Ray Peat on depression

BBB and cellular stress: Evidence in the blood

"The blood-brain barrier (BBB) ​​is sometimes considered unique, but it is merely a special case of the cellular resilience that exists everywhere. For example, after intense physical exertion that causes fatigue and muscle damage, a specific brain protein, S100B, considered a crucial component of the BBB, can be detected in the bloodstream. The exchange of substances—even proteins and nucleic acids—between cells and their environment increases under stress. The detection of substances like S100B in the blood is now recognized as an indicator of depression and brain damage."

September 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

The reduction of parathyroid hormone in association with obesity and related problems

"The reduction of parathyroid hormone through increased intake of calcium and vitamin D is closely related to a reduction in obesity as well as to the health problems associated with obesity – high blood pressure, insulin resistance, cardiac arrhythmias, depression and various inflammatory diseases."

September 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of progesterone in various medical diseases

"Even though progesterone seems to cure almost everything, we should be cautious and only use it when the biochemical mechanism is reasonably clear. A progesterone deficiency can be misdiagnosed, for example as epilepsy, Bright's disease, multiple sclerosis, or even as estrogen deficiency (as in menopause). It can influence susceptibility to many diseases, including herpes infections, vertigo, sensory disturbances, varicose veins, mastitis, fibroids, and endometriosis. In my experience, cyclical edema, depression, and migraines are always stopped by progesterone."

Nutrition For Women

The effect of progesterone treatment on veins and suicidal depression

"Just as the veins on the forehead immediately recede when a large amount of sugar is consumed during a migraine, I have observed that veins (on the back of the hand) disappear under progesterone treatment, precisely at the moment when a suicidal depression resolves. This suggests that there may be a migraine-like condition in the blood vessels of the brain's limbic system, but at the same time, very rapid changes in brain chemistry are also taking place."

Nutrition For Women

Digestive problems with gas formation and the influence of hypothyroidism

"If gas is a problem, even if dietary changes are not the cause, hypothyroidism should be considered. A lack of stomach acid is typical in hypothyroidism, but it is only one aspect of a general digestive depression."

Nutrition For Women

Aromatase activity and its hormonal effects during menopause

"Aromatase, the enzyme that produces estrogen, is present in muscles, adipose tissue, blood vessels, and many other tissues, and its activity is increased by cortisol and decreased by progesterone. The altered activity of these two steroids during menopause may explain the sudden increase in degenerative diseases, inflammation, depression, etc."

November 2020 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Low cholesterol and its effects on mental health

"Low serum cholesterol has been linked to depression, suicide, violence, and increased cancer mortality. Since statins cross into the brain and inhibit cholesterol synthesis there, reduced mitochondrial function is undoubtedly a factor in the psychological side effects they can cause."

November 2018 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Estrogen, serotonin, and manipulation by the pharmaceutical industry

"The manipulation of information about estrogen by pharmaceutical companies was even more extreme than their handling of serotonin. Activated by stress, along with serotonin, it is one of the most important activators of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which activates the pituitary gland and adrenal glands, promotes inflammation, and is a key factor in postpartum depression (PPD) (Glynn and Sandman, 2014; Hahn-Holbrook, 2016), as well as in other forms of depression, aging, and Alzheimer's disease."

May 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Estrogen, serotonin and female-dominant diseases

"Without advertising culture, it would probably be generally accepted that both estrogen and serotonin play an important role in the development of depression, migraines and Alzheimer's disease – conditions that are significantly more common in women than in men."

May 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Postpartum cholesterol and mental health

"Several studies have found a link between lower cholesterol levels after childbirth and symptoms of anxiety and depression."

May 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Postpartum progesterone and brain health

"With insufficient cholesterol, it is unlikely that the normally high postpartum progesterone concentration will be maintained, and instead of brain recovery, the various pro-inflammatory effects of serotonin and estrogen predominate, with consequences such as depression, joint pain, anxiety, and cerebral edema."

May 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Animals communicate through body language

"All animals use body language to communicate — when a facial expression, gesture or posture is perceived, the ability to imitate it means that the feeling behind the gesture is experienced at the same time."

May 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

The ubiquitous role of inflammation in degeneration

"Inflammation is involved in chronic degenerative diseases, especially atrophy and cancer, and even depression."

March 2019 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Hypothyroidism, stress and associated physiological complications

“People with hypothyroidism and low CO₂ production are highly susceptible to stress-induced hyperventilation and are often in a state of physiological hyperventilation. They are prone to overproduction of ammonia (De Nardo et al., 1999; Marti et al., 1988) and lactate (Zarzeczny et al., 1996), as well as to psychoses, especially depression and mania.”

July 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lithium for the treatment of mood disorders

"Lithium has been used for many years to treat various mood disorders, including anxiety and depression, and it reduces the activation of the NMDA system, possibly by binding ammonia."

January 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Estrogen, cognitive function, dementia and depression

“A San Francisco study by Kristine Yaffe and co-authors found that free estrogen, the active form of the hormone, was higher in more people with better cognitive function. Yaffe et al. also found that dementia is associated with both depression and osteoporosis. In reality, there is no such thing as free estrogen; it is defined in relation to a specific laboratory situation that does not reflect anything that actually exists in the body.”

February 2001

Serotonin and the toxic effects of nitric oxide on brain cells

"Serotonin does not cure depression, and both serotonin and nitric oxide impair blood flow and are toxic to brain cells. Both poison mitochondrial respiration."

February 2001

The role of adrenaline in depression, stress and inflammation

"Elevated adrenaline – like elevated cortisol – is a hallmark of depression, stress, and inflammation; by mobilizing fats, it can become part of a vicious cycle in which free fatty acids cause insulin resistance and thereby activate stress responses."

February 2001

Oxygen deficiency due to aging, stress and excess estrogen

"The persistence with which oxygen deficiency occurs in aging, stress and estrogen excess suggests that a basic coordination mechanism may be involved, shifting towards conditions that activate the expression of certain genes – possibly the hypoglycemia-stress-heat shock proteins or possibly simply the proteins of cell division and growth."

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PMS, edema and historical treatment approaches

"Edema is a common problem in PMS, and it was previously thought that cerebral edema was responsible for irritability, depression, or other nervous symptoms; therefore, diuretics such as ammonium compounds and urea were frequently used. (Premenstrual salt cravings result from estrogen-induced water imbalance, and salt restriction in PMS is as inappropriate as it is in preeclampsia or pregnancy toxemia.)"

July 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The immunosuppressive effects of cortisol

"Uncontrolled cortisol has various immunosuppressive effects, including thymic hypoplasia, reduction of histaminolytic activity and monooxygenase activity in the liver, which contributes to chronic allergies, and it can induce the expression of certain retrovirus types."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The balance of vitamin A and thyroid function

“Both vitamin A and carotene – like any unsaturated oil – tend to inhibit the thyroid gland, which is why it’s important to balance vitamin A and thyroid hormone supplements; a sluggish thyroid is more easily suppressed by high doses of vitamin A, while a high level of thyroid activity leads to vitamin A being used up more quickly. An interesting example of this biological relationship is that a blood protein transports both vitamin A and thyroid hormone.”

January 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The destructive effects of excess cortisol on intestinal enzymes and allergies

"Although a physiologically balanced amount of cortisol induces detoxification enzymes, for example in the gut, an unchecked excess leads to the destruction of these enzymes, resulting in a significant loss of the gut's barrier function and the development of allergies. This effect of cortisol on the thymus, as well as on the detoxifying intestinal enzymes, very likely explains the frequent association of allergies with viral infections. Since cortisol has a destabilizing, spasmolytic effect on the nervous system, psychological symptoms—ranging from obsessive-compulsive behavior and depression to seizures—are also likely to occur, in conjunction with the other chronic conditions."

August-September 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

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Supplements according to Ray Peat

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