Ray Peat Email Advice Depository

[raypeatclips]

Dear Ray,

Are you aware of any reason why K2 could cause bad abdominal discomfort? I took 2mg orally with food last night and today have had severe abdominal pain in my lower right side, as well as nausea and multiple large stools.

I had a similar experience, and thought it might be the excipient oil, so I’ve used it only on my skin since then.

 

[raypeatclips]

Ray,

What are your thoughts on spices used in food such as cumin, turmeric, paprika?

Thank you.

Certain spices, especially cumin and caraway, are very allergenic for many people; it’s good to be watchful, but some spices have protective effects—turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, and clove, for example.

 

[DaveFoster]

Here's a study that says 3 mg/kg caffeine is ergogenic, while 6 mg/kg elevates epinephrine. Considering its half-life, doses above around 600 mg/day will tend to raise epinephrine in most people, so do you think this is a good cutoff whereat thyroid (T3 and T4) supplementation should begin to raise temps and pulse in the place of larger amounts of caffeine (for example 800 - 1600 mg)?

Ray Peat: "As long as it isn’t increasing free fatty acids and glycerol I think it’s safe, and I suspect that there might be beneficial effects other than ergogenic at the higher doses. Unless a person is in the habit of regularly running to exhaustion, that kind of study isn’t very useful."

 

[taesch]

My father, 69 years old, is suffering from a fatty liver and is wasting away. I would like to provide him with your insights as they have enlightened me in many ways and made me skeptical of some prescribed and voluntary treatments.

Background:
A longtime practitioner of Taoist Tai Chi. He is still a lifetime smoker and was a moderate drinker (until abstaining two months ago) with a large gut/waist.
During an ultrasound to look at fatty deposits on his liver about 10 years ago, they discovered the aneurism.He has been living with an aortic aneurism for longer than a decade. He was prescribed Liptor and a calcium beta-clocker.

The Problem:
Last year he was prescribed Iron supplementation and was taken down to half-dose for Lipitor and C blocker. After a few months was told to stop as his Iron levels became high.From December to present, he has been getting cold after cold with debilitating fatigue. After numberous blood work and appointments with various specialists, he was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease. His current condition is loss of body fat, water retention, confusion, low serum sodium, soreness, fatigue and weakness.

The Plan:
He has a Liver biopsy scheduled in 2 weeks. Yesterday, his meeting with an INTERNALIST took him off Lipitor, and he was prescribed Vitamin B1 and one week of the diuretic teva-spironnolactone, 25mg, 10 tablets with food. This one week protocol is to releave somewhat but also to leave anough of the problem to be detected in 2 weeks by the Liver Specialist at biopsy!
My mother, was at the appointment showed a printout listing the concerns I had and from that this Doctor agreed to take more blood tests.
Today, my mother got the support of the Taoist Tai Chi leaders and has agreed to encourage an Appointment at a Tradition Chinese Medicine doctor that is highly regarded. He has yet to hear of this and to conceed to this appointment.

I appreciate the work you've put out there and am hopeful that you will be able to share some of your time, however, I realize you are likely busy with painting or writing.

Ray Peat:
Has he had a vitamin D test? Low thyroid function and vitamin D deficiency are important factors in the development of fatty liver. Increased parathyroid hormone is associated with vitamin D deficiency and fatty liver. A good ratio of calcium to phosphate in the diet helps to lower PTH and improves fat metabolism. Orange juice and low fat milk help to regulate fat metabolism and are antiinflammatory. Low serum sodium is often associated with hypothyroidism. Alcohol shifts metabolism away from oxidation, and that metabolic shift is responsible for aneurysms as well as fatty liver. Aspirin, thyroid, vitamin D, and some of the flavonoids in orange juice help to restore normal oxidation.

Mol Cell Biochem. 2004 Jul;262(1-2):91-9.
Effect of angiotensin II on energetics, glucose metabolism and cytosolic NADH/NAD
and NADPH/NADP redox in vascular smooth muscle.
Barron JT(1), Sasse MF, Nair A.

 

[Wagner83]

Hi Ray,

I'm considering experimenting with thyroid (mix of T4 and T3) , are you aware of any way to make sure endogenous production of thyroid is not shut down when supplementing ?

Recording pulse and temperature at a certain time of day is helpful. When the thyroid gland is suppressed by taking too much of a supplement it recovers as soon as the dose is reduced.

 

[Amazoniac]

Question: "All the table salt here is either iodized, has sodium ferrocyanide or has potassium ferrocyanide. One brand, for example, reported a concentration of 0,005g/kg of the latter in their salt.
Do you think this would be a problem? Or would sea salt be a better option?"

Ray Peat: "Usually sea salt is better, but a little of the ferrocyanide isn't likely to hurt."

 

[milomag]

On 10/12/15 Ray Peat answered my email about my father's hypothyroid headache and how to find a good doctor for him.

Ray Peat: "Mary Shomon’s list of doctors by city includes some comments about their attitude toward prescribing thyroid. Hypothyroid headaches often result from the intestinal inflammation associated with the hormone deficiency, and avoidance of starches (most vegetables, nuts, grains) and unsaturated oils, and using an anti inflammatory laxative such as cascara, or fiber such as shredded carrots, boiled bamboo shoots, or boiled white button mushrooms, will often relieve headaches until the thyroid is corrected.
The most important things about supplementing thyroid, that most doctors ignore, are that it should be taken in small divided amounts with meals, and that the temperature and pulse rate should be measured at waking, midday, and afternoon, to watch the effects. The active hormone, T3, acts quickly, within a few minutes, and leaves the body quickly (half of it in a day), while the precursor thyroxine is hormonally inactive, and accumulates in the body with a half life of two weeks."

This is the link I found for Mary Shomon's doctor's directory list: Find the Best Thyroid Doctors in Your Area

 

[member 2106]

Me: ...I'd be interested to find out what you think about monogamy in human relationships. Do you think, for example, that to commit to a theoretically life-long contract of sexual exclusivity is to stifle our true nature in a potentially harmful way? Monogamous, long-lasting relationships are generally held up as the model in this domain, with anything else usually considered as a failure or a perversity. Is it right that the sacrifices inherent in the commitment of monogamy should be held in such esteem?

Ray: I think it’s based on the property mentality.

 

[milk_lover]

Me: I know you advise people to boil their mushrooms at least one hour to remove toxins from them. What if I am in a hurry? Can I fry them right away in coconut oil or butter and then eat them? Would the heat in frying help remove the toxins too?

Ray: Yes, when they are well heated their opacity changes to a slight translucence.

 

[Wagner83]

"Hi,

Pycnogenol greatly improved my veins health (among other things), it also works great for osteoarthritis, is anti inflammatory etc.. .
However it is said to boost NO serum levels and reduce it when over produced. Since lungs and vein health improve (sounds opposite to a boost in NO) , do you think pycnogenol is safe/beneficial?
Do you have more thoughts on it to share?

Spoiler: References and quotes

-----------

More information found here:

Pycnogenol - Scientific Review on Usage, Dosage, Side Effects | Examine.com

"
Independent of any pro-inflammatory stimuli, Pycnogenol appears to increase endothelium relaxation;"

" It has also been implicated in protective effects against peroxide hydrogen and a reduction of lipid peroxidation in red blood cells[59] and has been implicated in reducing accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins.[60]"
"
In asthma patients assigned to 1mg/lb pycnogenol (maximum 200mg dosage) for four weeks in a crossover design, supplementation appears to significantly benefit asthmatic symptoms relative to placebo[68] and this was followed up by a larger study of 100mg twice daily alongside corticosteroids showed additive benefits in 55% of subjects.[69]"

"

It’s a mixture of flavanoids; I think the predominant effect is protective against high NO.

 

[DaveFoster]

I know you think that anti-serotonin drugs eventually cause problems, but you've said that amitryptyline is relatively safe. Do you think it's safer than mirtazapine for moderate-term use? I've read that mirtazapine's a "successor" to mianserin.

"Although the structure suggests that it might be safer, fibrosis has been associated with both of them, and I think it’s best to concentrate on optimizing the metabolism, with thyroid, pregnenolone, progesterone, etc."

 

[paymanz]

Asked him about sodium thiosulfate, for detoxification purpose:

I think it would be better to use foods for that purpose, especially fibrous foods; cooked mushrooms, raw carrots, and citrus foods might be helpful.

 

[allblues]

Asked Ray about chronic fatigue syndrome;

Low thyroid function and intestinal inflammation are usually involved, with increased endotoxin, nitric oxide, endorphins, serotonin, sometimes prolactin and an increased ratio of estrogen to progesterone and the androgens. A deficiency of vitamin D and calcium is sometimes involved.

 

[Wagner83]

I'm using a little bit of dmso and ethanol for some supplements but I do not understand the properties of dmso regarding electrons. Do you have any idea what its effects in vivo would be? I have seen studies on both electron donating and electron withdrawing properties for dmso:

Dimethyl sulfoxide as an electron acceptor for anaerobic growth. - PubMed - NCBI
DMSO reductase - Wikipedia

vs

Abstract

The dipolar aprotic solvent dimethyl sulfoxide is liquid over a wide range of temperatures, is a strong electron donor, and has a high polarity. It is therefore an excellent and selective solvent for many organic and even polymeric compounds, and can enter into H-bonding and dipole-dipole association. The structure of dimethyl sulfoxide, with a “hard” oxygen atom and a “soft” sulfur atom, leads to good solvation of cations and poor solvation of anions. Mixtures of alkoxides with dimethyl sulfoxide are therefore among the most strongly basic systems in organic chemistry, and are excellently suited for the deprotonation of weakly acidic OH, NH, and CH bonds, for eliminations, and for the initiation of polymerizations.

and

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja0569149

"The methyl groups of DMSO are electron-donating, whereas that of methanol is electron-withdrawing, both making positive contributions. The findings reveal non-negligible effects of secondary alkyl groups in hydrogen bonding interaction and may shed light on the understanding of other more complicated hydrogen-bonded systems in chemical and biological systems."

It inhibits cholinesterase, and affects microtubules and microfilaments.

Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther. 1976 May;221(1):21-31.
Cardiac chronotropic mechanisms of dimethyl sulphoxide: inhibition of
acetylcholinesterase and antagonism of negative chronotropy by atropine.
Shlafer M, Matheny JL, Karow AM Jr.
The chronotropic effects of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were studied in
spontaneously beating rabbit atria. Low concentrations of DMSO (0.14, 0.42 M)
produced slight positive chronotropic (+C) responses; 0.84 and 1.41 M DMSO caused
significant negative chronotropic (--C) responses. All concentrations decreased
contractile strength. Atropine sulphate (10)-7) to 10(-5) M) antagonized the
chronotropic effects, but not the inotropic effects. In the presence of atropine
all DMSO concentrations produced significant +C responses. Reserpine pretreatment
or propranolol did not affect contractile responses to DMSO in the absence or
presence of atropine. DMSO produced concentration-dependent inhibition of
acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of atrial homogenates. The results indicate
that the --C responses are due specifically to AChE inhibition by DMSO and
resulting cholinergic influences on the atrial pacemaker. Adrenergic mechanisms
do not appear to mediate the +C responses. Data presented here provide evidence
that a cardioactive effect of DMSO is mediated by a well-defined receptor-linked
mechanism, and that this effect can be modified by a specific receptor blocking
agent.

Indian J Med Res. 1992 Oct;96:275-8.
Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase of mice erythrocytes & synaptosomes by
dimethylsulfoxide.
Jagota SK.
Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
In vitro inhibitory effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on acetylcholinesterase of
erythrocyte membranes and synaptosomes of mice was observed using
acetylthiocholine as substrate. DMSO inhibited the enzyme from both sources and
the effect was concentration dependent. It produced an inhibition of 26 to 28 per
cent at a concentration of 0.13 mM and 92 to 95 per cent at a higher
concentration of 1.91 mM. The Km of bound and solubilized enzyme of the
synaptosomes was 0.2 and 0.15 mM while that of erythrocyte membranes 0.5 and 0.33
mM respectively. The Vmax was 0.4 and 0.4 (for synaptosomes) and 0.67 and 0.59
(for erythrocyte membranes) Mmoles/mg protein/min, respectively for bound and
solubilized forms. The Ki of solubilized enzyme of synaptosomes was 0.11 mM.
Kinetic studies showed that the inhibition was competitive in nature.

The reproductive toxicity of DMSO was evaluated in an
in vitro culture of mammalian rodent embryos (Augustine-Rauch et al., 2004,cited in
Annex 2, [ii]). At a concentration of 0.04% in culture media, DMSO
produced significant embryo toxicity, resulting in failure of neural tube
closure.
However, in vitro data is difficult to extrapolate to in vivo responses in humans.
The first (and only) reported study evaluating maternal or developmental toxicity in rats,
found no evidence for reproduction toxicity at doses up to 1000 mg/kg/day
The authors reported the NOAEL for maternal and developmental toxicity as ≥1000
mg/kg/day, the highest dose tested (Magnuson et al., 2007; Annex 2,ii).
DMSO3 exposure to developing mouse brains can produce brain
degeneration (Hanslick et al., 2009). This neurotoxicity could be detected at doses
as low as 0.3 ml/kg (DMSO > 99% pure), a level exceeded in children exposed to DMSO
during certain medical treatments.

 

[raypeatclips]

In your recent Kmud talk you mentioned what you thought a good body fat percentage for women were and older people. I was wondering what you considered a good body fat percentage for younger men was?

When you talk about body fat being a continuous source of things such as estrogen, do you consider that only when the fat is unsaturated?

Thank you

With a diet lacking polyunsaturate fat I think the fat percentage would stabilize between 20 and 30%, and it wouldn’t be a chronic source of estrogen.

 

[Dan W]

In response to a question about using refined sugar when fruit quality is low:

In the winter in the US, I use a lot of frozen orange juice concentrate, because good fruit is scarce. When you use refined sugar it’s important to avoid the starchy foods, emphasizing milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, and occasional liver and seafood. Cooked leafy greens and mushrooms should substitute for starchy vegetables.

 

[DaveFoster]

You mention lithium briefly in a positive context, and I have heard you speak on lithium carbonate. Do you view its use as permissible in low doses in conjunction with a high sodium intake, and have you found anything helpful to attenuate volatility in mood and perception in your own life?


"Good nutrition and thyroid function are the basic things. Keeping a record of waking and midday temperature and pulse rate for a few days can usually detect a thyroid metabolic problem, that could be destabilizing mineral metabolism."

 

[DaveFoster]

I've been using progesterone strictly for anxiety and pregnenolone for stress (learned helplessness); do you view the use progesterone as appropriate in a hyperthyroid state, or would it just make you even more hyperthyroid and contribute to the anxiety?

"If your thyroid gland is enlarged, progesterone’s normalization of function can lead to a few weeks of increased thyroid activity while the gland unloads excess colloid. Some antiserotonin drugs can be hard on the heart."

 

[HDD]

From Ray Peat Inspired Facebook/

"I emailed Ray a while back about whether using Progest-E ongoing or cyclically was best for post-menopausal women. He said this:"

"If there are symptoms, repeating a small dose will usually relieve them. If a person is hypothyroid, the tissues are likely to contain more estrogen, making them less sensitive to progesterone, so it’s good to be aware of indicators of thyroid status, such as body temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure. Some people take a little every day to prevent symptoms, but (especially when there’s good thyroid function) its effectiveness is greatest when it’s used cyclically."

 

[dfspcc20]

Answer to question about essential and intention tremors (the non-Parkinson's tremors).

"Several of my close male relatives developed tremors in middle age, and I was getting shakier in my thirties, but when I started supplementing thyroid, the tremor disappeared and hasn’t returned. Nutritional deficiencies and toxins affect different parts of the brain differently, but glucose metabolism is protective everywhere."