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 like 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 plaque calcification

"The aging pigment ceroid or lipofuscin, which largely originates from PUFA and is associated with macrophage foam cells in the plaque, accumulates iron (Lee et al., 1998). By catalyzing oxidation, it creates local hypoxia, leads to lactic acid formation, 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 fulfill 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 PUFA and pharmaceutical industry interest

"Although there is still great reluctance to acknowledge the carcinogenic potential of PUFA, findings like these have prompted the pharmaceutical industry to consider using their ACAT inhibitors (which block the attachment of PUFA to cholesterol) for cancer treatment."

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFA transform cholesterol into a toxic factor

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

September 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Liver response to missing polyunsaturated fatty acids

"When 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 degradation through diet

"A lifelong accumulation of PUFA gradually weakens the liver's protective functions. However, these functions can be gradually restored by supplying carbohydrates and saturated fats without polyunsaturated fats – along with some factors that have been increasingly lost together 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 interfere with the digestion of protein and other nutrients, such as tannins and polyunsaturated fatty acids."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Normalizing the immune system with steroids and thyroid hormones

"Polyunsaturated oils suppress the immune system and thereby probably 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 milk-based diet are apparently two important thermogenic factors that slow the accumulation of harmful adaptations. However, there are many other modifiable factors that could extend lifespan even more. It is important to reduce pro-inflammatory factors, and personal choices can make a big difference – for example, choosing easily digestible foods to reduce endotoxin; avoiding polyunsaturated fatty acids that disrupt cellular respiration and form pro-inflammatory prostaglandins; avoiding antioxidant supplements that create a reductive excess; and favoring foods that contain anti-inflammatory, thermogenic compounds, such as citrus fruits with their high flavonoid content that supports cellular respiration."

November 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Lipofuscin formation by polyunsaturated fatty acids

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

November 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Methods to reduce the formation of cholesterol esters

"In addition to avoiding polyunsaturated fats (n-3 and n-6) in the diet to reduce the formation of cholesterol esters and slow the age-related decline in cholesterol synthesis, progesterone supplementation is also a 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), which is likely useful in certain degenerative conditions."

November 2018 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

PUFA accumulation amplifies cellular stress responses

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

November 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Thymus atrophy: causes and regeneration-promoting factors

"Factors causing thymus gland atrophy include cortisol and other glucocorticoid hormones, estrogen, prostaglandins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, endotoxin, hypoglycemia, and ionizing radiation. Progesterone and thyroid hormone support thymus gland restoration by providing protection and counteracting all these atrophy factors. A higher sugar intake in the diet can correct some of the metabolic changes of aging."

November 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The influence of various factors on mitochondrial oxygen consumption

"When cells breathe vigorously, all the oxygen reaching the mitochondria is immediately consumed, so the oxygen concentration near the respiratory enzymes is nearly zero. If something disrupts mitochondrial oxygen consumption (for example, a thyroid hormone deficiency, too many polyunsaturated fats, nitric oxide, or carbon monoxide), the local oxygen concentration rises because it is no longer being used."

March 2021 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Nighttime lipid turnover in the brain and fatty acid dynamics

"The nighttime rise in free fatty acids in the serum 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 every night with the highly unsaturated fats 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 increasing age, prostaglandin production rises, and the balance is less likely to be fully restored."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Age-related changes in the brain, intensified by estrogen

"With age, iron and polyunsaturated fats accumulate in the brain. Estrogen slows the breakdown of dopamine, thereby increasing the chance that it reacts toxically with iron and highly unsaturated fats – especially arachidonic acid and DHA. It also tends to increase the formation of prostaglandins and nitric oxide. The opposite effects of progesterone probably 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 polyunsaturated – are toxic to the brain: they increase inflammation and block energy metabolism."

March 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Dietary Strategies to Maintain Efficient Energy Production

"Maintaining high energy efficiency while reducing wasteful excitatory states has a long tradition in health optimization. Avoiding excessive polyunsaturated fats and phosphate in the diet and regularly consuming the essential nutrients needed for thyroid hormone and progesterone production is simple. Choosing foods that contain substances protecting against many known pro-inflammatory, aging-accelerating processes is also relatively straightforward – for example, citrus fruits contain a wide variety of compounds 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, the highly unsaturated fatty acids enhance excitatory processes – including the formation of prostaglandins and other pro-inflammatory compounds."

January 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Factors Disrupting the Balance of Respiratory Enzymes and PUFA

"Vitamin E deficiency or PUFA excess, ionizing radiation, oxygen deprivation, or aging: all these conditions are associated with disruption or reduced activity of the critical respiratory enzyme cytochrome-c oxidase."

January 2016 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Rapid Stress Recovery with Low PUFA Exposure

"A person relatively free of PUFA likely recovers very quickly from prolonged stress."

Email Response by Ray Peat

Estrogen, PUFA, and Insulin Resistance in Diabetes

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

February 2001

Minimizing 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 Increased Cancer Deaths

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

April 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter
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