Email: Q and A

(Credit goes to the late Peatarian forum and Danny Roddy)

The collection of e-mail responses below are (supposed to be) from Ray Peat. They were originally collected by Danny Roddy in 2012, more e-mails were added later on. It is possible that some false e-mails were circulated by some, the authenticity is not a guarantee.

Acacia Gum

[On Acacia Powder/Acacia Gum/Gum Arabic] Yes, acacia gum is very allergenic. It has taken me two or three weeks to get over symptoms from it, when I accidentally got it in a food. But other irritating foods might keep the symptoms going, so it's good to watch for changes with different foods.

Acetaminophen

[Reaction to Excedrin] Yes, although the aspirin and caffeine help to detoxify acetaminophen.Acne Have you tried anything topical, such as sulfur, or an antibiotic such as minocycline? 10% sulfur soap leaves an antiseptic residue on the skin that can prevent infection.

I think it would be good to try the sulfur soap first.

[sulfur soap] The simple ones are what I use; I haven't tried one with salicylic acid.

(Is it okay to shower twice a day and use sulfur soap?) The sulfur lingers on the skin for at least a day. It can leave you fairly smelly.

[Can flowers of sulfur taken internally help with acne? Would minocycline also help?] Either of them can help, but with prolonged use the intestine can develop sensitivity to the sulfur. causing irritation instead of stopping it.

(Alcohol)

Have you ever had a thyroid test or tried a thyroid supplement? High serotonin activity is often present in hypothyroidism, and alcohol can probably provide temporary compensation for that.

Small amounts of alcohol can have some good antioxidant effects, but beer, wine, and dark whiskey, etc., contain enough estrogen to be harmful.

People have very different reactions to it, probably depending on thyroid activity. It can have an antioxidant effect, but it can also cause hypoglycemia with pro-oxidative effects. If a person eats polyunsaturated fats, alcohol is more likely to cause oxidative reactions between iron and the fats.

[WODKA] No, it is likely to increase the absorption.

Heavy drinking inhibits cellular respiration and sets up an inflammatory process, involving iron, which will still be harmful, but less so than in the presence of PUFA. If absolutely none of the dietary PUFA were in the body, no one really knows what that metabolic stress would do, maybe nothing cumulative.

Alice in Wonderland / Todd's Syndrome I have experienced that; I suspect that it has to do with the depletion of brain energy, and endotoxin and serotonin (and fever) are good candidates for causes.

Alliums (garlic & onions)

Raw, they do have some germicidal effects, sometimes improving intestinal function. The effect depends on the nature of an individual's intestinal flora.

It's about as hard on the stomach as on the germs.

Aloe Vera

A milliliter of real aloe juice is a strong laxative, and unless it's dried it doesn't last without preservatives. I doubt that it would be useful.