Ray Peat on PUFAs

Effects of lipid peroxidation in atherosclerotic plaques

"Lipid peroxidation has been observed in atherosclerotic plaques, and it is known that the breakdown products of polyunsaturated fats such as hydroxynonenal, malondialdehyde and acrolein (from EPA, arachidonic acid and other highly unsaturated fats in the affected blood vessel) attract white blood cells such as macrophages, which accumulate in the plaques."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of lipofuscin in inflammation and calcification of plaques

"The age pigment ceroid, or lipofuscin, which is largely derived from PUFAs and associated with the macrophage foam cells in the plaque, accumulates iron (Lee et al., 1998). By catalyzing oxidation, it creates local hypoxia, leads to the formation of lactic acid, and thus contributes to an inflammatory process. The products of lipid peroxidation, such as azelaic acid (Riad et al., 2018), together with lactate, lead to tissue calcification."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFA and the impaired normal functions of cholesterol

"In combination with unstable polyunsaturated fats, cholesterol cannot perform its normal functions. These unstable polyunsaturated fats inactivate the corrective (ABCA) protein that removes the damaged form of cholesterol."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Carcinogenic potential of PUFAs and interest of the pharmaceutical industry

"Although there is still considerable reluctance to acknowledge the carcinogenic potential of PUFAs, findings such as these have prompted the pharmaceutical industry to consider using its ACAT inhibitors (which block PUFAs from attaching to cholesterol) for cancer treatment."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFAs transform cholesterol into a toxic factor

"Polyunsaturated fatty acids transform cholesterol into a kind of poison or disorganizing factor by binding to the normally protective cholesterol. This can lead to neurodegeneration, arteriosclerosis, cataracts, chronic kidney disease, and cancer."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Liver response to a lack of polyunsaturated fatty acids

"If the diet lacks polyunsaturated fatty acids, the liver synthesizes saturated fatty acids and exports its cholesterol mainly in combination with palmitate, which does not promote lipid peroxidation, or in the non-esterified, free form."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Reversing liver degeneration through diet

"A lifelong accumulation of PUFAs gradually weakens the liver's protective functions. However, these functions can be gradually restored by consuming carbohydrates and saturated fats without polyunsaturated fats – along with some factors that have been lost in increased amounts along with free cholesterol, especially pregnenolone and progesterone."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Harmful substances in leaves that hinder nutrient digestion

"Leaves contain many substances that can be harmful and disrupt the digestion of protein and other nutrients, for example tannins and polyunsaturated fatty acids."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Normalizing the immune system with steroids and thyroid hormones

"Polyunsaturated oils inhibit the immune system and thus presumably suppress symptoms. Steroids (e.g., progesterone) and thyroid hormones normalize the immune system when present in normal amounts."

Nutrition For Women

Lifestyle choices to slow aging and extend lifespan

"Altitude and a dairy-based diet appear to be two important thermogenic factors that slow the accumulation of harmful adaptations. However, there are many other modifiable factors that could extend lifespan even further. It is important to reduce pro-inflammatory factors, and personal choices can make a big difference—for example, choosing easily digestible foods to reduce endotoxins; avoiding polyunsaturated fats, which disrupt cellular respiration and form pro-inflammatory prostaglandins; avoiding antioxidant supplements, which create a reductive excess; and favoring foods containing anti-inflammatory, thermogenic compounds, such as citrus fruits with their high flavonoid content, which supports cellular respiration."

November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lipofuscin formation by polyunsaturated fatty acids

"The age pigment lipofuscin is formed by the oxidation of polyunsaturated lipids. The polyunsaturated fatty acids that accumulate with age have been known as the main source of this material for about 80 years. These fatty acids inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol."

November 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Methods for reducing the formation of cholesterol esters

"Besides avoiding polyunsaturated fats (n-3 and n-6) in the diet to reduce the formation of cholesterol esters and mitigate the age-related decline in cholesterol synthesis, progesterone supplementation is another way to lower ester formation (Synouri-Vrettakou and Mitropoulos, 1983; Miller and Melnykovych, 1984; Jeng and Klem, 1984; Mulas et al., 2011; Anchisi et al., 2012). Lidocaine is another inhibitor of cholesterol ester formation (Bell, 1981; Bell et al., 1982) that is likely to be beneficial in certain degenerative conditions."

November 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFA accumulation intensifies cellular stress responses

"The accumulating PUFAs act as amplifiers of cellular stress responses."

November 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Thymic atrophy: Causes and factors promoting regeneration

“Factors that cause thymus atrophy include cortisol and other glucocorticoid hormones, estrogen, prostaglandins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, endotoxins, hypoglycemia, and ionizing radiation. Progesterone and thyroid hormones support thymus restoration by providing protection and counteracting all of these atrophic factors. Increased dietary sugar intake may correct some of the metabolic changes associated with aging.”

November 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The influence of various factors on mitochondrial oxygen consumption

"When cells are actively respiring, all the oxygen that reaches the mitochondria is immediately consumed, so the oxygen concentration near the respiratory enzymes is almost zero. If something disrupts mitochondrial oxygen consumption (for example, a deficiency of thyroid hormone, too much polyunsaturated fat, nitric oxide, or carbon monoxide), the local oxygen concentration increases because it is no longer being used."

March 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nighttime lipid turnover in the brain and fatty acid dynamics

"The nocturnal increase in serum free fatty acids coincides with a high turnover of brain phospholipids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are preferentially released from fat stores – in proportion to their degree of unsaturation (Raclot, 2003; Conner et al., 1996). Through their exchange with brain lipids, the brain is therefore enriched each night with highly unsaturated fats, which are most susceptible to lipid peroxidation."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Aging, PUFA accumulation and increased prostaglandin production

"As polyunsaturated fats accumulate in our tissues with age, the production of prostaglandins increases, and the balance is less likely to be fully restored."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Age-related changes in the brain, exacerbated by estrogen

"With age, iron and polyunsaturated fats accumulate in the brain. Estrogen slows the breakdown of dopamine, thereby increasing the likelihood of it reacting toxically with iron and highly unsaturated fats—especially arachidonic acid and DHA. It also tends to increase the production of prostaglandins and nitric oxide. The opposing effects of progesterone likely explain why Parkinson's disease is less common in women than in men."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Toxicity of free fatty acids

"Free fatty acids – especially when they are polyunsaturated – are toxic to the brain: They increase inflammation and block energy metabolism."

March 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nutritional strategies for maintaining efficient energy production

"Maintaining high energy efficiency while simultaneously reducing wasteful states of arousal has a long tradition in health optimization. Avoiding excessive polyunsaturated fats and phosphate in the diet and regularly consuming the essential nutrients needed for the production of thyroid hormones and progesterone is straightforward. Choosing foods containing substances that protect against the many known pro-inflammatory, aging-accelerating processes is also relatively uncomplicated – citrus fruits, for example, contain a wide variety of substances related to nobiletin, naringin, fisetin, and quercetin."

January 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Aging increases polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain.

"As the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids increases with age, more arachidonic acid is incorporated into the brain. Especially at night, these highly unsaturated fatty acids intensify excitatory processes – including the formation of prostaglandins and other pro-inflammatory compounds."

January 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Factors that disrupt the balance of respiratory enzymes and PUFAs

“Vitamin E deficiency or PUFA excess, ionizing radiation, oxygen deficiency or aging: all these conditions are associated with a disruption or reduced activity of the crucial respiratory enzyme cytochrome c oxidase.”

January 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Rapid recovery from stress with low PUFA levels

"A person who is relatively free of PUFAs is likely to recover very quickly from prolonged stress."

Email Response by Ray Peat

Estrogen, PUFAs and insulin resistance in diabetes

"Estrogen and PUFAs cause insulin resistance, and the resulting state of diabetes and stress depletes tissues of energy."

February 2001

Minimize degeneration by avoiding antithyroid substances

"By simply avoiding antithyroid substances – especially polyunsaturated fatty acids – the degenerative processes described here can be minimized."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Unsaturated oils, cholesterol, and more cancer deaths

"Decades ago, it was discovered that unsaturated oils lower cholesterol. However, studies showed that adding polyunsaturated oils to the diet did not prevent deaths from heart disease, but instead increased cancer deaths."

April 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

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