Ray Peat on dopamine

January 3, 2026

Substances that counteract estrogen in cancer therapy

"Anything that causes tissue atrophy tends to promote cancer. The crucial question, therefore, is: What can induce differentiation and functional activity in cancer cells? There are many substances that promote differentiation and counteract the effects of estrogen, and some of these have proven useful in cancer therapy. Estrogen-inhibiting substances include dopamine and nickel, prolactin inhibitors; chalones, the tissue-specific proteins that inhibit cell division (and possibly also – temporarily – the peptides of memory); the aprotic solvents DMF and possibly DMSO; progesterone and testosterone; thyroxine and iodine; magnesium-ATP, the stable form of the biological energy molecule; vitamin A, a protein-sparing nutrient that promotes differentiation; and vitamin E (and the closely related coenzyme Q, or ubiquinone)."

Nutrition For Women

Psychoactive substances and their effects on chronic diseases

“During research with LSD, it was observed that people with chronic headaches, asthma, or psoriasis sometimes experienced complete recovery during treatment with frequent doses of LSD. Another alkaloid derived from ergot, bromocriptine, is now used to suppress lactation (such as that caused by prolactin-producing pituitary tumors after taking oral contraceptives) and is being used experimentally to treat Parkinson’s disease. Both LSD and bromocriptine shift the ratio of two brain chemicals—DOPA and serotonin—in favor of DOPA. Among the effects of this is the inhibition of prolactin secretion. An excess of prolactin is implicated in breast cancer and other forms of cell proliferation, and probably also in the rapid cell division seen in psoriasis.”

Nutrition For Women

Dopamine's role in toxin production in the substantia nigra

"The high local concentration of dopamine in the substantia nigra, in reaction with iron, produces a variety of toxins."

March 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Age-related brain changes are exacerbated by estrogen.

"With increasing age, iron and polyunsaturated fatty acids accumulate in the brain. Estrogen slows the breakdown of dopamine, thereby increasing the likelihood that it will react toxically with iron and highly unsaturated fatty acids – especially arachidonic acid and DHA; it also promotes the formation of prostaglandins and nitric oxide. The opposing effects of progesterone probably explain the lower incidence of Parkinson's disease in women compared to men."

March 2017 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Systems that counteract the toxic effects of adrenaline

"There are several systems that counteract the toxic effects of adrenaline. GABA, dopamine, and adenosine have diverse anti-adrenergic effects. In many situations, the parasympathetic nervous system acts protectively against adrenaline. The protective steroids also act on multiple levels. Magnesium, which is largely retained in the cell under the influence of ATP and the thyroid gland, is our fundamental calcium blocker or calcium antagonist. GABA and dopamine inhibit the ACTH-glucocorticoid system and shift the steroid hormone balance toward the protective anti-glucocorticoids: progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA."

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

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