Peat Archive

In stark contrast to mainstream dietary advice, Ray Peat argued that sugar — particularly the combination of glucose and fructose found in fruits, honey, and white sugar — is fundamentally supportive of healthy metabolism. He distinguished sharply between sugar and starch, noting that fructose has unique liver-protective and metabolic-supporting properties that starch lacks.

Peat based his position on extensive physiological evidence: sugar supports thyroid function, suppresses cortisol and adrenaline stress hormones, provides direct fuel for the brain, supports liver glycogen stores, and reduces the liberation of free fatty acids from stored fat. He argued that the anti-sugar crusade is largely driven by the vegetable oil and grain industries, and that epidemiological data actually show sugar consumption correlating with lower rates of diabetes and heart disease when confounding factors are controlled.