Peat Archive

Coconut oil holds a special place in Ray Peat's dietary recommendations. Its medium-chain fatty acids (lauric, capric, caprylic acid) are metabolized differently from long-chain fats — they are absorbed directly into the portal vein and rapidly oxidized by the liver, boosting metabolic rate without the storage and peroxidation problems of PUFAs. Peat was one of the earliest health advocates for coconut oil, decades before it became mainstream.

Peat recommended coconut oil as the primary cooking fat, noting that it is extremely stable at high temperatures (resistant to oxidation), supports thyroid function, has antimicrobial properties (lauric acid), and can help displace stored PUFAs from tissues over time.