Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[raypeatclips]

To add to the recent interest in soy sauce, I asked Ray this in January 2016

"I was wondering about your opinions on the safety in soy sauce? The only mention I can find of yours is that soy sauce produced outside of Japan does not have the soy estrogens contained in it. Because of this do you consider soy sauce safe?"

It’s safe in moderate amounts.

 

[goodandevil]

Q: "Hi ray. Dont know if this is useful to you but it seems that many taking dmso supplements are experiencing joint pain as well as other side effects i previously attributed to androsterone. No more for me. I did feel good at first on the androsterone. Very best regards,"

A:"Thanks for the information; about 40 years ago I was interested in DMSO, but I lost interest in it when I saw some reactions like that."

 

[raypeatclips]

In response to nose itching from mushrooms.

I haven’t noticed anything like that with the mushrooms, but peristalsis of the intestine can often trigger very localized sensations in the face or head.

 

[paymanz]

asked him about Orange blossom , Rose water , Saffron and Hibiscus tea and if he thinks these are safe or maybe beneficial?

I think they are safe; I have enjoyed all of them at different times. Hibiscus tea is recognized as a treatment for high blood pressure, and saffron has been used successfully for treating many problems.

Antioxidants (Basel). 2016 Oct 25;5(4). pii: E40.
Vitamin E, Turmeric and Saffron in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.
Adalier N, Parker H.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a growing epidemic and currently there is no cure for the disease. The disease has a detrimental effect on families and will strain the economy and health care systems of countries worldwide. The paper provides a literature review on a few ongoing possible antioxidant therapy treatments for the disease. The paper highlights use of vitamin E, turmeric and saffron for an alternative antioxidant therapy approach. Clinical studies report their therapeutic abilities as protective agents for nerve cells against free radical damage, moderating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and reducing neurodegeneration, which are found as key factors in Alzheimer's. The paper suggests that future research, with more clinical trials focused on more natural approaches and their benefits for AD treatment could be worthwhile.

 

[raypeatclips]

"Dear Ray,

Every so often ill have a day where I occasionally stutter, or mix up the starts of words. I notice when this is happening with my speech it also happens similarly when I write. A strong coffee seems to improve my ability to speak fast without fault. I just wondered if you had any thoughts about the reasons behind this. Thank you."

I think it probably has to do with the temperature of the brain, and the associated motor systems, when the intention runs into reflexes that are operating at a slower speed.

 

[goodandevil]

Q: "I want to ask you about a quote from Haidut. I remember you saying that impurities in pregnenolone are responsible for many bad reactions, but I've come to be suspicious when compounds are said to have mixed good/bad effects (like estrogen). Thanks for your time Ray, hope you have a good thanksgiving.

"In higher doses, pregnenolone not only saturates the enzymes but also seems to inhibit 3b-HSD, which is crucial for the synthesis of testosterone. Also, in lower doses pregnenolone seems to act as an agonist on the androgen receptor. Higher doses lead to mostly conversion into progesterone and as such an anti-androgenic effect. So, I found what doses in humans would provide enough pregnenolone for the beneficial effects to be observed without triggering the negative ones. While I can't divulge what that upper limit is to avoid getting copied by competitors :) I can tell you that 5mg pregnenolone per dose WHEN combined with DHEA has these beneficial effects without the negatives." -haidut"

Ray: "When I was buying pregnenolone from the Syntex factory in Mexico, 1984-5, to test its safety I ate a kilogram of it during a year, 3000 to 4000 milligrams per day. I didn’t detect any side effects at all, except that my skin, that had been sagging over my eyes and on my neck, firmed up. I know a man in his sixties who is taking a teaspoonful every day, without any bad effects."

 

[Dan W]

(from one of Danny Roddy's posts)

Hey Ray, do you have any thoughts on Ian Stevenson's work? Specifically in relation to reincarnation? I read Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation a few years before I found your work and it had always been in the back of my mind.

I don’t know much about his work, but about 60 years ago I read about people who had detailed knowledge of preceding lives. Since I am always starting from the radical empirical awareness of complexity constantly changing in meaningful ways, I am also always considering ways to understand the meanings of the regularities. I think a quality of coherence in things, covering situations that used to be explained by a luminiferous ether, can be thought of as a “formative ether,” with resonant processes that span spaces and times. We can resonate in the same time with organisms in different places, affecting our complex developmental processes. Substances are always participating in particular situations or fields, and are never merely random. The “orthogenetic” theory of evolution described a developmental inertia, in which the existence of a structure leads to more of the same structure. A structure in one organism affects its interactions, so that a functional (or eco-) system tends to develop its own inertia. Within a certain society, these functional systems could span generations, eliciting “phenocopies” transgenerationally. Lancelot Whyte’s “formative principle” and Rupert Sheldrake’s “formative causation” just need a more concrete physical substrate, that I think exists in fragments, from Leibniz to Bose to Polanyi, to Horace Dudley and J.L. Anderson, etc. The idea of resonance needs a better understanding of substance as/incorporating its fields—and nothing has private independent fields.

J.L. Anderson, "Non-Poisson Distributions Observed During Counting of Certain Carbon-14 Labeled (Sub) Monolayers," Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 76, No. 4 (1972). (Nuclear decay isn’t random and depends on its environment)

Dayton Miller's Ether-Drift Experiments

 

[Dan W]

You mentioned in an email sometime ago to somebody else that very small doses of lsd (10 mcg) help to optimise normal processes, and that its somthing that could help to maintain the proper electronic resonance of the organism. Is this effect on electronic resonance just related to its anti serotonin effects or is it somthing more? Would cyproheptadine or lisuride have this effect?

Things that protect against “reductive stress” (an excess of metabolic electrons) protect the sensitivities of cells that make coherent integrated function possible. Szent-Gyorgyi talked about an intracellular integration made possible by maintaining a partially oxidized state of proteins, and I’m thinking about intercellular communication of this electronic state. Stress shifts metabolism away from this condition. Once the state exists, it tends to be stable by itself, without drugs, in the absence of stress.

 

[goodandevil]

Q: "My girlfriend alternates armour with synthroid, she says some neuropathy and body pains are better on the synthroid, she's had low cholesterol (I think 148 last time) and craves starch and carbs. I'm guessing her cholesterol is still low and the t3 is using it up, resulting in a decrease in cortisone, if synthroid seems better than armour sometimes, would this explain why? Thx"

Ray: "T4 suppresses the pro-inflammatory TSH, without activating the metabolism, so probably spares the cholesterol and other antiinflammatory things. Does she eat enough sugar? Starches and irritating, bacteria-supporting foods increase inflammation and probably interfere with cholesterol synthesis. Custards, sweet fruits, and Haagen Dazs ice cream are safe ways to increase cholesterol."

Now we have a freezer full of Haagen Dazs and a refrigerator full of mexican flan. My girlfriend says: "I like Ray".

 

[Amazoniac]

[ moderator edit: related thread Is Nitazoxanide Safe As An Antimicrobial Drug? ]

Do you know how safe and effective nitazoxanide (sold as Alinia, Nizonide, etc) is for intestinal pathogens? It's commonly sold over-the-counter where I live.

http://medind.nic.in/maa/t11/i1/maat11i1p67.pdf

It seems to be safe to use for a few days.

That isn’t a chemical that I’ve had any experience with, it’s just that I don’t know of any reports of toxicity from it.

 

[milk_lover]

I asked about the safety of androsterone.

He said:
"I think much more animal research would have to be done to be confident of its safety."

 

[ecstatichamster]

I asked Ray about nanobacteria and mycoplasma:

what do you think of these as causes of disease such as stones?

Many people think they may have ongoing mycoplasma infections.

And a friend who worked at NIH said that she thinks all their substrates were contaminated with mycoplasma
----

I think there is a cultishness to blaming everything on them, when no other cause is evident.

 

[Giraffe]

I am posting this here as some kind of marker...

The Email Wiki is up to date!

To sort the posts in the Comment/Discussion thread a bit, I have created new threads and moved posts. I also moved a few of those threads to sub-forums where they fit. The threads start all with the title "RP Email Advice Comment:", and they are tagged with "ray peat email advice." I have added links here and in the wiki. So one way or another, you will find the discussions.

 

[JCastro]

Q: I have been re-evaluating spirituality and the oft sought-after "enlightenment"; joy, ecstasy, the realization of pure boundless love. The Laughing Buddha, Jiddu Krishnamurti and Mister Rogers being models of this state.

I am thinking about the physiological blueprint for this state.

Low: serotonin, lactic acid, histamine, estrogen, nitric oxide, cortisol, adrenaline, PUFA

High: nutrition, steroids, neurosteroids, dopamine, cellular respiration, CO2, light, "hyperthyroidism", movement, stimulation, novelty, friendship, romance.

Am I wrong or missing something? Are there any non-obvious mediators?

I think that’s right, and a healthy intestine is central to it all.

 

[raypeatclips]

I was wondering what amount of the greens you put into a pot to boil, when you want to drink the water for magnesium and minerals, and how much water you drink from it? Also, how often do you think a magnesium deficient person shoul drink this?

I packed a pan with the leaves, and just enough water to cover them as they compacted with heat; an ounce of the liquid was enough to stop cramps. Supplementing thyroid makes the cells retain magnesium, so just one or two doses was enough.

 

[Blossom]

I asked Ray Peat about why it might be that I notice breast pain from taking bioidentical progesterone like Progest-e and this was his response:

"Have you had a blood test for vitamin D and TSH? High estrogen increases the conversion of progesterone to the 5- metabolite, but thyroid and progesterone lower estrogen, preventing the exaggeration of that pathway. A vitamin D deficiency disturbs many hormones, and can cause breast pain."
Here are the studies he attached:
Endocrinology. 2003 Dec;144(12):5650-7.
Distinct molecular pathways mediate progesterone-induced growth inhibition and
focal adhesion.
Lin VC(1), Woon CT, Aw SE, Guo C.
(1)Department of Clinical Research, Singapore General Hospital, School of
Biological Sciences, School, Singapore 637616. [email protected].
We have reported previously that reactivation of progesterone receptor (PR)
expression in estrogen receptor (ER)- and PR-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer
cells enabled progesterone to inhibit cell growth and invasiveness, and to induce
remarkable focal adhesions. The present study addressed molecular mechanisms that
mediate these anticancer effects of progesterone in the PR-transfected breast
cancer cells ABC28. In response to progesterone treatment are the marked
up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor protein p21WAF1/CIP1 and
decreased expression of cyclin A, cyclin B1, and cyclin D1 that are required for
G1 progression and during cell mitosis. Progesterone also induced down-regulation
of phosphorylated MAPK (p42/44 MAPK). Furthermore, this study also demonstrated
that MEK inhibitor PD98059 that inhibits the phosphorylation of p42/44 MAPK also
caused reduction of cyclin D1 level and inhibition of cell proliferation. These
results suggest that inhibition of p42/44 MAPK pathway is part of the mechanisms
mediating progesterone's growth-inhibitory effect. On the other hand,
progesterone-induced focal adhesion is mediated by separate pathway. Whereas
PD98059 exhibited no effects on cell adhesion, inhibitory antibody to
beta1-integrin was able to reverse progesterone-induced focal adhesion and
progesterone-induced increase in the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase. On
the other hand, beta1-integrin antibody had no effect on progesterone-mediated
growth inhibition and on progesterone-mediated expression of cyclins p21CIP1/WAF1
and phosphorylation of P42/P44 MAPK. In the context of complex functions of
progesterone in breast cancer and reproductive organs, identification of distinct
pathways offers new strategies for designing therapeutic agents to target the
specific pathway so as to minimize the side effects.

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2005 Nov;97(3):278-88.
Membrane 5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5alphaP) receptors in MCF-7 and MCF-10A
breast cancer cells are up-regulated by estradiol and 5alphaP and down-regulated
by the progesterone metabolites, 3alpha-dihydroprogesterone and
20alpha-dihydroprogesterone, with associated changes in cell proliferation and
detachment.
Pawlak KJ(1), Zhang G, Wiebe JP.
(1)Hormonal Regulatory Mechanisms Laboratory, Department of Biology, University
of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Previous studies have shown that the progesterone metabolite,
5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5alphaP), exhibits mitogenic and metastatic activity
in breast cell lines and that specific, high affinity receptors for 5alphaP are
located in the plasma membrane fractions of tumorigenic (ER/PR-positive) MCF-7
cells. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the mitogenic
(estradiol; 5alphaP) and anti-mitogenic (3alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one,
3alphaHP; 20alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, 20alphaHP) endogenous steroid hormones
on 5alphaP receptor (5alphaP-R) numbers and on cell proliferation and adhesion of
MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells. Exposure of MCF-7 cells for 24h to estradiol or 5alphaP
resulted in significant (p < 0.05-0.001) dose-dependent increases in 5alphaP-R
levels. Conversely, treatment with 3alphaHP or 20alphaHP resulted in significant
(p < 0.05-0.01) dose-dependent decreases in 5alphaP-R levels. Treatment with one
mitogenic and one anti-mitogenic hormone resulted in inhibition of the
mitogen-induced increases, whereas treatment with two mitogenic or two
anti-mitogenic hormones resulted in additive effects on 5alphaP-R numbers.
Treatments with cycloheximide and actinomycin D indicate that changes in
5alphaP-R levels depend upon transcription and translation. The non-tumorigenic
breast cell line, MCF-10A, was also shown to posses specific, high affinity
plasma membrane receptors for 5alphaP that were up-regulated by estradiol and
5alphaP and down-regulated by 3alphaHP. Estradiol binding was demonstrated in
MCF-10A cell membrane fractions and may explain the estradiol action in these
cells that lack intracellular ER. In both MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells, the increases
in 5alphaP-R due to estradiol or 5alphaP, and decreases due to 3alphaHP or
20alphaHP correlate with respective increases and decreases in cell proliferation
as well as detachment. These results show distribution of 5alphaP-R in several
cell types and they provide further evidence of the significance of progesterone
metabolites and their novel membrane-associated receptors in breast cancer
stimulation and control. The findings that 3alphaHP and 20alphaHP down-regulate
5alphaP-R and suppress mitogenic and metastatic activity suggest that these
endogenous anti-mitogenic progesterone metabolites deserve considerations in
designing new breast cancer therapeutic agents.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000 Jun 16;272(3):731-7.
Plasma membrane receptors for the cancer-regulating progesterone metabolites,
5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione and 3alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one in MCF-7 breast
cancer cells.
Weiler PJ(1), Wiebe JP.
(1)Hormonal Regulatory Mechanisms Laboratory, University of Western Ontario,
London, Canada.
Recent observations indicate that the progesterone metabolite,
5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5alphaP), which is produced at higher levels in
tumorous breast tissue, promotes cell proliferation and detachment, whereas
3alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnen-20-one (3alphaHP), which is produced at higher levels in
nontumorous breast tissue, suppresses proliferation and detachment of MCF-7
breast cancer cells. The objective of the current study was to determine the
presence and characteristics of binding sites for these endogenous putative
cancer-regulating steroid hormones. Radiolabeled 5alphaP and 3alphaHP were used
in radioligand binding assays on MCF-7 cell (membrane, cytosolic, and nuclear)
fractions. Binding of [(3)H]5alphaP and [(3)H]3alphaHP was observed only in the
plasma membrane fraction, whereas estradiol binding sites were confirmed in the
cytosolic and nuclear fractions. The respective membrane binding sites exhibited
specificity for the 5alphaP and 3alphaHP ligands with no appreciable displacement
at 200- to 500-fold excess by other steroids. The association rate constants were
calculated as 0. 107/min and 0.0089/min and the dissociation rate constants were
0. 049 9 and 0.011 for 5alphaP and 3alphaHP, respectively. Saturation analyses
indicated single classes of molecules with dissociation constants of 4.5 and 4.87
nM and receptor densities of 486 and 629 fmol/mg protein, respectively, for
5alphaP and 3alphaHP. Exposure of MCF-7 cells to estradiol for 1, 24, 48, and 72
h resulted in 2.3, 4. 2-, 2.99-, and 1.7-fold increases, respectively, in 5alphaP
receptor density. 3alphaHP resulted in partial suppression of the
estradiol-mediated increase in 5alphaP receptor density. This is the first report
of receptors for the progesterone metabolites, 5alphaP and 3alphaHP, of their
occurrence in breast cancer cell membranes, and of the induction of 5alphaP
receptors by estradiol. The results provide further support for the potential
importance of progesterone metabolites in breast cancer.
Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Breast Cancer Res. 2013 May 11;15(3):R38.
Progesterone metabolites regulate induction, growth, and suppression of estrogen-
and progesterone receptor-negative human breast cell tumors.
Wiebe JP(1), Zhang G(2,)(3), Welch I(4), Cadieux-Pitre HA(5).
(1)Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario,
N6A5B7, Canada. [email protected] (2)Department of Biology, The University of Western
Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A5B7, Canada. [email protected].
(3)Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry,
The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.
[email protected]. (4)Department of Animal Care & Veterinary Services
and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical Sciences Building, The
University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada. [email protected].
(5)Department of Animal Care & Veterinary Services, Medical Sciences Building,
The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.
[email protected].
INTRODUCTION: Of the nearly 1.4 million new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each
year, a large proportion is characterized as hormone receptor negative, lacking
estrogen receptors (ER) and/or progesterone receptors (PR). Patients with
receptor-negative tumors do not respond to current steroid hormone-based
therapies and generally have significantly higher risk of recurrence and
mortality compared with patients with tumors that are ER- and/or PR-positive.
Previous in vitro studies had shown that the progesterone metabolites,
5α-dihydroprogesterone (5αP) and 3α-dihydroprogesterone (3αHP), respectively,
exhibit procancer and anticancer effects on receptor-negative human breast cell
lines. Here in vivo studies were conducted to investigate the ability of 5αP and
3αHP to control initiation, growth, and regression of ER/PR-negative human breast
cell tumors.
METHODS: ER/PR-negative human breast cells (MDA-MB-231) were implanted into
mammary fat pads of immunosuppressed mice, and the effects of 5αP and 3αHP
treatments on tumor initiation, growth, suppression/regression, and
histopathology were assessed in five separate experiments. Specific
radioimmunoassays and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to measure
5αP, 3αHP, and progesterone in mouse serum and tumors.
RESULTS: Onset and growth of ER/PR-negative human breast cell tumors were
significantly stimulated by 5αP and inhibited by 3αHP. When both hormones were
applied simultaneously, the stimulatory effects of 5αP were abrogated by the
inhibitory effects of 3αHP and vice versa. Treatment with 3αHP subsequent to
5αP-induced tumor initiation resulted in suppression of further tumorigenesis and
regression of existing tumors. The levels of 5αP in tumors, regardless of
treatment, were about 10-fold higher than the levels of 3αHP, and the 5αP:3αHP
ratios were about fivefold higher than in serum, indicating significant changes
in endogenous synthesis of these hormones in tumorous breast tissues.
CONCLUSIONS: The studies showed that estrogen/progesterone-insensitive breast
tumors are sensitive to, and controlled by, the progesterone metabolites 5αP and
3αHP. Tumorigenesis of ER/PR-negative breast cells is significantly enhanced by
5αP and suppressed by 3αHP, the outcome depending on the relative concentrations
of these two hormones in the microenvironment in the breast regions. The findings
show that the production of 5αP greatly exceeds that of 3αHP in ER/PR-negative
tumors and that treatment with 3αHP can effectively block tumorigenesis and cause
existing tumors to regress. The results provide the first hormonal theory to
explain tumorigenesis of ER/PR-negative breast tissues and support the hypothesis
that a high 3αHP-to-5αP concentration ratio in the microenvironment may foster
normalcy in noncancerous breast regions. The findings suggest new diagnostics
based on the relative levels of these hormones and new approaches to prevention
and treatment of breast cancers based on regulating the levels and action
mechanisms of anti- and pro-cancer progesterone metabolites.

 

[allblues]

More vegan stuff. Asked Ray about a family member experiencing digestive/gallbladder problems.

An orange tint in the palms and soles is usually caused by accumulated carotene. Carotene competes with vitamin A, and vitamin A is used for protein assimilation and for making progesterone, and carotene can inhibit the functions of thyroid hormone. The antimetabolic effects of carotene (and of the polyunsaturated fats found in vegetables) reduce thyroid function and heat production, cause liver function to be slow and abnormal, and can lead to the hormone imbalance that causes gallbladder malfunction. A deficiency of high quality protein itself can cause reduction of thyroid function. Although intestinal bacteria can make vitamin B12, which is required for converting carotene to the animal form of vitamin A, vegetarians are sometimes deficient in B12. Milk, cheese and butter contain the nutrients that can save the health of a vegetarian. The only two plant proteins that I know of that occur in useful amounts and that rank in quality with animal proteins are in potatoes and mushrooms. If those are the staples, there is less risk of thyroid suppression, and their lack of vitamins B12 and vitamin A would be the main problem. Regular sunlight exposure is essential for vegans to avoid a vitamin D deficiency.

 

[goodandevil]

Q:"If i remember correctly, you said free t3 generally indicates good thyroid function for a number of reasons unrelated to free vs unbound hormone? thx"

Ray:"I don’t believe that there is such a thing as “free” T3 in vivo, but the lab test has a statistical relation to the functional T3 status."

 

[jupiter]

For anybody interested in Ray's use of painting materials/technique...

Question - "Hi Ray,
I've often wondered your opinion on the toxicity of oil paints.
The PUFA is kind of unavoidable but have the pigments, synthetic or otherwise, ever bothered you?
I ask as a painting student who works primarily with oils (but tries to avoid the cadmium/lead/cobalts).
Thanks for everything and best wishes,
Lloyd
PS I was recently re-reading from a copy of Blake's 1809 Exhibition Descriptive Catalogue - his love of tempera and avoidance of oil (and amusing notes about Rembrandt and others) for it's blurriness of form struck a chord with me."

Ray - "Starting in the 1950s I would buy three of the smallest tubes of color, and a bigger tube of zinc white, and a bottle of turpentine, and paint with a water-color-like technique, mostly just tinting the paper (no blending on the paper) so that the little tubes would last for months. In the 1980s my girl friend complained about the turpentine smell, so when I couldn’t paint outside (Oregon winter) I started using mostly latex house paints, and sometimes oil pastels. The disadvantage of a latex or acrylic paint is that it dries so fast that it doesn’t let you think while mixing colors on a palette. Since I didn’t have skin contact with the pigments I wasn’t worried about their toxicity, but I used some paint sticks 20 years ago, and noticed that an umber color was extremely allergenic or toxic to touch. A few years ago I decided to go back to oil with turpentine, and learned that the pine turpentine industry has disappeared—the familiar green and white cans of “pure gum spirits of turpentine” now contained a gasoline-like petroleum distillate. If pure turpentine was available, that, with oils, would be my preferred medium."

 

[gp3690]

A little tidbit for those interested.. I asked Ray about scalp flaking, itching and MPB


he said "A TSH of 4 (my TSH level) with low Vitamin D is enough to cause scalp issues."