Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[allblues]

I asked Ray about treating gallstones, aspirin appears to have still more tricks up its sleeve;

I think keeping the hormones in balance, with good thyroid function, is the basic thing. Aspirin is probably helpful.

Dig Dis Sci. 1995 Aug;40(8):1782-5.
Effect of aspirin on gallbladder motility in patients with gallstone disease. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of two dosage schedules.
Das A, Baijal SS, Saraswat VA.
Patients with gallstone disease have impaired gallbladder motility. Prostaglandins are thought to be important mediators of gallbladder hypomotility. We assessed the effect of aspirin, a prostaglandin inhibitor on gallbladder resting volume and ejection fraction according to a double-blind study protocol in 20 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with gallstone disease. Healthy volunteers had a higher ejection fraction compared to patients with gallstone disease (73.9 +/- 0.9% vs 60.4 +/- 1.0%, P < 0.05). Aspirin in a dose of 350 mg/day for two weeks did not alter gallbladder motility in the healthy volunteers. Thirty patients with gallstone disease were randomized into three treatment groups: group I (placebo), group II (aspirin 350 mg/day), and group III (aspirin 1400 mg/day). After two weeks of treatment, gallbladder ejection fraction was improved in group II (74.0 +/- 1.7% vs 62.0 +/- 1.7%, P < 0.01) and group III (69.8 +/- 3.8% vs 61.2 +/- 1.3%, P < 0.01) but not in group I (60.4 +/- 2.6% vs 59.0 +/- 1.9%, P = NS). The higher dose of aspirin did not induce a greater increase in gallbladder emptying. It is concluded that impaired gallbladder motility in patients with gallstone disease is corrected by short-term oral aspirin even in low dosage. This may be clinically useful in secondary prophylaxis after nonsurgical therapy for gallstone disease.

 

[unexamined_whimsy]

Dear Dr. Peat,

Coffee consistently causes diarrhoea, insomnia, anxiety and jitteriness, while caffeine dissolved in vodka or ethanol applied in even large amounts topically doesn't even interfere with sleep, and actually improves alertness within half a minute of application. Orally consumed thyroid also gives me very similar symptoms and curiously seems to increase oestrogenic symptoms like bloat and emotional lability. In your most recent KMUD interview, you spoke about how the gut finds it relatively difficult to process pure chemicals, and thus I was wondering if you think topically applied T3 could be beneficial? If so, would ethanol be a viable solvent?

Also, can you provide some references showing that good thyroid function leads to a sterile gut?

"On the skin it can be very beneficial for rashes and other skin problems, but I doubt that enough would be absorbed to correct a general hypothyroidism. If you check your temperature and pulse rate before and after, you can tell whether it’s affecting your metabolic rate."

 

[JCastro]

Do you personally know or have consulted with anyone who has cured celiac disease, and what did that cure involve?

Most of the people who have had it diagnosed just stop eating grains, but a few people with the diagnosis found they could tolerate gluten when they improved their diet or corrected their hypothyroidism. Vitamin D’s antiinflammatory effect is sometimes the curative factor.

Autoimmunity to heat shock proteins and vitamin D status in patients with celiac
disease without associated dermatitis herpetiformis.
Tukaj S(1), Görög A(2), Kleszczyński K(3), Zillikens D(3), Kárpáti S(2),
Kasperkiewicz M(3).
(1)Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59,
80-308 Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: [email protected]. (2)Department
of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Mária
Street 41, Budapest, 1085, Hungary. (3)Department of Dermatology, University of
Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
Inflammation-induced heat shock proteins (HSPs) and hypovitaminosis D have been
reported to impact immune responses and to be associated with autoimmune diseases
including celiac disease (CD), a gluten-sensitive enteropathy mediated by
autoantibodies against tissue transglutaminase (TG2). Recently, we provided
evidence for a role of autoantibodies to HSPs in patients with dermatitis
herpetiformis (DH), an inflammatory skin disease induced by underlying latent CD.
In this study, we aimed at investigating the humoral autoimmune response to HSPs
and vitamin D status in CD patients (n=15) presenting without the cutaneous
disease manifestation. In comparison with healthy controls (n=15), circulating
autoantibodies against HSP40, HSP60, and HSP90 were increased in these patients,
and these autoantibodies, including anti-HSP70, correlated with serum anti-TG2
autoantibodies. Deficient and insufficient vitamin D serum levels were found in 8
out of 15 CD patients and 11 out of 15 healthy controls, and the vitamin D status
showed no relationship with levels of circulating anti-TG2 or anti-HSP
autoantibodies in the patients. Our results preliminarily suggest a pronounced
anti-HSP autoimmune response in CD that is linked to pathophysiological processes
in the gut independently of both a potential concomitant disease-related
extra-intestinal inflammatory manifestation in the skin and the vitamin D status.
Future studies on larger groups of patients are needed to confirm the present
data and to further clarify whether autoimmunity towards HSPs is primarily
related to underlying CD or skin inflammation in DH patients.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turk J Med Sci. 2015;45(4):833-6.
Vitamin and mineral deficiency in children newly diagnosed with celiac disease.
Erdem T, Ferat Ç, Nurdan YA, Halime E, Muhammed Selçuk S, Hamza K, Mukadder Ayşe
S.
BACKGROUND/AIM: To establish the frequency of vitamin and mineral deficiency in
children newly diagnosed with celiac disease.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The files of patients diagnosed with celiac disease in our
Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic from June 2008 to June 2013 were reviewed
retrospectively.
RESULTS: A total of 52 pediatric patients diagnosed with celiac disease via
serology and duodenal biopsy and who fulfilled the study criteria were enrolled
in the study. The mean diagnosis age of the patients was 8.5 ± 3.9 years and 33
(63.5%) of the patients were female. Vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, and
iron deficiencies were determined in 27 (51.9%), 4 (7.7%), 7 (13.5%), 35 (67.3%),
and 18 (34.6%) patients, respectively, at the time of diagnosis. Vitamin D
deficiency was observed more frequently in patients with growth retardation at
the time of application (P = 0.02).
CONCLUSION: Vitamin D, zinc, and iron deficiency are frequently observed in
pediatric patients with celiac disease at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, serum
vitamin D, zinc, and iron levels should be checked in all children diagnosed with
celiac disease.

World J Gastroenterol. 2015 May 7;21(17):5191-209.
Role of vitamins in gastrointestinal diseases.
Masri OA(1), Chalhoub JM(1), Sharara AI(1).
(1)Omar A Masri, Jean M Chalhoub, Ala I Sharara, Division of Gastroenterology,
Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center,
Beirut 11-0236, Lebanon.
A tremendous amount of data from research was published over the past decades
concerning the roles of different vitamins in various gastrointestinal diseases.
For instance, most vitamins showed an inverse relationship with the risk of
colorectal carcinoma as well as other malignancies like gastric and esophageal
cancer in observational trials, however interventional trials failed to prove a
clear beneficial preventive role. On the other hand, more solid evidence was
obtained from high quality studies for a role of certain vitamins in specific
entities. Examples for this include the therapeutic role of vitamin E in patients
with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, the additive role of vitamins B12 and D to
the standard therapy of chronic hepatitis C virus, the role of vitamin C in
reducing the risk of gallstones, the positive outcome with vitamin B12 in
patients with aphthous stomatitis, and the beneficial effect of vitamin D and B1
in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Other potential uses are yet to be
elaborated, like those on celiac disease, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis,
cholestasis and other potential fields. Data from several ongoing interventional
trials are expected to add to the current knowledge over the coming few years.
Given that vitamin supplementation is psychologically accepted by patients as a
natural compound with relative safety and low cost, their use should be
encouraged in the fields where positive data are available.
PMID: 26422854 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Curr Opin Pediatr. 2016 Dec 7.
Vitamin D in pediatric gastrointestinal disease.
Ahlawat R(1), Weinstein T, Pettei MJ.
(1)aDivision of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield,
Wisconsin bDivision of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Steven and Alexandra Cohen
Children's Medical Center of NY, Northwell Health, Lake Success cHofstra
Northwell School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York, USA.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to examine the prevalence of
vitamin D deficiency in pediatric gastrointestinal disease, specifically celiac
disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); to discuss the role of vitamin D
and its deficiency in gastrointestinal disease pathophysiology; and to present
current literature regarding diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency in
these pediatric gastrointestinal diseases.
RECENT FINDINGS: Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with gastrointestinal
symptoms and disease processes. In celiac disease, vitamin D status should be
routinely assessed at the time of diagnosis and during subsequent follow up if
deficient. There is growing evidence to suggest an inverse association between
vitamin D and IBD activity; however, the therapeutic role of vitamin D in IBD
patients requires further investigation.
SUMMARY: Suboptimal vitamin D status commonly occurs in children with
gastrointestinal disease. It is advisable to check serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D
levels in children with newly diagnosed celiac disease and IBD. In celiac
disease, vitamin D status should be assessed during subsequent follow up if
deficient. In IBD, 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels should be checked at least yearly.
Therapy should be provided to maintain a level of greater than 30 ng/ml but less
than 100 ng/ml; however, the ideal vitamin D dosing regimen to treat vitamin D
deficiency and to maintain this optimum level remains unknown. The role of
vitamin D as a therapeutic agent in IBD is still under investigation.

 

[JCastro]

I asked Ray about the Herxheimer reaction and people pushing through adverse reactions to substances on the belief that something good is happening.

"If they don’t become a suicide bomber during the Herxheimer reaction, maybe they will become impervious to influenza and Alzheimer’s disease. I think the Herxheimer reaction was invented so that people would keep using their mercury treatments for syphilis."

 

[Lightbringer]

On milk powder pancakes:

I just mix them according to the consistency that I want, a thick batter for puffy pancakes, with just milk powder and egg and a little salt, or a thinner batter, with a little liquid milk added, for crepes; fried in butter.

 

[DaveFoster]

You talk a lot about the benefit of anti-serotonin drugs, and cyproheptadine acts as an anti-serotonin, -adrenaline, -cortisol, -estrogen, -cholinergic, TLR-4 antagonist, opposes soft tissue calcification and the list goes on. I've taken it for about a year, and I noticed nothing but positives. Do you know of a substance comparable to cyproheptadine and the serotonin antagonists without weight gain as a side effect?

"I don’t know of any specific thing like that, but combinations of things—coffee, aspirin, progesterone, thyroid, vitamin D, calcium, etc.—can usually achieve the same goals."

 

[HDD]

Product recommended by Ray Peat from recent email-

"A new form of intestinal disinfectant, bacteriophage, is available; Life Extension magazine has a recent article on it, and they sell a product Florassist; another brand is Floraphage."

Link to article from magazine-
Major Advance in Intestinal Health - Life Extension

 

[raypeatclips]

When you prepare the greens broth to drink the water, do you make sure to get organic greens, or do you not think it is important?

I think it’s worth the cost, in the case of greens.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I asked Ray about treating diverticulitis

He wrote back:

Avoiding indigestible things such as green salads, using antiinflammatory foods such as cooked mushrooms, supplementing vitamin D, and keeping the ratio of calcium to phosphate high.

 

[milk_lover]

I asked Peat about his opinion on topical taurine for hair and in the email I put a study haidut posted on the forum (taurine is better than finasteride for hair).

He said: "It’s interesting to think about."

 

[ecstatichamster]

I asked my wife about the weird rash she has been experiencing.

His reply:

Topical antibiotics might be more effective than oral, and there are now products available containing bacteriophage, that kill some bacteria that are resistant to chemical antibiotics. A concentrated solution of baking soda sometimes helps a rash of unknown cause.

 

[Dan W]

In response to a question about Clostridium difficile, immunodeficiency, and antibiotic use:

In the 1980s I read that both thyroid and progesterone increased IgA, which is logical since their deficiency increases cortisol that destroys the lymphocytes that make it; other anti-cortisol things should help to restore it. Doctors typically prescribe excessive doses of antibiotics that are toxic in themselves, contributing to stress and loss of immunity. There are bacteriophages that attack Clostridia.

 

[raypeatclips]

Q: I was wondering if you had any opinions or experience on the work of Hulda Clark or Royal Rife and the frequency machines such as zappers for parasites?

Ray: Royal Rife probably observed some real effects, and there is some reasonable basis for his ideas, but not for Hulda Clark’s.

 

[DaveFoster]

I saw that you mentioned progesterone as an effective contraceptive. Dr. Katherina Dalton talks about 100-200 mg progesterone used from day 8 of the woman's cycle up to the beginning of menstruation with a 2.5% failure rate. You mention applying progesterone on a diaphragm; what do you think is an effective method, and how much Progest-E should be used in your opinion?

"The people I knew used a 10% solution of progesterone in vitamin E (Progest-E Complex) on a plastic diaphragm at the time of intercourse, leaving it in for a day or two. The diaphragm was coated on both sides, so there was probably about 400 or 500 mg of progesterone."

 

[DaveFoster]

You say that a ratio closer to 2:1 in favor of calcium is ideal, but would a ratio equal to that be harmful? Considering calcium's broad-spectrum protection, would an intake of 8 grams calcium and 4 grams phosphorous lead to any problems?

"That would probably be o.k., but I think it would depend on what form they are in, e.g., eggshell and meat, vs. calcium citrate tablets."

 

[unexamined_whimsy]

Can bone broth (from buffalo trotters) safely be used as the sole source of protein for someone who does a moderate amount of concentric weight training, or is a small amount of muscle meat necessary for muscle repair?​

"Pure gelatin wouldn’t be enough for repair, but soup made from joints will have a small amount of other proteins. A small amount of any complete protein, including some cysteine, methionine, and tryptophan, is needed."

 

[DaveFoster]

I was listening to one of your interviews where you talk about excessive reading as harmful, and that's why you paint. Do you think mathematics (specifically calculus or geometry) exercises the visual/spatial mode of learning similar to painting, sculpting, etc as an adjunct to reading?

"Some kinds of thinking about geometry use some of the brain’s spatial functions, but the absence of integral sensory stimulation can still leave the organism under-used."

Is there anything in eggs besides the nutrients that justifies their PUFA? There's a lot of hubub on the RP forum over why you eat an egg/day.

"I think eggs contain “biological” factors of various kinds besides the specific essential nutrients."

 

[raypeatclips]

What do you think about very well cooked apples being a major source of carbohydrates in the diet?

Very good, probably best to peel them.

 

[Wagner83]

Hi,

I have seen a few people use T3 topically on the scrotum and they reported positive effects (mostly related to androgens increase).
What do you think about the safety of such an experiment ? Have you ever tried it?


Sources:
[....]

I think it’s safe is the concentration is right, but for optimizing hormones I think it’s better to use it internally.

That sounds very obvious, if you ingest it you have the benefits on the testicles but also everywhere else.

 

[Wagner83]

Thanks !

When you say right concentration, would that be similar to what a healthy person produces naturally?

Do you have any plans to do a newsletter on BPAs and the related endocrine/thyroid disruptors found in most available foods ? I'm yet to find any ideas on how to reverse their damage .

For topical use, I think about a tenth of a microgram per milliliter is effective. I think keeping up the body’s supply of antiestrogens and thyroid hormone is protective against the unavoidable toxins, but avoiding the more contaminated foods is essential.

It might be interesting for some:
@haidut
@MOUNTAINBEAR