P E N G U I N C L A S S I C S

S PA R K Y S U R F E R B R O
My Ray Peat Notes

If diet doesn't provide glucose and fructose. en liver

can't make thyroid(T4 to T3) as easily and will down
regulate thyroid. Sucrose and lactose are e ective at
maintaining production of thyroid hormones. Calcium
and sodium stimulates metabolic rate.

Diabetics survived and recovered when plain white sugar

is added to diet.(Referring to study on diabetics who
were wasting away)

Anti-aromatase foods are important. Orange juice,

guava, and others contain similar chemicals. Celery,
parsley, and aspirin are anti-estrogenic. Milligram of
Vitamin K for every standard 325mg aspirin is
recommended.

Vitamin D is a regulatory material in bone and hair

growth. Parathyroid hormones when temporarily
released helps bone and hair growth. Chronic elevation
of parathyroid will damage bones.

Daily carrot salad- Fibre in carrot isn't digestible and has

slightly antimicrobial properties. Liver releases bile with
toxic chemicals and hormones to be excreted. ese can
be reabsorbed in damaged small intestine. Carrot bre
helps remove those toxins from small intestine

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 Male Pattern Baldness: No evidence that testosterone is
responsible. Prolactin is increased in balding men and
women. Prolactin is also know as the molting hormone.
Prolactin and cortisol rise during stress.

Juicy fruits should be eaten raw. Starchy fruits should

be cooked. Undercooked starch particles can enter
bloodstream(starch persorption) and block capillaries
killing cells and organs. Also causing premature ageing.

Potatoes when thoroughly cooked(more so when boiled

in water) are good. Best when eaten with butter or
other saturated fat. (helps prevent persorption of
starches) Also best served warm to minimise amount of
resistant starches which increase endotoxins.

Seafood and liver recommended weekly.

Milk, liver, cheese, eggs, meat, and seafood are good

sources of B vitamins. Will help neuromuscular and
cognitive function. Vitamin B1 is especially helpful
with memory and recall.

Niacin ushing isn't healthy because it releases

serotonin, histamine, and toxic prostaglandins. "No
ush niacin" is no more healthy. Niacinimide is
recommended.

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In the 20s people lost weight on less than 1700 calories

a day due to having faster metabolisms. Poor diet and
stress slows the metabolism and body begins to burn fat.
Brain and red blood cells need sugar and will convert
muscle to sugar if necessary. ( is deserves on thread)

Sugar is muscle sparing and prevents catabolic

breakdown. Muscles at rest will increase fat metabolism.
More muscle=more fat burning at rest. Active muscles
prefer sugars. Too much muscle stress will increase
estrogen. Muscles produce testosterone.

Heart is one of the main receptors of testosterone.

Glucose in eggs/embryo stimulates brain growth.

Removal of glucose in eggs/embryo increases death of
brain cells. Restricting sugar during pregnancy is
generally not advised. Gestational diabetes scare
originated from glucose tolerance test in 60s.

Pregnant women normally have blood glucose levels of

about 130(?). Progesterone also helps with metabolism
of glucose and helps prevent miscarriages. Low
progesterone will cause low blood sugar in pregnant
women and potential miscarriage.

High estrogen increases chance of miscarriage.

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 Citric acid causes you to lose calcium in the urine.

Calcium carbonate is safer calcium supplement and
stimulates born formation. Milk/dairy recommended as
calcium sources, or 1/4 teaspoon of eggshells. Oyster
shells are more toxic than eggshells. Bone meal contains
heavy metals

Cortisol causes catabolic e ect on muscles.

Carbohydrates in form of fructose can help spare amino
acid loss from cortisol. (Fructose pre-workout to
replenish muscle & liver glycogen so metabolism stays
high which helps to recover faster & prevent muscle
wasting for glycogen)

Ray Peat when asked about his normal diet: milk, eggs,
orange juice, oysters or liver weekly, gelatinous food
every day (Your needs will obviously vary)

Fasting is catabolic and will consume healthy tissues to

acquire glucose. Fasting increases cortisol and metabolic
rate higher for rst few days until metabolism is down-
regulated due to low amount of sugar and high amount
of amino acids in blood. Hormonal glands down-
regulated.

Brain acts as a detoxifying organ. Albumin and

lipoproteins released into bloodstream when liver is
overburdened and helps detoxify blood.

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 Albumin is good measure of liver health. Giver and

fructose can help increase albumin by removing
reabsorption of endotoxins. <4 unhealthy

Fruit juice has more minerals than re ned carbs.

Potassium found in most fruits acts as insulin and helps
lower glycemic load of carbohydrate(or insulin response
from protein)

Milk slows absorption of lactose and calcium stimulates

metabolism to increase use of sugars. Milk drinkers are
often thinner.

Liver spots are caused by PUFA and stress

Increasing cholesterol via sugar can be therapeutic

Small amount of fat helps stimulate the intestines and

absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Small amount of PUFA fats
in natural fat sources are stored gradually overtime as the
body preferably metabolises saturated fat. is slow
accumulation of PUFA in the body overtime leads to
ageing

Under stress fat is released (PUFA) so stress becomes

more harmful over time as we age since more PUFAs
have been accumulated and can be released.

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 Aspirin improves calcium retention in bones and is safe

if taken along with vitamin K. Vitamin K regulates
calcium, protects arteries from calci cation, and allows
bones to use CO2. Carboxylate(?) binds calcium to the
bone. Liver and Kale with butter are food sources

T3 and ca eine have topical use to help hair regrowth.

Possible hair regrowth oil: olive oil, DHEA, natural
progesterone.

Olive oil, 25mg of DHEA, 50 milligrams natural

progesterone. Creates a week's worth

Coconut oil can have an antihistamine e ect and can

help moderate co ee's negative e ects along with sugar.
All cells can produce histamine when adequately
stressed.

Poorly digested or undigested starches(resistant starches)

causes behaviour changes, anxiety, and aggression.
Causes endotoxins via bacterial overgrowth that can
in ame intestines and liver.

Cooked starch is turned to glucose and causes insulin

release. Excess glucose is stored as fat quickly when you
eat more than you need/can metabolise.

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 Eating too much pure protein/protein only meals causes

a fall of blood sugar and increase of cortisol which is
catabolic to muscles and thymus. Will cause fat
deposition around waist similar to Cushing's syndrome.

Leaky gut may be caused by radiation, estrogen, PUFA,

heavy metals, etc. Leaky gut is when intestines become
in amed and leaky capillaries destroys the barrier
between substances in intestine and blood and a ects
other tissues and organs via the blood stream.
On treating diabetes:
Fructose is metabolised without needing insulin.
Experiments with people with diabetes: patients who
were allowed to eat as much sucrose as the wanted
eventually recovered.

Type 1 diabetes may be a type of autoimmune disease.

In ammation reaction to prostaglandins and PUFA.
Saturated fat only diets didn't develop experimental
diabetes in studies.

Diabetes symptoms with normal blood sugar may be be

caused by damaged/undigested starches and PUFA.

Progesterone is highly concentrated in the brain. May

oppose testosterone in excess. May help with epilepsy or
arthritis.

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 On yeast and fungal infections:

If yeast are starved of sugar, they will seek areas high in
estrogen and release laments looking for sugars and
invade tissues and become deadly. Low thyroid people
often have high estrogen and this favours yeast infection.

On yeast and fungal infections cont:

Flours or precipitates of sulphur will help kill fungus.
Vinegar may also help. (Vinegar+coconut oil+shredded
carrot(?))

On sugar and cancer:

Animals with tumour normally have stable blood sugar.
Even when cutting supply o . Cancer will send stress
hormones to release sugar. Also cancer will consume
surrounding tissue. In studies cancer will consume high
concentrations of sugar until it died.

On liver:
A damaged liver will ruin the whole organism. Is the
chemist for the body. If the liver is not getting enough
protein or B vitamins it can lose its ability to detoxify.
You may get hormone imbalances. Tissues may become
more brous and lungs will become in amed

Vitamin E helps maintain fertility and prevent

miscarriage. Needs increase with age and PUFA intake.

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 Quality supplemental vitamin E is extremely hard to

nd. (Idealabs supposed to have a good one)
Endurance exercise causes heart atrophy, reduction of
testosterone, reduction of fertility, and lungs become
in amed.

How to reduce serotonin:

Reduce intestinal in ammation, avoid resistant starches,
avoid salads, and avoid undercooked vegetables.

Fasting releases PUFAS which oxidise. Destroys

enzymes ability to produce energy. Failure to produce
energy causes a stress response. Depending on e ciency
of liver, time without food until stress response varies.
In individuals with unhealthy liver, this can a ect sleep.

Fructose and lactose are preferred forms of sugar.

Usually absorbed within rst foot or so of the intestine.
Lower insulin response to fructose, and lactose from
milk is combined with fat which slows its release and
therefore the stress response. (milk before bed)

Vitamin B1 is correlated with short term memory and

improves mood. Often lowered by stress. De ciency
causes sluggishness, poor mood, psychosis, and
hallucinations. Dose recommended: 10mg up to
100mg for extremely stressful situations.

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If you are healthy you can meet challenges without

experiencing stress. Healthy people store about 7-8
ounces of glucose in the form of glycogen in the liver,
muscles, and brain. If relaxed and not stressed you can
go longer without experiencing stress.

Once glycogen stores becomes low, adrenaline begins to

rise and once it reaches a certain level cortisol is released.
Cortisol can dissolve tissues like the thymus to get
sugars when blood sugars drop. Next, muscles will be
broken down.

Heart, brain, and lungs contain a lot of testosterone

which prevents their breakdown except under extremely
stressful situations.

Candida thrives when you lack the membrane surface

antibodies. e antibodies depend on thyroid and
progesterone. If you are low thyroid you will have
problems regulating blood sugar. If you starve candida
of sugar it will attempt to invade via laments int
surrounding cells.

IBS is an in amed bowel. Gluten resembles a protein

that tissues make under the in uence of estrogen or
stress. Seeds contain toxins to protect against digestion.

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 200mg of sulphur 2 or 3 days in a row can help

eliminate bacteria overgrowth

Stress- falling blood sugar and rising lactic acid is the

universal feature of stress. Lactic acid is the main source
for producing endorphins or endogenous opiates.
Endorphins are a sign of stress.

Increasing CO2 by breathing into bag can lower lactic

acid. Chronic elevated lactic acid is correlated with
cancer. Higher altitude also increases CO2.

People with Alzheimer's generally lack stimulation

You want sugars that don't strongly stimulate insulin

which leads to storage as fat. Fructose moderates
production of fat, raises temperature, increases
conversion of carbohydrates to energy, and actives the
thyroid better than glucose alone.

Fruit, honey, and white sugar are preferred sources of

fructose.

Vitamin A activates enzymes that make steroids.

Increases ability to make pregnenolone, progesterone,
and DHEA. Brain is a major steroid forming organ
along with skin and gonads.

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 Topically applied progesterone may help with skin

discolouring. It can be absorbed through skin.

Ca eine if taken on an empty stomach will drop blood

sugar and stimulate stress. Best if taken with food.

On light:
Red light therapy is good. Avoid intense midday
sunlight to mitigate oxidative damage stress which can
a ect PUFA.(?) Damage is not localised to skin.

Darkness is cortisol producing.

Healthy liver should be able to store 8 hours of glycogen

to get you through the night. If thyroid is low or
estrogen is high then liver may have di culty storing
glycogen. Adrenaline is activated when glycogen is low
to use remaining bit.

After liver glycogen is empty and can't respond to

adrenaline, cortisol is released, and turns protein and fat
into glucose. is will dissolve they thymus over a few
days. en the muscles will atrophy.

Fruit is the best food for not triggering a stress response.

Potassium handles sugar in place of insulin. Eating fruit
produces less insulin and cortisol than other foods.

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 Salt consumption inversely correlated with blood

pressure. Calcium de ciency is responsible for high
blood pressure. Calcium(& vit D) decreases parathyroid
hormone. Parathyroid causes aldosterone to increase.
Aldosterone removes calcium from bones and moves it
into soft tissues.

Having more muscle mass is healthy and can help

produce testosterone and lower cortisol. Testosterone
also can help heart and brain. Muscle also serves as
energy reserve during stressful catabolic events.

Eating too many fermented food may cause stress due to

lowering blood sugar via lactic acid. Liver consumes
glycogen to process lactic acid into glucose. Bacteria
may produce lactic acid and other endotoxin in the
intestines. Especially when resistant starches give them
food source.

e reason eggs have a bad reputation is that they are

extremely concentrated protein and the per person eats
an eggs without carbohydrates their blood sugar is going
to fall, especially if their liver that doesn't have good
glycogen stores the egg will drop their blood sugar.

Foamy urine is a sign of excess excretion of steroid

hormone precursors and is a sign of stress.

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 Vitamin K can reverse osteoporosis and remove calcium

from the arteries. Works with coenzymeQ10 to
maintain oxidative metabolism in mitochondria. May
prevent excess clotting. Helps stabilise blood pressure.

at will activate mast cells and you'll have allergic

reactions. Protein without the carbohydrate will
increase in ammation. Sugar, progesterone, and aspirin
are things that will protect you for most surges of
histamine, serotonin, etc

Low thyroid can cause SIBO which can be a root cause

of leaky gut. Digestion slows down when metabolic rate
slows down from hypothyroid. Stomach becomes
sluggish doesn't secrete much, or move food fast
enough.

Stomach, pancreas, and liver should wash your whole

small intestine clean so that there no bacteria can thrive
when thyroid is functioning well.

Saturated fats inhibit stress hormones by preventing

release of PUFAs from storage. Saturated fats help
inhibit in ammation and act as liver protectors. PUFAs
exacerbate liver cirrhosis. Fibrotic, clotting,
in ammatory, and tumor diseases are all closely
associated with PUFA

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 Darkness is stressful, cortisol is normally highest in

morning after fasting and being in darkness.

Excess carotene can down regulate the thyroid if not

enough B12 and thyroid hormone is produced. (Limit
carrot and sweet potato frequency)

e more indigestible the food the more it supports

bacterial growth.

Frequent eating is less stressful and less likely to cause

diabetes and fat storage.

Greek yogurt is preferred over very acidic yogurts.

Higher lactic acid in sour yogurts from bacteria increases
in ammation.

Temperature is a good gauge of metabolism. Estrogen

lowers temperature. yroid, progesterone, and DHEA
help maintain a high metabolic rate, even at rest.
Increasing adrenaline can compensate for
hypothyroidism, in that case, morning temperature will
be higher than midday.

Hands and feet will be cold in the case of high

adrenaline compensating for hypothyroidism.
Normally, you want body temperature to increase from
morning to midday.

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 How estrogen is removed from body:

If liver is working, protein intake is adequate, and your
thyroid is functioning, the liver will send the estrogen to
your kidneys after progesterone retrieves it from cells of
the body and brings it to the liver.

On alcoholic drinks
Estrogen from yeast will stimulate the adrenals to
produce cortisol and estrogen. Cortisol leading to beer
belly and estrogen leading to man boobs(aka bitch tits).

Stress will make you lose copper from from your

respiratory system(?)

Sugar helped prevent scarring when packed into

wounds(was referring to 3rd world country using
resources they had available or something like that)

Antibiotics lower cortisol and estrogen and progesterone

increased. Raw shredded carrot salad caused similar
changes. Endotoxins are estrogenic and lowers
testosterone and progesterone.

In ammation of nose and throat often starts in the

intestine. Close relationship between respiratory system
and digestive system.

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 Some fruit is good about 30 minutes before a high

protein meal because the fruit replenishes the liver with
glycogen.

Eating big dose of protein without sugar you stimulate

insulin which lowers circulating glucose and turns it
into fat. Lower blood glucose also releases cortisol

DHEA may reverse greying hair. Copper also plays a

role. Shell sh are a good source of copper without
excess of iron.

Blue light in absence of red light damages mitochondria.

Red light neutralises harmful e ects of blue light

Beef and lamb are preferred over chicken, pork, and

turkey due to ruminants having less unsaturated fat due
to nature of digestive system.

Swelling or in ammation of the nerve sheath can

compress and damage nerves. Low thyroid and high
estrogen can exacerbate this. Darkness and copper
de ciency can cause connective tissue to swell and pinch
nerves also.

Diabetics are de cient in fructose, they metabolise it the

same or faster than healthy people.

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 In amed intestines may in ame the urinary system or

prostate and cause frequent urination.

T3 is the essential active hormone. Under stress T4 is

converted to reverse T3. T4 and T3 alone can't be used
to interpret thyroid function for this reason. You want
good ration of active T3 to reverse T3.

Any area or tissue with excess lactic acid, in ammation,

or hypoxic conditions can locally destroy active T3.

Glucose and cholesterol are protective against stress.

Cholesterol rises during stress because it is a precursor to
steroidal anti-stress hormones. Statins increase mortality
and lower sex drive.
(Cholesterol is precursor to all steroidal hormones)

Beans and cabbage can damage thyroid. Low protein

and iodine may also negatively a ect the thyroid.

Starvation for protein makes liver unable to dispose of

estrogen. Protein de ciency also slows down the
thyroid. Estrogen blocks iodine to thyroid creating a
vicious cycle.

Functioning kidneys aren't a ected b a high protein

diet. Potato juice can absorb ammonia for those with
failing livers.

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 Serotonin increases estrogen. Lowering serotonin can

help with autism.

Endotoxin leads to in amed intestines releases serotonin

into bloodstream which can cross the blood brain
barrier and cause a stress response. is will release even
more serotonin causing viscous circle.

Titanium dioxide and silica dioxide are found in many

food supplements and can cause in ammation in the
brain via small intestines.

Enemas and laxatives were one of the oldest treatments

for cancer. PUFA originally became viewed as healthy
because in high doses it is a laxative.

PUFA has increased diabetes in general population.

Fruit and cheese are safe for diabetics because they don't
trigger a large insulin response from pancreas. White
sugar, honey, milk also good. Avoid starches.

Co ee lters heavy metals from water when using the

drip method.

Aspirin, co ee, and niacinimide can help with viruses.

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 iamine helps lower lactic acid and increase CO2

10% sulphur soap can help with athlete's foot.

Vitamin D reduced length of stay in hospitals by half.

Calcium and vitamin D helps with sick liver and

kidneys.

Vitamin E and K are best taken at di erent times.

Both are protective of Coenzyme Q10

Recommended prolactin healthy levels have shifted for

males from 4-7(?) to up to 20(?). With new accepted
range men often have breasts. 4-7(?) is best for fertility.

Hyperventilation releases a lot of CO2. CO2 is a nerve

stabiliser. Retaining CO2 leads to clearer thinking.

Men experience an increase in estrogen when in chronic

stress or after a traumatic accident.

Monkeys produce cortisol when fruit is scarce. Sugar is

protein sparing. Sugar inhibits cortisol which turns
protein into sugars. Sugar also aids in the digestion of
protein. Sugar inhibits the release of free fatty acids
from storage.

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Brain and red blood cells prefer sugar.

Serotonin is produced i the intestine. Is carried in

bloodstream and detoxi ed in the lungs. Overwork of
the lungs can cause a dump of serotonin by blood
platelets and increase in ammation. Any systemic stress
that causes loss of CO2 will increase this.

Diabetes is a failure to oxidise sugar properly and

turning sugar into lactic acid. Lactic acid displaces
CO2. Loss of CO2 causes serotonin exposure.

CO2 from soda water may be slightly helpful.

Important to have more calcium than phosphate(high in

muscle meats).

Gelatine is free from age inducing amino acids.

"Browning" sugar breaks it down and produces irritating

possibly toxic materials.

Stress and ageing can make it harder to retain sodium.

Loss of sodium releases aldosterone which causes

magnesium loss. Sodium is magnesium sparing.

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 Sugar and salt can help lower adrenaline. (Good before

bed)

You will often become sleepy after lowering elevated

adrenaline.

UV light primarily damages cells by oxidising PUFA.

Aspirin can help manage this. Best to avoid harmful
radiation and EMF.

Cold hands and feet, low blood, anxiety, fatigue,

depression, edema, and frequent hunger are signs of
hypothyroidism.

PUFA is harmful for metabolism because it blocks

thyroid secretion from the gland, blocks transport in the
bloodstream, and blocks in several places in the cell.

Blood type has little to no e ect on dietary needs.

Diet needs are in uenced by personal history, metabolic

rate, activity level, lifestyle factors, body size, etc

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