Ray Peat

[[File:Ray Peat.png|thumb|right|165px|Ray Peat, [[Quackery|Quack]]]]
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{{cquote|Unsaturated fats cause aging, clotting, inflammation, [[cancer]], and weight gain.|||Ray Peat (without providing any scientific evidence)<ref name="Oils">[http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturated-oils.shtml Unsaturated Vegetable Oils: Toxic] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref>}}

'''Raymond "Ray" Peat''' {{lived|1936|2022}}<ref>[https://im1776.com/2022/12/14/ray-peat-obituary/ Obituary: Ray Peat] (December 2022) ''IM-1776''.</ref> was an [[United States|American]] [[biologist]], with a doctorate in biology from the University of Oregon, specializing in physiology (his doctoral thesis was ''Age-Related Oxidative Changes in the Hamster Uterus''<ref>[https://alliance-uoregon.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma99174689701852&context=L&vid=01ALLIANCE_UO:UO&lang=en&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Rollup&query=any,contains,raymond%20peat&offset=0 ''Age-Related Oxidative Changes in the Hamster Uterus''] by Ray Peat (1972) ''University of Oregon''.</ref>). During his career, he taught at several mainstream accredited colleges, as well as the [[alternative medicine]] National College of Naturopathic Medicine and the [[hippie]] Blake College.<ref>[https://raypeat.com/about.shtml About Ray Peat] ''Ray Peat''</ref><ref>[https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/76-april-3-16-1969/letters/ letter from Albert Michael Weber] (April 3-16, 1969) ''Fifth Estate'' 76.</ref>

Peat was a [[conspiracy theorist]] (e.g., [[Project Blue Beam]] and [[The Great Reset]]) and a [[UFO]]logist, and held highly unorthodox views on nutrition.<ref name="CTY">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De0fXmRnunU "#47: The Power Elite | Vaccines | Hair Loss | UFOs | Surviving The Great Reset with Ray Peat, PhD"] by Danny Roddy (January 22, 2021) ''YouTube''.</ref> He was a [[quack]], and [[cholesterol denialist]]<ref>[http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/cholesterol-longevity.shtml Cholesterol, longevity, intelligence, and health] (2007) ''Ray Peat''.</ref> who promoted [[pseudoscientific]] views about nutrition. In nutrition, his most bizarre claim was that essential {{wpl|polyunsaturated fatty acids}} (omega-3 and omega-6, found principally but not exclusively in certain [[fish]]<ref>[https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/polyunsaturated-fats Polyunsaturated Fats] ''American Heart Association''.</ref>) are harmful to human health and should be reduced in the diet to the lowest amount possible.<ref name="Quack">[http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsaturatedfats.shtml Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?] (2007) ''Ray Peat''.</ref> Peat [[delusion]]ally argued that a mouthful of sucrose in honey can cure animals and emergency-room patients with fatal injuries (oral liquid sugar is an effective emergency diabetic shock treatment but Peat did not mention diabetes and only gave [[hearsay]] evidence, "I've heard stories…").<ref name="Coke"/> He made many other ridiculous claims such as avocados causing [[cancer]].<ref name="Vegetables">[https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/vegetables.shtml Vegetables, etc.—Who Defines Food?] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref>

Though Peat was not known to hold far-right views himself, his dietary views have been embraced by some people on the [[far right]],<ref name="GNET1">[https://gnet-research.org/2022/10/10/the-emerging-raw-food-movement-and-the-great-reset/ The Emerging Raw Food Movement and the ‘Great Reset’] by Joshua Molloy and Eviane Leidig (October 10, 2022) Global Network on Extremism & Technology</ref> notably [[Bronze Age Pervert]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240109093942/https://twitter.com/bronzeagemantis/status/899175058513563648 Ray Peat is a warrior against the ZOGGification of our bodies. EDUCATE URSELF!] by Bronze Age Pervert (12:43 AM · Aug 20, 2017) ''Twitter'' (archived from January 9, 2024).</ref> Some of Peat's other followers found this somewhat baffling,<ref name=reddit>[https://www.reddit.com/r/raypeat/comments/vc8sur/why_is_there_a_connection_between_peating_and/ why is there a connection between peating and being right wing] r/raypeat (June 14, 2022) ''Reddit''.</ref> and in January 2021, he himself reported receiving a surge in "really insane sounding people" more so "than all 20 years that I've used the Internet", messaging him about things like [[Jesuit]]s purportedly inventing [[numerology]].<ref name="CTY"/>{{rp|16:04}} Some of Peat's statements also coded more [[far left]],{{efn|Someone on Reddit claimed to have known him in the 1980s as supporting the [[CPUSA]] and [[Stalin]].<ref name=reddit/>}} such as his belief that militarism is the "biggest 'anti-civilization' factor",<ref name="DR32">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=famOF8GYlbg "#32: Hormonal Imprinting | Fake History | Aristotelian Philosophy | Marx, Lenin, Stalin, and Lysenko] by Danny Roddy (July 24, 2020) ''YouTube''.</ref>{{rp|59:45}} and his praise for [[communism]] as an alternative to [[capitalism]].<ref name="DR32"/>{{rp|1:07:55}} 

In 2022, about 8 months before his death, much to the dismay of his followers, Peat contradicted his own dietary advice and admitted that he was eating oatmeal and putting oat bran on his food.<ref name="Interview">[https://soundcloud.com/oneradionetwork/032322-peat-ray 03.23.22 Peat Ray] by Patrick Timpone (March 23, 2022) ''Sound Cloud''.</ref> As the saying goes, "Forbidden fruit is the sweetest."

==Overview==
{{cquote|Working through the articles on Peat’s website is like doing an ultramarathon through quicksand. Actually, the ultramarathon would be preferable to reading Peat’s solid text block [[word salad]]s with outdated research and lots of scientific [[Argument by gibberish|mumbo jumbo]]. The vast majority of the citations Peat uses to back up his claims are rat and cell studies, and most are extremely outdated (many from the 1960’s).|||[[Dietitian]] Abby Langer on Ray Peat's pseudoscience.<ref>[https://archive.ph/Rzmud Ray Peat Carrot Salad: Can It Fix Your Hormones?] by Abby Langer (September 23, 2022) ''Abby Langer Nutrition''.</ref>}}

Peat would have had absolutely no training in nutrition while at the University of Oregon since a relevant department at the university did not exist until 2013,<ref>[https://socialsciences.uoregon.edu/food-studies Food Studies, School of Global Studies and Languages] ''University of Oregon''.</ref> but used to spend much of his time writing ridiculous essays about the health effects of different foods on his website.<ref>[http://raypeat.com/about.shtml About Ray Peat]. raypeat.com</ref> None of his ideas on nutrition were published in [[peer review]]. Peat argued against the [[scientific consensus]] by claiming that foods high in [[sugar]] and saturated fat are not harmful in excess. He has been cited as encouraging people to eat ice cream and Mexican Coca-Cola.<ref>[https://archive.ph/vONfR RIP Ray Peat: Death of Diet Pioneer 86 Sees Fanbase Pay Tribute] by Kim Schewitz (2023) ''HITC'' (archived from 3 Mar 2023 22:42:56 UTC).</ref>

===Coconut oil===
{{main|Coconut oil}}
Peat argued that coconut oil is a health food because it contains saturated fat, whilst all seed and vegetable oils are "[[Toxin|toxic]]" because they contain polyunsaturated fat.<ref name="Oils"/><ref name="Coconut oil">[http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/coconut-oil.shtml Coconut Oil] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref> However, the high saturated fatty acids in coconut oil significantly increase LDL-c. According to a [[meta-analysis]] of clinical trials, "coconut oil should not be viewed as healthy oil for cardiovascular disease risk reduction, and limiting coconut oil consumption because of its high saturated fat content is warranted."<ref name="Neela">{{cite journal|last1=Neelakantan|first1=Nithya|last2=Seah|first2=Jowy Yi Hoong|last3=van Dam|first3=Rob M.|date=2020-03-10|title=The effect of coconut oil consumption on cardiovascular risk factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials|url=https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.043052|journal=Circulation|volume=141|issue=10|pages=803–814|doi=10.1161/circulationaha.119.043052|issn=0009-7322|pmid=31928080|doi-access=free|s2cid=210195904}}</ref> In his essays, Peat did not cite any reviews of clinical trials and based most of his research on animal studies, amounting to ignoring the well-established scientific practice in science of using a [[hierarchy of evidence]].

===Nuts and seeds===
Peat argued that nuts and seeds are toxic to humans because they contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and plant chemicals which protect themselves from predators.<ref name="Nuts">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLGfr0gCztI Ray Peat on nuts, macadamia]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLk3LO_afVQ Ray Peat on eating seeds, tomato seeds, toxic effect of seeds]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiAAqEB1fjw Ray Peat on sprouted grains, toxic effects of seeds] by Ray Peat Clips (Dec 17, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> Peat said there is only one exception, the macadamia nut because it is higher in saturated fat.<ref name="Nuts"/> Despite what Peat believed, there is strong evidence from clinical trials and epidemiological studies that consumption of nuts and seeds (which are good sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids) improves the lipid profile and lowers the risk of atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9930735/ Nuts and seeds consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and their risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis] by Erik Kristoffer Arnesen et al. (2023) ''Food Nutr. Res.'' 67:10.29219/fnr.v67.8961. doi:10.29219/fnr.v67.8961.</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964942/ Nuts and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes: A Review of the Evidence and Future Directions] by Andrea J. Glenn et al. (2023) ''Nutrients'' 15(4):911. doi:10.3390/nu15040911.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36041171/ Consumption of Nuts and Seeds and Health Outcomes Including Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, Cancer, and Mortality: An Umbrella Review] by Rajiv Balakrishna et al. (2022) ''Adv. Nutr.'' 13(6):2136-2148. doi:10.1093/advances/nmac077.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30776978/ Nut Consumption in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus] by Gang Liu et al. (2019) ''Circ. Res.'' 124(6):920-929.
doi:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.118.314316.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35912883/ Walnut consumption and health outcomes with public health relevance-a systematic review of cohort studies and randomized controlled trials published from 2017 to present] by Stacey Lockyer et al. (2022) ''Nutr. Rev.'' 81(1):26-54. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuac040.</ref> A 2022 review noted that "there is a substantial amount of evidence that supports that consuming nuts will have a positive impact on primary and secondary prevention of CVD".<ref>[https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/4/911 Nuts and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes: A Review of the Evidence and Future Directions] by Andrea J. Glenn et al. (2023) ''Nutrients'' 15(4):911. doi:10.3390/nu15040911.</ref>

===Polyunsaturated fatty acids===
On his website, Peat embarrassed himself by trying to dispute the fact that polyunsaturated fats are essential fatty acids and argued they are "toxic" and cause atherosclerosis.<ref name="Quack"/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2EMk-pDtvc Ray Peat on PUFA link to atherosclerosis] by Ray Peat Clips (Apr 22, 2017) ''YouTube''.</ref> He was notorious for [[cherry-picking]] animal studies (mostly mice and rats), whilst ignoring all clinical research on humans.<ref name="Quack"/><ref>[http://raypeat.com/articles/nutrition/oils-in-context.shtml Oils in context] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref> The opposite of what Peat claimed is true. For example, clinical trials have shown that polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) improve blood lipids and reduce incidence of cardiovascular disease.<ref name="AMA">[https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510 Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association] by Frank M. Sacks et al. (2017) ''Circulation'' 136(3). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000510.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35795375/ Effects of ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Coronary Atherosclerosis and Inflammation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis] by Zheng Gao et al. (2022) ''Front. Cardiovasc. Med.'' 20:9:904250. doi:10.3389/fcvm.2022.904250.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34505026/ Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis] by Safi U. Khan et al. (2021) ''EClinicalMedicine'' 38:100997. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100997.</ref><ref>[https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3/full Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease] by Lee Hooper et al. (2020) ''Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews'' doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011737.pub3.</ref><ref>[https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/7/2421 Beneficial Outcomes of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Human Health: An Update for 2021] by Ivana Djuricic & Philip C. Calder (2021) ''Nutrients'' 13(7):2421. doi:10.3390/nu13072421.</ref> Similar to [[James DiNicolantonio]] and other [[conspiracy theorists]], Peat promoted the false idea that linoleic acid from vegetable oils is toxic to health.<ref name="Oils"/> In reality, clinical trials have shown that by lowering the intake of dietary saturated fat in the diet and and replacing it with polyunsaturated vegetable oil it can reduce CVD to around 30%.<ref name="AMA"/>

Peat claimed that the more polyunsaturated fat consumed in the diet the higher incidence of cancer there will be. Like all of his health claims, he failed to back this up with scientific evidence.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yI3MgxblD0 Ray Peat on more PUFA in the diet more cancer research] Ray Peat Clips (Nov 20, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> Few clinical trials have been done but epidemiological studies have found that marine omega-3 PUFA consumption is associated with a lower breast cancer risk and a lower mortality in patients with ovarian cancer.<ref>[https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3706 Intake of fish and marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of breast cancer: meta-analysis of data from 21 independent prospective cohort studies] by Ju-Sheng Zheng et al. (2013) ''BMJ'' 346:f3706. doi:10.1136/bmj.f3706.</ref><ref>[https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01635581.2020.1779321 Dietary Intake of N-3 and N-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Cancer: Meta-Analysis of Data from 32 Studies] by Jian Liu et al. (2021) ''Nutrition and Cancer'' 73(6). doi:901–913. doi:10.1080/01635581.2020.1779321.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35068276/ Dietary fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and cancer survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis] by Yi Wng (2023) ''Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr.'' 63(23):6235-6251.doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2029826.</ref>

===Coca Cola===
Peat defended Mexican Coca-Cola because it contains cane sugar rather than the [[high-fructose corn syrup]] of American Coca-Cola but there is no evidence that he consumed it personally.<ref name="Coke">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-PEJ9Uu50 Ray Peat's Defense of Mexican Coke (Sucrose, Coca Leaf, Caffeine)] Danny Rod Clips (Nov 2, 2020) ''YouTube''.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmRh7oaZgOg Ray Peat on Mexican coke, HCFS.] Ray Peat Clips (Jul 10, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> On his website, Peat said that Coca-Cola can be used to relieve hypoglycemia symptoms (this is one of the few things he got correct).<ref>[https://raypeat.com/articles/aging/eclampsia.shtml Eclampsia in the Real Organism: A Paradigm of General Distress Applicable in Infants, Adults, Etc.] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref>

===Orange juice===
Peat was a big fan of orange juice which he said is anti-estrogenic.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3zRPDWbjiw Ray Peat on orange juice being anti-estrogenic] Ray Peat Clips (Aug 27, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> He also claimed that orange juice is good because it raises people's cholesterol.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbqiSJha80c Ray Peat on how to increase cholesterol] Ray Peat Clips (Aug 28, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> There is not any evidence in the medical literature that shows orange juice consumption raises cholesterol. Studies have found the opposite, as it lowers LDL-c and total cholesterol.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3750609/ Long-term orange juice consumption is associated with low LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B in normal and moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects] by Nancy P. Aptekmann & Thais B. Cesar (2013) ''Lipids Health Dis.''12:119. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-12-119</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531710001818 Orange juice decreases low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic subjects and improves lipid transfer to high-density lipoprotein in normal and hypercholesterolemic subjects] by Thais B. Cesar et al. (2010) ''Nutrition Research'' 30(10):689-694. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2010.09.006.</ref> A 2022 review of clinical trials found that orange juice significantly reduces circulating total cholesterol levels.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34060162/ Effects of orange juice intake on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials] by Maryam Motallaei et al. (2021) ''Phytother. Res.'' 35(10):5427-5439. doi:10.1002/ptr.7173.</ref> Everything Peat said about foods should be fact-checked because in most cases he was entirely wrong in what he had claimed.

===Sucrose===
Peat argued that sucrose is a great therapeutic agent and could cure many diseases, including fatally injured animals and human patients in emergency wards. He said that there are stories of dying dogs, ducks, sheep and emergency room patients who were fed a mouthful of honey and all their symptoms miraculously disappeared.<ref name="Coke"/> He said that this convinced him that in an "emergency of any sort" a big dose of sucrose is "very important". Peat was unaware that honey only contains between 0-5% sucrose.<ref>[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169640/nutrients Honey] ''U.S. Department of Agriculture''..</ref><ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6218329/ Physical and chemical screening of honey samples available in the Saudi market: An important aspect in the authentication process and quality assessment] by Haya I. Aljohar et al. (2018) ''Saudi Pharm. J.'' 26(7):932–942. doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2018.04.013.</ref>

===Avocados===
Peat claimed that avocados are carcinogenic because they contain a lot of unsaturated fat.<ref name="Vegetables"/> Like all the other nonsense he spouted, he failed to back up this ridiculous claim with any scientific evidence.<ref name="Vegetables"/>

===Meat===
Peat said that beef and lamb are the best meats to eat because they are high in saturated fat and that chicken, pork and turkey should be avoided because they are high in unsaturated fat.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOOJhG0VXXw Ray Peat on the best meat to eat] Ray Peat Clips (Sep 14, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> He said he consumed chicken if the fat was trimmed off (see below).

===Macular degeneration===
{{cquote|Polyunsaturated fats which accumulate in the [[brain]] and retina damage [[mitochondria]].|||Ray Peat, nutcase.<ref name="Nutcase">[https://raypeat.com/articles/articles/aging-eyes.shtml Aging Eyes, Infant Eyes, and Excitable Tissues] (2006) ''Ray Peat''.</ref>}}

Peat who had bad eyesight and wore glasses for decades of his life claimed without providing any evidence that consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids in foods damages the retina and causes cataracts and macular degeneration.<ref name="Nutcase"/> The opposite is true as there is high-quality evidence that DHA and EPA reduce the risk of early-to-late macular degeneration.<ref>[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.15191 What did we learn in 35 years of research on nutrition and supplements for age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review] by Els M. Pameijer et al. (2022) ''Acta Ophthalmologica'' 100(8):e1541-e1552. doi:10.1111/aos.15191.</ref>

High levels of DHA are present in the retina, specifically in the disk membranes of the outer segments of photoreceptor cells.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11888/ Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Eye Health: Summary] by W. Hodge et al. (2005) ''AHRQ Evidence Report Summaries''.</ref> DHA is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain and the retina, representing about 7.7% and 60%, respectively, of omega-3 fatty acids.<ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163725823001018 Measuring brain docosahexaenoic acid turnover as a marker of metabolic consumption] by Brinley J. Klievik et al. (2023) ''Pharmacology & Therapeutics'' 248:108437. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108437.</ref><ref>[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7601701/ Efficient Enrichment of Retinal DHA with Dietary Lysophosphatidylcholine-DHA: Potential Application for Retinopathies] by Dhavamani Sugasini  et al. (2020) ''Nutrients'' 12(10):3114. doi:10.3390/nu12103114.</ref> There is not any evidence in the medical literature that consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA in foods or supplements causes cataracts or oxidative damage to the retina.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024720/ The Eye, Oxidative Damage and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids] by Sergio Claudio Saccà et al. (2018) ''Nutrients'' 10(6):668. doi:10.3390/nu10060668.</ref>

Peat was wrong about polyunsaturated fats damaging the mitochondria. A 2017 review concluded "a great body of evidences obtained from experimental studies shows the promising role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on mitochondrial function and dynamics".<ref>[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224416306045 Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and mitochondria, back to the future] by Marcos Roberto de Oliveira (2017) ''Trends in Food Science & Technology'' 67:76-92. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2017.06.019.</ref>

===Brain size===
Peat claimed that polyunsaturated fats can reduce brain size at birth.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20240109094058/https://twitter.com/RayPeatQuotes/status/1622748474910310401 The factors that are known to reduce the brain size at birth are also factors that are involved in the degenerating brain in old age or Alzheimer's disease: lack of oxygen, excess PUFA or deficiency of saturated fats, estrogen excess, progesterone deficiency, and lack of glucose.] by Ray Peat Quotes (4:06 PM · Feb 6, 2023) ''Twitter'' (archived from January 9, 2024).</ref> There is no evidence for this in the medical literature. Lower PUFA concentrations in fetal life are associated with less brain volume in childhood.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33742211/ Maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids during pregnancy and offspring brain development in childhood] by Runyu Zou et al. (2021) ''Am. J. Clin. Nutr.'' 114(1):124-133. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqab049.</ref>

===Diabetes===
{{cquote|Diabetes is just one of the "terminal" diseases that can be caused by the polyunsaturated vegetable oils.|||Ray Peat, talking out of his arse.<ref>[https://archive.ph/pts2D The PUFAs are universally toxic to the energy producing system, and act as a "misleading signal" channeling cellular adaptation down certain self-defeating pathways. Diabetes is just one of the "terminal" diseases that can be caused by the polyunsaturated vegetable oils.] by Ray Peat Quotes (12:24 PM · Jan 18, 20230 ''Twitter'' (archived from 5 May 2025 05:04:51 UTC).</ref>}}

Contrary to what Peat claimed, there is no reliable evidence in the medical literature that polyunsaturated fats in vegetable oils cause diabetes.<ref>[https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003347 Intake of dietary fats and fatty acids and the incidence of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies] by Manuela Neuenschwander et al. (2020) ''PLoS Medicine'' doi:doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003347.</ref> A review of clinical trials found that PUFA supplementation has no effect on diabetes or glucose metabolism.<ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31434641/ Omega-3, omega-6, and total dietary polyunsaturated fat for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials] by Tracey J. Brown et al. (2019) ''BMJ'' 366:l4697. doi:10.1136/bmj.l4697.</ref> Another review suggested that plant-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids offer a "protective effect of total PUFA or omega-6 PUFA on diabetes risk in non-diabetic populations".<ref>[https://drc.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000585 Plant-derived polyunsaturated fatty acids and markers of glucose metabolism and insulin resistance: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled feeding trials] by Anne J. Wanders et al. (2019) ''BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care'' 7:e000585. doi:10.1136/bmjdrc-2018-000585.</ref>

===Tobacco===
{{main|Tobacco smoking}}
Peat argued that tobacco lowers incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
{{cquote|People who take aspirin, drink [[coffee]], and use tobacco, have a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than people who don’t use those things.|||Ray Peat getting his facts wrong.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230130144242/https://twitter.com/RayPeatQuotes/status/1619715489629880321 People who take aspirin, drink coffee, and use tobacco, have a much lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease than people who don’t use those things.] by Ray Peat Quotes (3:14 PM · Jan 29, 2023) ''Twitter'' (archived from January 30, 2024).</ref>}}

There is strong evidence that smoking increases Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk.<ref name="American Heart Association">[https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/07/06/smoking-harms-the-brain-raises-dementia-risk-but-not-if-you-quit Smoking harms the brain, raises dementia risk – but not if you quit] by Laura Williamson (July 6, 2021) ''American Heart Association News''.</ref><ref>[https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/smoking-and-dementia Smoking and Dementia] (November 2021) ''Action on Smoking and Health''.</ref><ref>[https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission] by Gill Livingston et al. (2020) ''The Lancet'' 396(10248):413-446. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6.</ref> Overall, systematic reviews have estimated that smoking increases risk of dementia by 30% and Alzheimer's disease by 40% respectively.<ref name="American Heart Association"/><ref>[https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118333 Smoking Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies with Investigation of Potential Effect Modifiers] by Guochao Zhong et al. (2015) ''PloS One'' doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0118333.</ref><ref>[https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/managing-the-risk-of-dementia/reduce-your-risk-of-dementia/smoking Smoking and the risk of dementia] (August 2024) ''Alzheimer's Society''.</ref><ref>[https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-smoking-and-dementia All you need to know about smoking and dementia] by Katie Puckering (January 13, 2020) ''Alzheimer's Research UK''.</ref> This is another case of Peat having no idea what he was talking about.

==The Ray Peat diet==
{{cquote|Ray Peat said that the soluble fiber in oats caused cancer. I am noticing Ray Peat contradicts himself on many of his positions. One day he says something and the next day he changes his mind.|||A pissed off Ray Peat follower noticing Peat's dietary contradictions after cs diet.<ref name="Ray Peat Forum">[https://lowtoxinforum.com/threads/march-23-2022-one-radio-network.45690/#post-786634 Ray Peat said that the soluble fiber in oats caused cancer. I am noticing Ray Peat contradicts himself on many of his positions. One day he says something and the next day he changes his mind. Ray said that the red light was very beneficial for health, but in an interview with Danny Roddy he said that it could cause cancer. The same thing happened with Methylene Blue that after having said good things, in other interviews he had said that it is very toxic. Also Ray Peat said that he had grown taller when he was taking DHEA, but then changed his mind and said it was while he was taking thyroid.] Ray Peat Interview March 23 2022 - One Radio Network. Comment by Abmartich (Mar 24, 2022) ''Low Toxin Forum''.</ref>}}

Ray Peat said that everyday he normally ate gelatinous tail ({{IdEst}} {{wpl|oxtail}}}} or chicken soup (with all the fat trimmed off) and would also drink up to a gallon of [[milk]].<ref name="Diet">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSlgnvswjdU Ray Peat on what he normally eats] Ray Peat Clips (Dec 17, 2016) ''YouTube''.</ref> He would eat one large egg a day, fried in butter. He also drank 1 pint of orange juice and once a week would eat liver and oysters.<ref name="Diet"/> His diet also included ice cream and a large amount of coconut oil.<ref name="Coconut oil"/> That was it. Peat's diet was extremely bland and restricted. He said he did not eat grains, legumes, nuts or seeds. However, Peat later confessed to eating oatmeal and oat bran.<ref name="Interview"/> This has confused and pissed off some of his fanatical followers.<ref name="Ray Peat Forum"/>

Because his diet was restricted, his followers have created large lists of foods that one can eat on the "Ray Peat diet", however, there is no evidence that Peat actually ate these foods. For example, a Ray Peat diet list has bananas and many other fruits on it but there is no evidence he consumed these.<ref>[https://archive.ph/FUg0S Ray Peat Sample Diet] by Pamela Hasse, ''Instagram'' (archived from 14 Mar 2023 22:26:40 UTC).</ref>

===Ray Peat Forum===
The Ray Peat Forum is a crazy forum for alt-righters, [[crackpot]]s and science-haters who promote all kinds of irrational [[conspiracy theories]] about nutrition. They have a thread about this [[RationalWiki]] article.<ref>[https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/ray-peat-labeled-quack-for-white-supremacists.49790/ Ray Peat labeled 'quack for white supremacists'] by VanRay (Mar 12, 2023) ''Low Tox Forum''.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Eric Berg]]
*[[Hierarchy of evidence]]
*[[Paul Saladino]]

==External links==
*[https://raypeat.com/ Raypeat.com]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peat, Ray}}
[[Category:Biologists]]
[[Category:Cholesterol and statin denialists]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Food woo promoters]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:War on science]]

Categories: Biologists, Cholesterol and statin denialists, Conspiracy theorists, Food woo promoters, Pseudoscience promoters, War on science