Peat Archive

Ray Peat promoted gelatin (and its parent protein, collagen) as a counterbalance to the excess muscle meat in modern diets. He noted that muscle meat is high in tryptophan and cysteine — amino acids that promote serotonin and suppress thyroid function — while gelatin is rich in glycine and proline, which have anti-inflammatory, liver-protective, and sleep-supportive properties.

Peat recommended incorporating gelatin or bone broth into the diet, noting that traditional cuisines naturally balanced muscle meat with connective tissue and organ meats. He suggested that glycine (the primary amino acid in gelatin) opposes the inflammatory effects of methionine and tryptophan, and that gelatin can improve sleep quality, reduce joint inflammation, and support healthy skin.