Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[meatbag]

When asking Ray about the nature of our Earth, reality, and disinfo;

I’ve never known a literal flat earther, but I’ve known several physicists and mathematicians who passionately believe that number is the basis of existence. Their timeless and colorless world is worse than a simply flat world. Our culture is swamped with highly authoritative disinformation; maybe the flat-earthers can be persuaded to be skeptical about other elements of the predominant world view. In Generative Energy I wrote about the expanding earth theory, and I’ve commented favorably on Halton Arp’s work on galaxies, and Kozyrev’s theory of stellar energy, Hannes Alfvén’s plasma cosmology—nothing that’s easy to interpret as flatness.

 

[raypeatclips]

When you use vitamin D on your skin during the winter what dose do you use?

About 20,000 iu.

 

[Wagner83]

Same discussion as here: Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

Ok ! So you still use some mushrooms in their original solid form to clean the gut from the inside? When is it best to grind them, before or after cooking?

My particular grinder works better when they are cooked. No, I don’t know of any value of leaving some unground.

 

[Wagner83]

Thank you! Btw, I've been sharing a few of your mails on a forum inspired by your work, when I think others can benefit from it I simply post the question I asked and your answer, words are not changed in any ways. Is that ok?

It’s o.k., if the context is clear.

 

[milk_lover]

Q. If you are offered either white bread or white rice, which one would you choose? I heard white rice reduces androgens that’s why Asian men have a lot less hair than other races..

In general, I think white rice is safer. Real sourdough bread, in which most of the gluten has been degraded, is probably about as safe as rice. I think nixtamalized corn is the safest.

 

[DaveFoster]

If a large amount of pregnenolone above one gram daily is needed to lower the pulse and make one feel good and relaxed, does this indicate a thyroid deficiency or should one continue to take the larger amounts of pregnenolone?

"I think large amounts like that (I averaged about 3 grams/day for a year) are acting to inhibit inflammation and shift water balances, as well as inhibiting the stress hormones via the GABA system. Reducing sources of inflammation (for me it was grains and starches mostly) as well as regulating thyroid can take the place of the pregnenolone."
______________________________________________________________________
I use DMSO and vodka as a solvent for things (pregnenolone powder for example). I ran out of vodka; is isopropyl alcohol safe to be used in place of ethanol in such topical preparations?

"It’s o.k. on the skin if it’s allowed to evaporate quickly."

I talked to Georgi Dinkhov, and he said it's probably safe since most of it will evaporate.
______________________________________________________________________
You mention a period of 2-3 weeks for adrenaline to come down from thyroid. During this time, should the person suspend the thyroid dose or continue taking it?

"If you start with a small dose, you can usually increase it slightly at intervals of about two weeks while keeping the pulse fairly steady. Other things that improve glucose metabolism help to lower the stress hormones."

I've found pregnenolone, progesterone, and activated charcoal particularly helpful.

 

[milk_lover]

Q. What do you think about applying 2.5 mg of each DHEA, pregnenolone, and progesterone at the same time on the testicles? They are dissolved in DMSO but DMSO concentration is very small. I was thinking the progesterone and pregnenolone would prevent any aromatization happening to DHEA.

Those steroids can be absorbed through any skin, and I think the arms or legs would be better. I don’t think it’s a good idea to put anything odd into the proximity of testes or ovaries, and since I think even the purest DMSO will hold only about 3 or 4% of a steroid like DMSO in solution, the effect of the solvent might be greater than that of the DMSO [maybe he meant the steroid here]. Taking the DMSO powder orally is very effective, too.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. Anxiety/panic, taking frequent magnesium baths/chloride topically doesn't seem to help. Low vit D known.

For the present, I think having sodium chloride or baking soda in your bath might be more helpful than the magnesium, though they could be combined. I suspect that increased aldosterone could account for the anxiety/panic, and extra magnesium, potassium, or phosphate could make it worse; sodium, calcium, and vitamin D would tend to lower it.

Psychother Psychosom. 2006;75(5):327-30.
Psychological aspects of primary aldosteronism.
Sonino N(1), Fallo F, Fava GA.
(1)Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
[email protected]
BACKGROUND: Except for 3 case reports of Conn's syndrome presenting as
depression, psychosocial factors have not been explored in primary aldosteronism.
We investigated psychological correlates in primary aldosteronism using methods
that were found to be sensitive and reliable in psychosomatic research.
METHOD: Ten consecutive newly diagnosed patients with primary aldosteronism were
studied: 5 males/5 females; mean age (+/-SD) 45.5 +/- 6.6 years, age range 34-54
years; 4 with an aldosterone-producing adenoma and 6 with idiopathic
aldosteronism; systolic/diastolic blood pressure 189 +/- 20/111 +/- 7.7 mm Hg;
upright plasma aldosterone 40.0 +/- 18.3 ng/dl; upright plasma renin activity
(PRA) 0.2 +/- 0.1 ng/ml/h; aldosterone/PRA ratio 229.2 +/- 191.0; serum K(+) 3.5
+/- 0.5 mmol/l. The Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for eliciting psychiatric
diagnoses, and a shortened version of the structured interview for subclinical
psychological syndromes, the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research
(DCPR), were administered.
RESULTS: Seven patients (2 with aldosterone-producing adenoma and 5 with
idiopathic hyperaldosteronism) received both DSM-IV and DCPR diagnoses, while 3
had neither. As to DSM-IV, generalized anxiety disorder was detected in 6 cases
(in 1 it was associated with panic disorder and in 1 with major depression) and
obsessive-compulsive disorder in 1. The most frequent DCPR cluster was
demoralization (5 cases), while persistent somatization occurred in 2 cases
(associated with demoralization in 1) and irritable mood in 1.
CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of anxiety disorders in patients with primary
aldosteronism was much higher than that found in the general population and in
primary care. Since an association between hyperaldosteronism and anxiety has
also been suggested in previous animal studies, it seems worthwhile to gain
further knowledge on clinical aspects by larger population studies.

 

[milk_lover]

Q. If the diet is good, are there any supplements to take to raise serum androgens safely in a man?

Pregenolone has multiple favorable effects. Sometimes thyroid can improve the ratio of androgens to cortisol and estrogen. Aspirin, by lowering cortisol, can improve the ratio. DHEA, in doses of 5 to 10 mg, can have a positive effect if thyroid function is good.
Int J Sports Med. 2007 Oct;28(10):809-14.
Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs influence the steroid hormone milieu in
male athletes?
Di Luigi L(1), Rossi C, Sgrò P, Fierro V, Romanelli F, Baldari C, Guidetti L.
(1)Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Rome
"IUSM", Rome, Italy.
Prostaglandins modulate the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and -gonadal axis
pathways. We explored the effects of a single course of treatment with
acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, on the
steroid milieu in athletes. Morning plasma cortisol (F), dehydroepiandrosterone
sulphate, free-testosterone, testosterone (T) and their ratios were evaluated
before and after the administration of either ASA or placebo in twelve male
athletes, when affected by minor musculoskeletal trauma and, as control, after a
five/six week wash-out in healthy conditions respectively. One tablet of ASA (800
mg), or placebo, was administered two times daily for 10 days during treatment.
All the volunteers suspended exercise training during treatment. The results
revealed that compared to placebo, plasma F was significantly lower after ASA
treatment (p = 0.023). Furthermore, the comparison of hormone's absolute and
percentage of variations (Delta and Delta%) between ASA and placebo treatment
showed significant differences respectively for DeltaF (p = 0.045), for DeltaT (p
= 0.047), for DeltaT/F (p = 0.042), for DeltaF% (p = 0.04) and for DeltaT% (p =
0.049). Our data suggest that in comparison to placebo, a short-term ASA
treatment is able to influence the plasma steroid milieu in athletes. Due to the
observed variability of the individual hormonal patterns, further research is
required to substantiate these findings.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. What do you think would be best for daily teeth cleaning? Do you think fluoride toothpastes are beneficial or harmful?

I think daily use of fluoride is likely to be harmful to the gums, but applying it occasionally to the teeth can harden the enamel, improving its resistance to cavities. I think the alkaline effect of baking soda is helpful for thorough cleaning.

 

[DaveFoster]

You criticize the authoritarian structure and political interests of U.S. medical institutions. Do you think there's a particular medical school that preserves the analogical process of intelligence in its students, or what avenue would you recommend for an aspiring physician?

I suppose there is some variation in the personalities at the different institutions in the US, but I think an essential part of medical authoritarianism is the curriculum. If a person can stay aware, year after year, that the curriculum is an ideology with many facts embedded in it, then it should be possible to get through it without seriously impaired intelligence.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. How important do you consider mental stresses to be on the body? Since a stressful experience my sleep quality and digestion is poor and anxiety has been daily.

Do you think reframing how I perceive my job, or the world, or change jobs, would improve physical symptoms?

What are your thoughts on stress reduction such as meditation or mindfulness?

An intense stress can cause the hormones to get stuck in an inefficient state, often with suppressed thyroid function and decreased steroid production. Sometimes foods that are essential nutrient rich -- eggs, orange juice, oysters, liver -- or just pleasurable, milk shakes, ice cream etc. (especially at bedtime, to improve sleep), can break the pattern, and sometimes supplementing thyroid or pregnenolone can do it.

Changing your view of your job is a possibility, but a healthy attitude in an unhealthy environment usually causes problems. I think real mindfulness is incompatible with nearly all the contemporary work environments.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q. What do you do for vitamin D levels in winter?

In addition to a few quarts of milk with added vitamin D, and eating liver, I rub several drops of the vitamin D oil onto my skin, and occasionally use an ultraviolet light.

Q. I noticed you mention eating liver, could I ask the relationship between liver and vitamin D?

The liver catalyzes the hydroxylation of cholecalciferol to 25-OH-colecalciferol, and many nutritional deficiencies can effect the liver's functions. I've known several liver-avoiders whose serum 25-OH-Vitamin D stays low despite big doses, and I suspect their general nutrition is responsible. It's reasonable to feed their liver optimally.

 

[John Frusciante]

Q. What do you do for vitamin D levels in winter?



Q. I noticed you mention eating liver, could I ask the relationship between liver and vitamin D?

He didn't understand the question was related to the other one. You meant liver as a food, he replied about the correlation of our liver and vit D.

 

[damngoodcoffee]

I asked him if he believes in God of some sort.

David Ray Griffin's Process Theology would be similar to my view.

 

[Dan W]

In response to a question about what he would do if stuck on a long airline flight:

I would have a good supply of progesterone, calcium (milk, cheese), sugar (cokes, orange juice, candy).

 

[haidut]

If a large amount of pregnenolone above one gram daily is needed to lower the pulse and make one feel good and relaxed, does this indicate a thyroid deficiency or should one continue to take the larger amounts of pregnenolone?

"I think large amounts like that (I averaged about 3 grams/day for a year) are acting to inhibit inflammation and shift water balances, as well as inhibiting the stress hormones via the GABA system. Reducing sources of inflammation (for me it was grains and starches mostly) as well as regulating thyroid can take the place of the pregnenolone."
______________________________________________________________________
I use DMSO and vodka as a solvent for things (pregnenolone powder for example). I ran out of vodka; is isopropyl alcohol safe to be used in place of ethanol in such topical preparations?

"It’s o.k. on the skin if it’s allowed to evaporate quickly."

I talked to Georgi Dinkhov, and he said it's probably safe since most of it will evaporate.
______________________________________________________________________
You mention a period of 2-3 weeks for adrenaline to come down from thyroid. During this time, should the person suspend the thyroid dose or continue taking it?

"If you start with a small dose, you can usually increase it slightly at intervals of about two weeks while keeping the pulse fairly steady. Other things that improve glucose metabolism help to lower the stress hormones."

I've found pregnenolone, progesterone, and activated charcoal particularly helpful.

You may want to say "talked to haidut (Georgi)" instead of "talked to Georgi Dinkov" as most people would not know who Mr. Dinkov is

 

[DaveFoster]

You may want to say "talked to haidut (Georgi)" instead of "talked to Georgi Dinkov" as most people would not know who Mr. Dinkov is

Will do, at least until the whole world reveres the name of Georgi Dinkov.

 

[haidut]

Will do, at least until the whole world reveres the name of Georgi Dinkov.

Lol, please that is not my goal. Everybody is capable of what I do and more. All it takes is "time and pressure" as they said in Shawshank Redemption...and freedom from the oppressive nature of daily life.

 

[allblues]

Peat returning another curveball... I like it, though.

Q: Do you have any opinion on hair mineral testing and analysis? Can it be a useful way to acquire information about mineral status and other things going on in the body, do you think?

Toenails are much better, because they absorb more from the body, less from environmental air and water exposure.