Ray Peat on metabolism

Estrogen's influence on tryptophan metabolism

"Estrogen strongly influences tryptophan metabolism, increasing its conversion to serotonin at the expense of niacinamide, which explains the symptoms of pellagra when the diet is low in tryptophan. If there is enough protein in the diet, the increased serotonin synthesis does not lead to a niacinamide deficiency, but conditions that increase the influence of estrogen will also exacerbate the dysfunctions associated with serotonin."

September 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Aerobic glycolysis and lactic acid in cancer metabolism

"Aerobic glycolysis, the metabolic pathway characteristic of cancer in which lactic acid is formed from glucose despite the presence of oxygen, is promoted by serotonin."

September 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Link between hypothyroidism and arteriosclerosis

"Several people showed in the 1930s and 1940s that hypothyroidism caused arteriosclerosis and that thyroid supplementation corrected it. In people whose thyroid gland was removed, their serum cholesterol rose while their metabolic rate slowed down, and when they were given dried thyroid to normalize their metabolic rate, their serum cholesterol normalized accordingly immediately."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Physical experiences influence vitality and physiology

"Our bodies are constantly having experiences and generalizing them in the way they react; these generalized reactions can limit or expand our vitality. These generalizations are expressed in our anatomy, physiology, and ecosystems – with changes in immunity, metabolism, gene expression, and behavior."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Hair loss as an indication of metabolic problems

"Hair loss should be taken seriously – like obesity or high blood pressure – as an indication of a systemic metabolic problem. The metabolism of the hair follicle contains clues about aging, tissue regeneration and cancer."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Structural changes in the cytoplasm related to energetic and metabolic efficiency

"Vital staining shows that these energetic changes are accompanied by structural changes in the cytoplasm, so that an energy-efficient metabolism occurs when the cytoplasm has an affinity for oily dyes. When water is on a surface, it is ordered or structured, so it loses much of its wettability; an insect can walk on it; it contains more heat."

Nutrition For Women

Thyroid hormone and vitamin A counteract the effects of estrogen

"Thyroid hormone and vitamin A promote protein metabolism and counteract some of the effects of estrogen. In fact, it is known that hyperthyroidism can cause estrogen levels to fall below the normal range."

Nutrition For Women

Estrogen's influence on oxygen metabolism and nervous systems

"I suspect that estrogen largely works through its effect on oxygen metabolism – a kind of biochemical breath-holding. For certain nervous systems, one could compare both taking vitamin E and having an orgasm to taking a deep, good breath."

Nutrition For Women

Influence of cysteine ​​on thyroid function during stress and hunger

"Cysteine, an amino acid abundant in muscle and liver, happens to block the synthesis of thyroid hormone. When we are starving or under stress, cortisol causes these protein-rich tissues to break down. If metabolism continued at a normal rate, stress or starvation would quickly destroy us. However, the cysteine ​​released from muscle inhibits the thyroid gland, thus slowing down metabolism."

Nutrition For Women

Adaptive hypothyroidism due to stress and intensive training

"Cortisone also inhibits the thyroid gland. Any stress, including intense physical exertion, causes this protective slowing of the metabolism. The slow heartbeat of runners is largely the result of this adaptive hypothyroidism."

Nutrition For Women

Thyroid recovery and function after supplementation

Contrary to popular belief, the thyroid gland resumes its function after discontinuing a supplement, even if it has been suppressed, and sometimes taking thyroid hormone can restore glandular function to normal. Thyroid supplementation can sometimes help thin people gain weight by improving protein metabolism, and it often helps promote deeper sleep.

Nutrition For Women

Estrogen causes hypoxia at numerous biological sites.

"Estrogen causes hypoxia at every conceivable location – from the lungs to vascular fibrin and extracellular collagen and edema, all the way to intracellular metabolism."

Nutrition For Women

The superior efficiency of oxidative metabolism compared to fermentative metabolism

"Sugar can be used to generate energy with or without oxygen, but oxidative metabolism is about 15 times more efficient than non-oxidative, glycolytic, or fermentative metabolism; higher organisms rely on this highly efficient oxidation to maintain integration and normal functioning."

Nutrition For Women

Systemic effects of inflammation and fatigue on blood sugar and energy efficiency

"However, severe inflammation or profound exhaustion lowers blood sugar systemically and delivers large amounts of lactic acid to the liver. The liver synthesizes glucose from the lactic acid, but at the cost of approximately six times more energy than is obtained from this inefficient metabolism – making this tissue 90 times less efficient at the organismal level than in its original state. Furthermore, the unnecessary destruction of energy molecules (ATP or creatine phosphate) increases this waste even further."

Nutrition For Women

Biochemical similarities between lithium and progesterone and its effects

"Several of the known biochemical effects of lithium are similar to those of progesterone, including antagonism to aldosterone, alteration of serotonin metabolism, increase of nerve thresholds and facilitated elimination of ammonia."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional and nutrient recommendations for coping with stress-related mineral imbalances

"Adrenal hormones and mineral metabolism become unbalanced under stress—regardless of whether the cause is a disorganized lifestyle or a surgical injury. The diet should include about 90 grams of protein (in frequent meals), eggs as a source of sulfur (which is needed, for example, for the synthesis of joint lubricants), and maintain a high magnesium-to-calcium ratio (as found in vegetables, bran, and fruit), while keeping phosphate intake low (this includes using leafy greens instead of some meat, as well as avoiding cheese). Vitamins C, E, and pantothenic acid are needed in particularly high amounts during stress. Vitamins A and B2 are also essential for the production of anti-stress hormones. Inositol is known to protect biological materials from many types of damage and could have this effect in arthritis, but I am not aware of any research on this specific application."

Nutrition For Women

Thyroid gland as a fundamental anti-stress hormone at the cellular level

"At the cellular level, stress reduces energy levels. Systemically, stress inhibits oxidative metabolism. Both observations suggest that the thyroid gland would be the fundamental anti-stress hormone."

Nutrition For Women

Magnesium deficiency and its role in impaired fat metabolism and heart disease

"Magnesium deficiency also promotes abnormal fat metabolism and thus contributes to heart disease."

Nutrition For Women

Interplay of stress, immune function and fat metabolism with phagocytosis

"Stress, the immune system, and fat metabolism are interconnected in complex ways. For example, it is known that a fat, triolein, stimulates phagocytosis – as does magnesium."

Nutrition For Women

The crucial importance of nutrition and avoiding toxins during pregnancy

"Pregnant women should make a special effort to achieve a perfect diet every day and avoid toxins, including medications, fumes, and smoke. Even medications that do not directly reach the fetus can affect its health by disrupting the mother's metabolism."

Nutrition For Women

Effects of weak radiation on metabolic efficiency and sensitivity of brain tissue

"Many forms of very weak radiation can reduce the efficiency of metabolism and increase its energy requirements, and brain tissue is the most sensitive tissue to at least some types of radiation."

Nutrition For Women

Importance of muscle mass for metabolic rate and weight management

"Since fat has a very low metabolic rate, people who lose muscle mass through fasting will find it increasingly difficult to lose weight because they have less active tissue to burn fat. Building muscle and lymphatic tissue for optimal health – even if it initially leads to a slight weight gain – makes losing weight easier by increasing the mass of metabolically active tissue."

Nutrition For Women

Influence of vitamin C on tyrosine metabolism and adrenaline levels in tissue

"Tyrosine metabolism, which is involved in brain function, is sensitive to vitamin C; furthermore, vitamin C maintains adrenaline levels in tissues, possibly by inhibiting its oxidation, and adrenaline is necessary for chalons to perform their function of inhibiting cell division."

Nutrition For Women

The limitations of calorie counting in understanding metabolism

"The idea that a calorie is a calorie, or simply counting calories, not only ignores the specific dynamic effect of proteins (the effect of oils is usually described as uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation), but also ignores processes at the organism level, such as insulin secretion, which forms a link between the way food is ingested (composition and timing) and behavior, appetite and metabolism."

Nutrition For Women

Human chorionic gonadotropin in weight loss clinics: Effects on appetite and metabolism

"Many weight loss clinics use injections of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to facilitate weight loss diets and potentially improve fat distribution. This hormone shifts energy metabolism towards the use of fat instead of sugar, thus allowing blood sugar levels to rise. This suppresses appetite. The hormone is produced by the placenta to make sugar available to the growing fetus."

Nutrition For Women

Cancer detection through metabolic shifts using radioactive fat tests

“Recently, Dr. GG Costa and others at the Medical College of Virginia developed a test for cancer that likely incorporates this pregnancy metabolism. They give the patient some radioactive fat, and even a person with a very small tumor exhales about three times as much radioactive carbon dioxide. This shows that metabolism shifts toward fat mobilization at an early stage of cancer development.”

Nutrition For Women

Effects of bright light on hormone production, energy metabolism and muscle tone

"Bright light also stimulates hormone production and energy metabolism and increases muscle tone."

Nutrition For Women

Muscle atrophy due to stress and cortisone during training

"If training creates too much stress and too little muscle work, muscles will atrophy because cortisone shifts amino acid metabolism towards glucose production."

Nutrition For Women

Relationship between basal metabolic rate and lifespan

"John Speakman and Martin Brand have published several examples where basal metabolic rate is proportional to lifespan (e.g., Speakman et al., 2004). They showed that a higher rate of oxidative metabolism reduced the formation of harmful, random oxidation and was also associated with a longer lifespan."

November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of the cholinergic system in glucose oxidation

"The cholinergic parasympathetic system tends to decrease glucose oxidation. Excessive activation of this system produces shock, with extreme inhibition of respiratory metabolism, but under normal circumstances the activity of this system increases at night and decreases during the day."

November 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The respiratory pathway: The central metabolic pathway to balance

"The field, the integrity of the organism, is maintained by an organized respiratory metabolism, and it can be disrupted by mechanical trauma, excessive stimulation, toxins, etc. – or by the lack of oxygen, glucose, or substances that specifically neutralize inflammatory signals."

November 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Healing and restoration of oxidative metabolism after injury

"If an injury effectively means hypoxia with activation of estrogenic processes, then we can see in broad strokes that the healing and recovery process will involve various means of restoring oxidative metabolism in the tissue."

November 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Potential therapeutic applications of ATP in psychoses

"I don't know if ATP has ever been used therapeutically in psychoses, but since it is one of the central points in both energy metabolism and structure, its use is definitely suggested by theory."

Mind And Tissue Russian Research Perspectives on the Human Brain

The role of energy metabolism in the cellular resting state

"A failure of energy metabolism limits the ability of cells to return from an excited active state to a stable resting state."

May 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Adaptation of the embryo to intrauterine disturbances

"Experimental embryology has made it clear that development is a goal-directed process. An embryo can survive extreme disturbances by adapting its structures and metabolism, but these adaptations to difficult intrauterine conditions can sometimes make later adaptations in childhood problematic."

May 2018 - Ray Peats Newsletter

The tumor microenvironment: A metabolic vortex

"The effects of locally disrupted metabolism create imbalances between stimuli and the ability to respond, so that even healthy cells in the tumor become unable to normalize the organization."

May 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Oxidative metabolism to maintain protective factors after pregnancy

"In childhood and adulthood, a robust oxidative metabolism can maintain some of the essential protective factors of pregnancy, including adequate levels of glucose and carbon dioxide, good temperature regulation, and the avoidance of overproduction of superoxide and lactate. Under these conditions, cytokines can contribute to adaptation and ongoing development."

March 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Active transport and the role of ATP in cells

"The membrane theory states that the process of concentrating a substance against its gradient is active transport and requires the use of ATP. Experiments by Ling and others showed that the energy metabolism of cells could be so disrupted that no ATP was produced, yet the cells could still maintain their ion gradient, even though sodium could freely diffuse across the membrane into the cell. All ATP has to do is be present and passively occupy its place in the cell."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lactate paradox in high-altitude physiology

"For several decades, altitude physiologists have been puzzled by what they call the lactate paradox: the fact that exercise at high altitude – with less oxygen – produces a smaller increase in blood lactic acid than at sea level, thus allowing for faster recovery, since it is assumed that oxidative metabolism prevents the formation of lactic acid. The lower oxygen availability at high altitude should lead to higher lactate levels and slower recovery."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Protein interactions and the influence of cardinal adsorbents

"Everything that binds to a protein, such as potassium or ammonium, has an inductive effect on the protein's structure and its interactions with the environment, and substances that strongly adsorb—especially ATP and steroids—have a strong influence on the system's properties. Molecules that bind strongly to proteins alter the way proteins affect the properties of water, and the properties of water control cell metabolism and their interactions with each other and with the environment. Ling called these influential binding molecules cardinal adsorbents."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Metabolic changes during sleep in the body

"The entire organism sleeps, although the brain regulates the process. In some aspects of its metabolism, especially in the turnover of phospholipids, the brain is very active during sleep, but its energy consumption decreases, and it allows the skeletal muscles to relax, thereby reducing their glucose consumption."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Effects of sleep deprivation on the increase in free fatty acids

"Although free fatty acids normally increase at night, their increase is much greater with insufficient sleep, resulting in a diabetes-like metabolism, with a shift towards the oxidation of fat instead of glucose."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Influence of hypothyroidism on sleep and cell activity

"Since thyroid hormone is needed throughout the body for oxidative metabolism, its deficiency causes brain cells to relax slowly, thus delaying the onset of sleep and potentially preventing even the deepest, most restorative sleep. Because all cells are regulated by excitatory and inhibitory processes, hypothyroidism can create a tendency towards excitatory states, which can lead to abnormal secretion and proliferation, for example."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Intensity of lipolysis and disruption of restorative deep sleep

"The intensity of lipolysis at night decreases during the most restorative deep sleep, but the free fatty acids themselves tend to increase lactate and dampen glucose metabolism by blocking the oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide, creating an inflammatory and excitatory state that disrupts deep sleep."

March 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Metabolic patterns of individual organs and interactions with the environment

"Each organ has its own metabolic pattern and is therefore susceptible to certain variations in the history of a person's interactions with their environment."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Stress-induced metabolic shift and formation of reactive toxins

"When stress shifts the metabolism towards reduction, with the formation of lactic acid, iron atoms react cyclically with oxygen and the reducing agents, producing hydroxyl radicals and other highly reactive toxins."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Toxicity of free fatty acids

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

March 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Relevance of metabolism in diagnostics

"Metabolism, an organized process of chemical changes, is always relevant, but the tradition of disease diagnosis has developed abstraction procedures that too often omit the most relevant processes and patterns."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The Symphony of Life: Embracing its Complexity

"The metabolism of the organism is a single, integrated process in which each part must adapt to the conditions in the other parts. Our nerves contain chemical receptors that detect changes in metabolic chemicals in the blood and enable the organism to make adaptive changes."

July 2017 - 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 – with chronic production of lactate and ammonia. The inefficient metabolism in diabetes has similar effects."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Hypothyroidism and the risk of reductive stress

"The weak oxidative metabolism in hypothyroidism makes it easy to enter a state of reductive stress, with a shift towards higher concentrations of NADH and lactate."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Complex mechanisms involved in maintaining a pseudohypoxic state

"There are several important mechanisms involved in maintaining a pseudohypoxic state, and they can act in a single tissue or organ as well as in a generalized way throughout the entire organism. What is often overlooked is the coherent, overlapping interaction of the structural sulfhydryl redox system (-SH, -SS-), the redox regulation of gene expression, glycolytic and oxidative energy metabolism, the regulation of pH and ion selectivity, osmolarity, and solvent properties, especially the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Role of ACE and carbonic anhydrase in metabolism

"Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and carbonic anhydrase play fundamental roles in regulating metabolism. Angiotensin II, the peptide produced by ACE, increases blood pressure and water retention and activates the stress hormones of the pituitary and adrenal glands, particularly aldosterone. Both angiotensin and aldosterone activate carbonic anhydrase. It appears that any chemical that causes blood vessel constriction also activates carbonic anhydrase."

July 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Metabolic shifts under extreme stress and learned helplessness

"When the organism as a whole is overloaded and the stress physiology transitions into states of learned helplessness™ or shock, its metabolism shifts towards a reductive, pseudohypoxic metabolism in which the nervous system suppresses oxidative metabolism."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

How cellular starvation fuels cancer metabolism

"Cellular starvation, beginning with the tumor focus of metabolic inefficiency, increases inflammation, shifts fuel metabolism, creates pseudohypoxia – in a vicious cycle."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Aging, metabolic shifts and the tendency towards cancerous metabolism

"Aging itself involves a metabolic shift towards cancer metabolism – with a relative inability to reduce energy expenditure in the basal fasting state, as well as increased fat oxidation and decreased glucose oxidation."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lactate in cancer: disruptive factor or energy saver?

"When cancer metabolism increases the amount of lactate in the blood, increased respiration lowers the carbon dioxide level in the blood (Gargaglioni et al., 2003), and the loss of CO₂ affects metabolism and physiology at all levels."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Shift in cellular excitation towards cancer-like metabolism

"Inevitable cellular excitation shifts cells into the characteristic cancer-like metabolism."

July 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Cancer symptoms and anticholinergics: A possible approach

Anticholinergic drugs can alleviate some of the symptoms of cancer and also contribute to restoring normal metabolism.

July 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Estrogen versus progesterone: Opposing metabolic effects

Estrogen has an excitatory effect, comparable to an excessive increase in body temperature, and shifts energy production towards glycolysis as well as cellular functions towards dedifferentiation and cancer metabolism. Progesterone, on the other hand, has the opposite effects: it reduces excitability and thereby lowers energy demand, while shifting energy production away from inefficient glycolysis; it can restore normal differentiation and simultaneously reverse cancerous features.

January 2021 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Heat regulation to support metabolism and sleep

A mildly warm bath before bed can counteract low internal heat production, stimulate metabolism, and help increase glycogen stores and progesterone levels, thus promoting deep, restful sleep. However, if the bath is too hot or too long, or if the influence of estrogen is too strong, the increased metabolic rate can further exacerbate inefficient metabolism, deplete energy reserves, and lead to elevated stress hormones. Consuming additional carbohydrates before and during the warm bath enhances its therapeutic effect and reduces the risk of heat shock.

January 2021 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Glucose metabolism: A direct pathway

One of my professors, Sidney Bernhard, counted the molecules very precisely and determined that the metabolism of glucose involved a direct transfer of substrate molecules from one enzyme to the next – th

January 2019 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Progesterone: Antagonism to other steroid hormones

The effects of progesterone contrast with those of other important steroid hormones, particularly estrogen, cortisol, and aldosterone. These hormones disrupt energy metabolism, especially the oxidation of glucose.

January 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Influence of metabolism on time perception and behavior

Our experience of time determines how we behave, and our metabolism determines how we perceive time. Progesterone, as a key neurosteroid, is a crucial part of our metabolism, shaping our consciousness as it projects itself into time.

January 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

The state of the organism influences the representation of reality.

When the representation of the world is developed within the fluid metabolism and physiology of an organism, the properties of the model change as the organism's state changes. Norbert Wiener and P.K. Anokhin both considered some of the implications of a finely tuned, continuous modeling of reality.

January 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Adaptability of the organism in rich versus poor environments

Under all circumstances, an adaptive metabolism takes place in the organism, and if the environment is unfavorable, the organism can protect itself by restricting its needs and its range of action. In an abundant environment that easily satisfies needs, however, the organism tends to expand its range of action and its capabilities.

January 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Role of the exploratory reflex in functional and energetic expansion

The orienting or exploratory curiosity reflex, the need to discover and understand, becomes strong once other needs are met. The opportunity to exercise this exploratory reflex expands not only the functional range of the organism, but also that of the cells and tissues activated during exploration and discovery, as well as their energy metabolism. By discovering something about the world, the organism creates something new within itself.

January 2018 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Stress arises from a reductive state and unbalanced metabolism.

Stress arises to the extent that cells are placed in a reductive, pseudohypoxic state, caused by an imbalance between stimulation and the rate of restorative oxidative metabolism.

January 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Energy at a pivot point: Metabolic reactions to lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate

The use of lactate or beta-hydroxybutyrate as a metabolic fuel shifts the balance towards reduction, similar to how ethanol metabolism does.

January 2017 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Estrogen, injury and energy metabolism

The remarkable fact that both estrogen and nitric oxide are produced in virtually every injury is rarely mentioned, and their closely related effects on energy metabolism have been largely ignored.

January 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Influence of estrogen on cell metabolism and differentiation

I interpreted the role of estrogen in reproduction and cell proliferation in line with an idea discussed by Otto Warburg and others. According to this view, reproduction is the basic, simplest function of every cell, supported by inefficient non-oxidative metabolism, while the differentiation of cells to form a stable multicellular organism requires highly efficient oxidative metabolism.

January 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Estrogen disrupts the oxidative metabolism involved in reproduction and tissue repair.

A substance like estrogen can disrupt oxidative metabolism to initiate the organism's reproduction or to stimulate tissue repair in response to local injury.

January 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Nitric oxide: The double-edged sword of metabolic regulation

Nitric oxide blocks the ability to use sugar, but slows down metabolism, so it can be used to adjust the size of developing organs and enable survival when fuel is scarce.

January 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Recognizing reducing stress through metabolic conditions

With aging and during stress, the metabolism of animals shifts towards reduction, with a higher ratio of lactate to pyruvate, of NADH to NAD, of ascorbate to dehydroascorbate, etc., a state of reductive stress.

January 2016 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Dietary restrictions and protein metabolism in old age

One of the fundamental metabolic changes with age is the slowing of the protein turnover rate in cells, and it appears that dietary restriction increases the protein turnover rate in aging animals. I consider it likely that both unsaturated fats and the amino acid cysteine ​​contribute to the age-related slowing of protein metabolism.

Generative Energy: Restoring the Wholeness of Life

Optimizing energy production for renewable energy capabilities

If we optimize the known factors that improve energy production (for example, red light, short-chain and medium-chain saturated fats, and pregnenolone) so that our metabolism resembles that of a ten-year-old child, I see no reason to assume that we would not possess the regenerative and healing abilities typical of that age. I suspect that both brain growth and remodeling could continue indefinitely.

Generative Energy: Restoring the Wholeness of Life

Role of estrogen in cortisol production and cell damage

Elevated cortisol is a normal response to the cell-damaging effects of stress or inflammation, but cortisol itself causes the death of nerve and immune cells through excitotoxicity by blocking glucose metabolism. Estrogen increases cortisol production in various ways, both via the pituitary gland and directly on the adrenal glands.

February 2001

Intensive training impairs metabolism through the effects of lactate.

Intense exercise damages cells in ways that cumulatively impair metabolism. There is clear evidence that glycolysis, the process by which glucose is converted into lactic acid, has toxic effects that suppress cellular respiration and kill cells. Within five minutes of exercise, the activity of enzymes that oxidize glucose decreases. Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and general aging are associated with increased lactic acid production and accumulated metabolic (mitochondrial) damage.

July 2000

Mitochondrial metabolism as a core problem of aging and disease

Mitochondrial metabolism is now considered a fundamental problem in aging and in several degenerative diseases.

July 2000

The core of oxidative metabolism: carbon dioxide and metabolic water

The formation of carbon dioxide is the core of oxidative metabolism, along with the formation of metabolic water from the interactions of carbon fuel, electrons, and oxygen. Even before carbon dioxide reacts covalently with water to form carbonic acid, it has a high affinity for electrons. This affinity, which predisposes it to react with water and amines, determines its non-covalent adsorption properties, which, however, are overlooked by most physiologists.

January 2000 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Adaptive responsiveness of the organism and homeostasis in cell metabolism

It is the subtle reactivity of the living system that maintains the adaptive organization of energy and structure. Part of the organism's reactivity is the flexibly interactive metabolism, which adaptively distributes substance and energy. By adjusting the affinities of cellular substances, ordinary metabolism can explain the processes described as homeostatic more rationally than the hypothetical system of pumps and channels that is proposed in biology as a "deus ex machina" whenever it is needed.

December 1999 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Role of calcium in mitochondrial damage and cellular excitotoxicity

Calcium released into the cytoplasm by excitotoxins triggers a cascade of excitatory processes, including the release of fatty acids, the activation of nerve and muscle cells, and the release of various neurotransmitters. Simultaneously, however, it tends to impair mitochondrial metabolism and progressively accumulate in the mitochondria, leading to calcification and cell death. This is further exacerbated by the antirespiratory effects of unsaturated fatty acids and the lipid peroxidation they promote.

December 1999 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Alzheimer's disease: Brain respiration metabolism and CO2 deficiency

In Alzheimer's disease, the brain's respiratory metabolism is inhibited, resulting in a carbon dioxide deficiency with an excess of lactic acid and ammonia.

December 1999 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Metabolic and inflammatory processes in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis

Both Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis are associated with reduced brain metabolism in combination with an inflammatory process.

December 1999 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lactic acid, CO2 and its connection to degenerative brain diseases

If an excess of lactic acid in brain tissue is characteristic of Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, the lactate paradox suggests that a slightly increased CO2 retention in the brains of Kashmir's inhabitants would counteract the chronic excitotoxic effects and suppress the stress metabolism that leads to degenerative brain diseases.

December 1999 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

High altitude and lactic acid metabolism in stress and cancer

Under all conditions studied, the characteristic lactic acid metabolism associated with stress and cancer is suppressed at high altitude due to increased respiration efficiency. The Haldane effect demonstrates that CO2 retention is elevated at high altitude.

1998 – Ray Peats Newsletter – 2

Free fatty acids and their interactions with estrogen in metabolism

Estrogens cause an increase in free fatty acids, and there are many interactions between unsaturated fatty acids and estrogen, including their metabolism to prostaglandins and their peroxidation.

May 1998 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Interaction of estrogen with porphyrin metabolism

The heme group (for example, of hemoglobin and respiratory enzymes) is the iron-binding, fat-soluble molecule that reacts with oxygen and is called porphyrin. There is a long history of research on the interactions of porphyrin metabolism with estrogen.

1997 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Consequences of an excess of heme/porphyry in metabolism

Many serious long-term consequences of excessive heme/porphyria production and metabolism are currently being investigated. This suggests that the criterion recently proposed by a government agency, which uses twice the upper limit of normal excretion as a benchmark for detecting a problem, could, over time, allow for far more serious problems that may not initially appear to be related to porphyria.

1997 – Ray Peat's Newsletter

Calming effect of thyroid hormone in hypermetabolism

Although I tended to be hypermetabolic and had wondered for years about the simultaneous occurrence of symptoms of both hyper- and hypothyroidism, I finally tried thyroid hormone. Immediately, I was able to sleep lightly and deeply, and my appetite decreased. It was obvious that the thyroid hormone had a calming effect on my overall metabolism. I slept more efficiently, woke up refreshed, and had plenty of energy during the day, starting to find things to do around the house, just for fun. Before taking thyroid hormone, the first thing I did every morning was drink two or three cups of coffee, but a few days after starting, I noticed that I hardly thought about coffee anymore and drank about 90% less, without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms.

April 1994 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Brain adaptation and stress resistance mechanisms

Our brains are the newest and most efficient organs for adaptation and stress resistance, enabling the simpler systems of circulation and metabolism to orient themselves appropriately to achieve maximum benefit with minimum harm. Just as there are pro- and anti-catabolic hormones and circulatory patterns, the brain possesses stress-promoting and stress-limiting systems.

June 1992 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Severe stress and deterioration of liver function

When stress is severe and prolonged, the liver loses enzymes of the detoxification system as well as the system for the production of bile acids, leading to a tendency towards abnormal lipid metabolism, including hypercholesterolemia.

June 1992 – Ray Peats Newsletter

The role of energy in brain function and behavioral patterns

The availability of energy is central to our stable functioning, and energy requirements significantly alter our behavior. For example, as hunger increases, the brain changes its interpretation system so that increasingly unfamiliar things are considered potential food. The spreading arousal that leads to this expanded search likely also occurs in connection with needs other than hunger and could lead to experimentation with drugs and other activities that indirectly provide satisfaction. Compulsive and obsessive patterns can sometimes be resolved by supporting the brain's energy metabolism, for example, through supplementation with magnesium and thyroid hormone.

June 1991 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Ammonia and its metabolic relatives in biological regulation

For several years, I have been interested in the biological effects of ammonia and compounds that are metabolically closely related to it. There is clear evidence for the antiviral activity of ammonia, 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 believe that ammonia is involved in regeneration and nerve modulation. Urea, inosine, GABA, the polyamines, and betaine derivatives (e.g., gamma-butyrobetaine) are closely linked to ammonia metabolism, and combinations of these likely have many beneficial biological effects.

July 1991 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Contribution of estrogen to hypercoagulable conditions and cardiovascular risk

There are many ways in which estrogen can contribute to a hypercoagulable state that leads to cardiovascular disease. Some of these involve altered liver function, including impaired production or metabolism of eight different coagulation-controlling factors.

April 1991 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Convergence of interests in the oxidative metabolism of the uterus

Although I had studied the link between estrogen and cancer, and knew from my own experience with migraines that stress, diet, and hormones interact powerfully, I did not realize when I began my research into the oxidative metabolism of the uterus that this would involve bringing together several of my main interests.

October 1990 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Potential risks of orotic acid in metabolism and liver health

Orotic acid was known to alter 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 with rats.

May 1990 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Metabolic intensification as a stimulant for the immune system

Anything that intensifies metabolism tends to stimulate the immune system, all other factors remaining unchanged.

November 1989 – Ray Peats Newsletter

Achilles tendon reflex indicating thyroid-related metabolism

The Achilles tendon reflex test uses the slow relaxation of the calf muscles to indicate the low metabolism in hypothyroidism. In a person with high energy, the relaxation is immediate.

February 1986

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Supplements according to Ray Peat

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