Ray Peat on ammonia

Digestive processing of seeds and associated allergic reactions

"When we eat seeds in their raw form, our digestive enzymes process the gluten in a different way, producing some rather toxic peptides (chemically related to histamine) as well as some ammonia; these, along with the starch, can cause bloating and a variety of allergic reactions."

Nutrition for Women

Carbon dioxide, urea and the regulation of water

"Besides its fundamental stabilizing and regulatory function, carbon dioxide combines with ammonia to form urea. Urea, like carbon dioxide, plays a significant role in regulating water by altering its properties. Removing ammonia protects against its toxic effects, which include the induction of pseudohypoxia."

– March 2020 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Link between hypothyroidism, chronic stress and metabolic problems

"In hypothyroidism, with reduced oxidative metabolism, the organism is never far from stress and hyperventilation, associated with the chronic production of lactate and ammonia. The inefficient metabolism in diabetes has similar effects."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Various substances increase respiration and reduce essential CO₂.

"Besides ammonia and lactate, other stress-related substances can also increase the respiratory drive and thereby reduce essential CO₂ – for example, endotoxin, acetylcholine, serotonin, hydrogen sulfide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, angiotensin and estrogen."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Hypothyroidism, stress and associated physiological complications

"Hypothyrous individuals, with low CO₂ production, are highly susceptible to stress-induced hyperventilation and are often in a state of physiological hyperventilation. They tend to overproduce ammonia (De Nardo et al., 1999; Marti et al., 1988) and lactate (Zarzeczny et al., 1996), as well as psychoses, particularly depression and mania."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

The immediate effects of energy deficiency on cell health

"Energy deprivation caused by insufficient glucose or oxygen leads to immediate swelling of the cells and is associated with excitation; the ammonia associated with energy deprivation and excessive excitation contributes to the swelling."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Effects of glucose deficiency on cellular metabolism

"Glucose deficiency leads to glutamine being used as fuel, which increases the formation of ammonia; and ammonia promotes (through an excitatory effect on cells and direct activation of enzymes) the glycolytic use of glucose, whereby lactic acid is produced even in the presence of oxygen and the glucose deficiency is further maintained."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Stress-related breathing changes and their consequences

"Stress alters our breathing and causes a vicious cycle in which the lactate and ammonia produced when stimulation exceeds our oxidative capacity stimulate more intensive breathing. This leads to more carbon dioxide loss, oxidative efficiency decreases, and the formation of ammonia and lactate increases further."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Importance of monitoring ammonia and lactate levels

"Because of their role in the generation and maintenance of pseudohypoxia and the stimulation of hyperventilation, more attention should be paid to the measurement of ammonia and lactate in blood, breath and urine."

– July 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Treatment of hypocalcemic tetany with calcium and magnesium

"The doctrine of hypocalcemic tetany led to the practice of treating tetany with intravenous calcium solutions; for example, veterinarians often treat grass tetany in cows with large intravenous doses of calcium. The treatment works, but tetany is now attributed to magnesium deficiency (since magnesium supplementation works better, as Koch found), and excessive ammonia produced in the cow's rumen may contribute to magnesium deficiency."

– 1999 – December – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Koch's research on cramps, nephritis and toxic compounds

"Koch observed that the seizures caused by removal of the parathyroid glands were associated with the development of nephritis and the presence of the toxic substances guanidine and methylguanidine. These compounds – and ammonia – are now known to cause seizures by acting on excitatory amino acid receptors."

– 1999 – December – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Ammonia poisoning and its defense mechanism against seizures

"In chronic poisoning, ammonia does not produce convulsions, but rather drowsiness and coma, and at this point its combination with glutamic acid to form glutamine is probably important as a protective mechanism against seizures, since both ammonia and glutamic acid are eliminated in the process."

– 1999 – December – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Reaction of carbon dioxide and ammonia in urea formation

"Carbon dioxide reacts spontaneously with ammonia and other amines. The reaction of ammonia with carbon dioxide is the first step in the formation of urea and protects against the potential toxicity of ammonia."

– 1998 – Ray Peats Newsletter – 3

Ammonia and its metabolically related substances in biological regulation

“For several years I have been interested in the biological effects of ammonia and compounds that are metabolically close to it. There is clear evidence of ammonia’s antiviral activity, which has spurred extensive research by pharmaceutical companies seeking patentable antiviral amines. Most of these simple substances have their own regulatory functions, in addition to their involvement in other systems. Besides viral immunity, I think ammonia is involved in regeneration and nerve modulation. Urea, inosine, GABA, the polyamines, and betaine derivatives (e.g., gamma-butyrobetaine) are closely related to ammonia metabolism, and combinations of these substances are likely to have many beneficial biological effects.”

– 1991 – July – Ray Peats Newsletter

Potential risks of orotic acid for metabolism and liver health

"It was known that orotic acid alters pyrimidine and ammonia metabolism, which is why I considered it unwise to use supplements containing large amounts of it. A few years ago, orotic acid was described as an excellent liver carcinogen based on experiments in rats."

– 1990 – May – Ray Peats Newsletter

Cyanide inhibition of respiratory energy and cytochromes

"Since carbon monoxide binds to metal atoms, it could be kept in a form that readily reacts with ammonia. During stress – which causes both lipid peroxidation and ammonia formation – rhodanase would be required to protect the respiratory cytochromes from the cyanide, which would otherwise inhibit respiratory energy production and other processes in which the cytochromes are involved."

– 1989 – January – Ray Peats Newsletter

Stress-induced intracellular toxins and cell blockages

"Stress also leads to the formation of intracellular toxins, including ammonia and carbon monoxide, which tend to maintain the blocked state."

– 1988 – August/September – Ray Peats Newsletter

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Supplements according to Ray Peat

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