unless it happened in Romania or some other less medicalized country, but I don’t suggest that other people should be so cautious.

Q. Interesting, would you do in the case of a broken bone? What symptoms do you think it would be reasonable for somebody to visit the hospital?

1982 I slipped on ice while carrying a heavy machine, and sat down on my ankle, causing a sharp pain in the lower half of my fibula; the area was swollen, with a discolored area along the bone, and for a few weeks I couldn’t put my weight on it. Nothing was displaced noticeably, so there was nothing to do but let it heal. I had known people with broken bones that had been badly set by doctors, and others whose bones had been perfectly set by farmers, so I would have had a friend help if I couldn’t reset a major fracture by myself. If a person doesn’t understand what’s happening to them, and thinks it’s something that a hospital could help, they should go, but they should also have a reasonable amount of knowledge about their body, and about the dangers of hospitalization. A couple of years ago I was involved, by telephone, with someone who suddenly developed extreme weakness and bleeding in his lungs, and whose doctor quickly did a series of appropriate tests and used appropriate treatments, and brought him back from a comatose state in a few days. It was the sort of thing that Dr. House might have done, the intelligent application of a large amount of knowledge. Such things are possible, but after having seen hundreds of people ruined by medical ignorance, I was surprised to see that it could actually happen.

 

[milk_lover]

I asked Peat about what he thinks is the optimal type of milk to enjoy the taste and avoid side effects.

Peat answered: "I think 1%-fat milk is best for most people."

 

[milk_lover]

Me: "If I react badly to glycine and gelatin, but I can tolerate taurine just fine, can the taurine be taken with muscle meat to reduce the muscle meat anti-thyroid effects instead of glycine/gelatin?"

Dr. Peat: "I don’t think it will have a similar effect, but it might provide its own unique benefit."

 

[goodandevil]

[moderator edit: question was about transdermal bioavailability ]

Q: is 20% availability of vitamin d in MCT about right?
A:"It depends greatly on the person’s skin, and how well it’s rubbed in and how long it’s left on; sometimes it’s a lot less."

 

[Wagner83]

Hi Ray!

I've used 2-4 mg vitamin k2 dissolved in 40-80 mg dmso on the scrotum with success:

-increase in body temperature, building muscles and strength without working out, less water retention , better mood etc..

Are these doses safe for daily use?

Dmso half life is 4 days in humans: The Cornell veterinarian. v.76 1986.


Differential effects of dimethylsulfoxide on steroidogenesis in mouse MA-10 and rat R2C Leydig tumor cells. - PubMed - NCBI
DMSO treatment resulted in the highly specific inhibition of a series of 30-kilodalton mitochondrial proteins (named StAR for Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein), which we have recently shown to be indispensable for the production of steroids in MA-10 cells. The synthesis of these same proteins was much less affected in R2C cells. Although the mechanism of action by which DMSO inhibits steroidogenesis remains unknown, these results show that its action results in the complete cessation of synthesis of the StAR protein, which is required for the acute regulation of steroidogenesis in MA-10 cells.

When incubated in the presence of 5% DMSO, MA-10 cells demonstrated an almost complete inhibition of progesterone production, whereas the synthesis of this steroid was virtually unaffected in R2C cells. [...] The production of cAMP in response to tropic hormone (hCG) and forskolin stimulation was significantly inhibited in MA-10 cells, but was much less affected in R2C cells in response to forskolin treatment.


Alteration of brain and interrenal StAR protein, P450scc, and Cyp11beta mRNA levels in atlantic salmon after nominal waterborne exposure to the syn... - PubMed - NCBI


Evidence of DMSO-Induced Protein Aggregation in Cells

Considering those reports of its toxicity, I can’t think of a worse place to use it.

 

[DaveFoster]

In regard to supplementing thyroid when having an irregular interval of stress, such as with a 9-5 or school schedule:

With 5 days of work stress, would the T4 cause hyperthyroidism on the weekends when stress is lower, or would you recommend T3-only to combat the stress (I know you don't usually)?

"I think a combination or natural thyroid such as Thyrolar, Cynoplus, or Armour is usually best. A basic antistress action of thyroid is to convert cholesterol into pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA, but that requires adequate cholesterol, and a good mixed diet helps to maintain that."

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. What are your thoughts on hypercondria versus reasonable concern into health?

Having a distinct symptom that is uncomfortable is a reason for looking for the cause; if a symptom is frequent and disabling to any extent, then it’s appropriate to invest some time and effort in figuring it out. When anxiety is the problem, people sometimes interpret insignificant sensations as danger signals instead of attending to the causes of the anxiety.

Q. What did you mean by the causes of anxiety?

Often it’s some simple thing, such as hypothyroidism. A chronic external stress (such as crocodiles or secret police) can lead to an internal change, such as thyroid failure.

 

[milk_lover]

Q. I often wonder what your views on cinema and TV shows are. Are they harmful to our bodies? Do you have any favorite movies or TV shows?

They can be good, but there’s so much junk, it takes some effort to find the good ones.

 

[raypeatclips]

Differences between mushrooms and carrots, why somebody may not be able to tolerate carrots but okay with mushrooms?

I think it depends on a person’s intestinal bacteria, but there are some potentially irritating or allergenic chemicals in carrots that don’t occur in mushrooms. Cooked bamboo shoots are another alternative to carrot.

 

[Wagner83]

Not sure if you saw this study but it's interesting even though it's decades late in some regards (importance of the bioflavanoids in oranges etc..):

Orange juice neutralizes the proinflammatory effect of a high-fat, high-carbohydrate meal and prevents endotoxin increase and Toll-like receptor expression

"Because orange juice does not cause oxidative and inflammatory stress, and flavonoids in orange juice suppress ROS generation (5), we hypothesized that 1) orange juice is able to lower the increase in ROS generation and the inflammatory response in MNCs and plasma after a HFHC meal, and 2) the concentration of plasma endotoxin and TLR4 and SOCS-3 expression in MNCs, which increase after an HFHC meal, are reduced by the simultaneous intake of orange juice."
[..]
"The data presented in this article emphasize that the intake of glucose and a HFHC meal are profoundly and rapidly proinflammatory, that this process occurs at the cellular and molecular level, that specific proinflammatory genes are activated after the intake of glucose and a HFHC meal, and that these changes are observed in MNCs that participate in vascular inflammation. "
[..]
"We were surprised to find no increase in glucose concentrations at 1 h after the orange juice intake.[...]We previously reported a higher insulin-to-glucose ratio after orange juice intake compared with that after glucose intake (5). However, in that report, there was a greater increase in glucose concentrations after orange juice intake. This difference is probably the result of the use of recently pasteurized, well-refrigerated orange juice in the current study in contrast to orange juice from a large can of reconstituted juice from a supermarket that was used repeatedly. Clearly, more experiments need to be done to address glucose-insulin relations after orange juice intake and the possible mechanisms underlying this preliminary observation. It is possible that incretin mechanisms are involved in the genesis of this phenomenon."

It’s nice that they noticed that there’s a difference between better and worse orange juice. It’s odd that nutritionists haven’t noticed that a 75 gram glucose tolerance test is stressful, and that stress hormones create free radical oxidative damage; and that, under more realistic circumstances, glucose or other carbohydrate lowers stress hormones and ROS.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. Do you eat fibers (carrot/mushrrom/bamboo) alone or with other foods? Does adding other foods negate the beneficial effects of the fibers?

I always have them with other foods; the intestine makes appropriate adjustments when the diet is consistent.

 

[Westside PUFAs]

"In a basic context, if a person encounters a stress and stress hormones are induced, if only one could be used and not a combination, as in sugar vs. fat, which would be more helpful for lowering the stress response: 2 tablespoons of sucrose/some fruit or 2 tablespoons of dairy cream/a piece of high fat cheese?"

RE:"I have noticed that, when my thyroid activity has been good and my glycogen stores are high, salty fat cheese helps me to tolerate stress, but with lower thyroid function and poor glycogen stores, sugar is essential for keeping stress under control.”

"There is a push to promote excess adipose tissue as "okay" and even healthy. There is research showing that adipose tissue produces things such as cytokines and estrogen along with having high levels of circulating free fatty acids. Anyone who points this out is labeled a "fat shamer." What are your thoughts on excess body fat's negative effects on the organism independent of other factors, as in the negative effects of the fat itself?

RE:"I hadn’t noticed that recently, but about 25 years ago a group of women had some effect on the way the media spoke about it. I think the composition of the fat, and the person’s general health history, affect the risks of being fat. In some cultures, fat has corresponded to social-financial status, so its negative effects have been offset by the benefits of wealth.

Int Psychogeriatr. 2015 Jan;27(1):121-30.
Association between body mass index and cortical thickness: among elderly
cognitively normal men and women.
Kim H(1), Kim C(2), Seo SW(3), Na DL(3), Kim HJ(3), Kang M(4), Shin HY(4), Cho
SK(4), Park SE(1), Lee J(1), Hwang JW(1), Jeon S(5), Lee JM(5), Kim GH(3), Cho
H(3), Ye BS(3), Noh Y(6), Yoon CW(7), Guallar E(8).
(1)Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology,Sungkyunkwan
University,Seoul,South Korea. (2)Department of Preventive Medicine,Yonsei
University College of Medicine,Seoul,South Korea. (3)Department of
Neurology,Samsung Medical Center,School of Medicine,Sungkyunkwan
University,Seoul,South Korea. (4)Center for Health Promotion,Samsung Medical
Center,Seoul,South Korea. (5)Department of Biomedical Engineering,Hanyang
University,Seoul,South Korea. (6)Department of Neurology,Gachon University Gil
Medical Center,Incheon,South Korea. (7)Department of Neurology,College of
Medicine,Inha University,Incheon,South Korea. (8)Departments of Epidemiology and
Medicine and Welch Center for Prevention,Epidemiology,and Clinical Research,Johns
Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health,Baltimore,Maryland,USA.
BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence of a relationship between underweight or
obesity and dementia risk. Several studies have investigated the relationship
between body weight and brain atrophy, a pathological change preceding dementia,
but their results are inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the
relationship between body mass index (BMI) and cortical atrophy among cognitively
normal participants.
METHODS: We recruited cognitively normal participants (n = 1,111) who underwent
medical checkups and detailed neurologic screening, including magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) in the health screening visits between September 2008 and December
2011. The main outcome was cortical thickness measured using MRI. The number of
subjects with five BMI groups in men/women was 9/9, 148/258, 185/128, 149/111,
and 64/50 in underweight, normal, overweight, mild obesity, and moderate to
severe obesity, respectively. Linear and non-linear relationships between BMI and
cortical thickness were examined using multiple linear regression analysis and
generalized additive models after adjustment for potential confounders.
RESULTS: Among men, underweight participants showed significant cortical thinning
in the frontal and temporal regions compared to normal weight participants, while
overweight and mildly obese participants had greater cortical thicknesses in the
frontal region and the frontal, temporal, and occipital regions, respectively.
However, cortical thickness in each brain region was not significantly different
in normal weight and moderate to severe obesity groups. Among women, the
association between BMI and cortical thickness was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that underweight might be an important risk
factor for pathological changes in the brain, while overweight or mild obesity
may be inversely associated with cortical atrophy in cognitively normal elderly
males.”

"Are there any cheeses that you like besides Parmigiano-Reggiano for variety?"

RE:"Anything without harmful additives. Mozzarella and Oaxaca, and some kinds of feta, often don’t have the harmful additives.

"Are bone grafts safe?”

RE:"I think it’s safe if the bone is thoroughly sterilized.”

"You’ve mentioned that we can make all of the saturated fats like palmitate and stearate and we can also desaturate stearic acid to make oleic acid and our own series of polyunsaturates. Is this because of our gut bacteria making butyrate from fibers? What is the raw material that we make our own fats from?

RE:"We make fats from sugar, starch, and amino acids. Even the brain has enzymes to make new fats."

"You've mentioned that muscles burn saturated fat. Is that fat from ketones produced by the liver and not free saturated fatty acids?"

RE:"They can take up fatty acids that are free or bound to albumin.”

"Are titanium implants such as those used for teeth and hips safe?"

RE:"They are the best available, as far as I know. I have known people who were planning to have artificial joints, who changed their plans after using progesterone."

"Some claim that if you go at what they call the "talking pace" or "easy pace," this the fat burning zone where your body is using stored fat as fuel instead of stored glycogen. They say that glycogen is tapped when you go harder or more intense. They say that to stay in the fat burning zone you have to keep your heart rate around 60% of its max rate. They say it is usually around 114-133 beats per minute. They say that if you go higher than that then you start burning glycogen instead of your fat stores. Do you think there is any truth to this?"

RE:"Resting muscle burns mostly fatty acids, and the amount of glucose used increases with the intensity."

"Do you think there are any negative effects from a male vasectomy?"

RE:"There is evidence that it can cause hormone imbalances and long term harm.

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
Rev Panam Salud Publica vol.36 n.2 Washington Aug. 2014
LETTERS CARTAS
Vasectomy and prostate cancer: the controversy reignited
William Derval AikenI; Vernon Eric DaCostaII
IDepartment of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia, and Intensive Care Section of Surgery, Division of Urology Faculty of Medical Sciences University of the West Indies. Mona, Kingston, Jamaica. [email protected]
IIHugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies. Mona, Kingston, Jamaica

A recent report of a 19% increased risk of death from prostate cancer (CaP) in men who have had a vasectomy (1) corroborates earlier reports suggesting an association (2, 3). This prospective study, involving 49 405 men with 24 years median follow-up, provides the strongest level of evidence to date suggesting a possible link between vasectomy and CaP and should not be ignored by policymakers, family planning boards, and service providers.

Previous studies have been inconsistent and the validity of any association was questioned mainly due to possible detection bias, as well as confounding by sexually transmitted infections. The robustness of the present study and the finding of an association with only advanced and lethal CaP, but not early CaP, suggest that if detection bias were present, it would be minimal and the outcome, therefore, is likely to be internally valid.

Although there would seem to be limited, external validity in extrapolating these study findings to the Caribbean given that its study population had a 25% prevalence of vasectomy and was constituted of mostly professional, Caucasian men, the study findings are actually relevant for the area in a number of ways. First, the Caribbean area has the highest reported mortality rate from CaP and no one would want to unwittingly promote a procedure that has been shown empirically to increase its risk of death; second, there has been an increase in the number of men requesting vasectomy in Jamaica, mostly from the young professional and middle class (4), and this is likely to be the case in other territories as well; and third, the national family planning board (NFPB, Kingston, Jamaica) has been actively encouraging men to take greater responsibility for their sexual and reproductive health and to be more directly involved in family planning. It is likely that men who are more involved in family planning decisions are more likely to consider having a vasectomy. Finally, "no-scalpel" vasectomy is encouraged by the NFPB and its website states that "there are no known long-term effects" of vasectomy (5).

Although there is, as yet, no known biologically-plausible mechanism by which a vasectomy should increase a man's risk of lethal CaP, the empirical evidence has shown that it does. Even if this turns out to be a non-causal association, at the very least, health care providers have a duty to immediately begin informing men considering vasectomy of the possible increased risk of death from CaP and to actively follow them after the procedure to ensure that it is diagnosed early should it arise.

On a broader scale, policymakers, family planning boards, and professional associations, such as the Caribbean Urological Association and the Jamaica Urological Society, may want to issue some kind of position statement on vasectomy so that men and their partners can make informed decisions.


REFERENCES

1. Siddiqui MM, Wilson KM, Epstein MM, Rider JR, Martin NE, Stampfer MJ, et al. Vasectomy and risk of aggressive prostate cancer: a 24-year follow-up study. J Clin Oncol. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25002716 Accessed on 7 July 2014. [ Links ]

2. Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. A prospective cohort study of vasectomy and prostate cancer in US men. JAMA. 1993;269(7):873 - 7. Available from: A prospective cohort study of vasectomy and prostate cancer in US men. - PubMed - NCBI Accessed on 12 August 2014. [ Links ]

3. Giovannucci E, Tosteson TD, Speizer FE, Ascherio A, Vessey MP, Colditz GA. A retrospective cohort study of vasectomy and prostate cancer in US men. JAMA; 1993;269(7):878 - 82. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8123059. Accessed on 12 August 2014. [ Links ]

4. DaCosta V, Lewis T, Wynter S, Harriott J, Christie L, Frederick J. Experiences of Jamaican men who have undergone no-scalpel vasectomy at the University of the West Indies. Open Access J Contraception; 2010. Available from: Experiences of Jamaican men who have undergone no-scalpel vasectomy at | OAJC Accessed on 15 September 2014. [ Links ]

5. Jamaica National Family Planning Board. Available from: www.jnfpb.org/ Accessed on 12 August 2014. [ Links ]"

 

[keith]

Hi Ray,

I know you have mentioned that berries are not an ideal fruit because the seeds are more difficult to avoid. Do you think berries are still preferable to starches, or would the seeds in, say strawberries, be likely to make them more problematic than a starch like potatoes?

Thanks,
Keith
-----------------------

If they are eaten without pulverizing the seeds I think they are o.k.

 

[allblues]

Asked Ray about St John's wort, got an interesting reply;

The newer information about it and the structure of hyperforin look good, but the photosensitizing effects of hypericin seem risky, likely to damage the eyes; maybe someone will separate the chemicals.