Peat Archive

Ray Peat's views on insulin and diabetes challenge the low-carb consensus. He argued that insulin resistance is not caused by sugar consumption but by the anti-metabolic effects of polyunsaturated fats, which interfere with glucose oxidation at the cellular level. When cells cannot efficiently burn glucose (due to PUFA damage to mitochondria), insulin must work harder to push glucose into cells — this is insulin resistance.

Peat noted that Type 2 diabetes correlates more strongly with PUFA consumption than with sugar intake, and that therapeutic approaches focusing on sugar restriction often worsen the underlying metabolic problem by increasing reliance on fat oxidation and stress hormones. He recommended supporting glucose oxidation through thyroid hormone, saturated fats, and adequate carbohydrate intake.