Peat Archive

Ray Peat's concept of stress extends far beyond the popular understanding of 'feeling stressed.' Drawing on Hans Selye's work, Peat described stress as any factor that shifts the body away from efficient oxidative metabolism toward emergency, adaptive responses. These responses — involving cortisol, adrenaline, serotonin, estrogen, and prostaglandins — are protective in the short term but destructive when chronic. Peat argued that modern life imposes constant low-grade stress through poor diet (PUFAs, starch, inadequate protein), hormonal imbalances, light deprivation, and environmental toxins.

The stress response in Peat's framework involves a cascade: inadequate fuel supply → cortisol and adrenaline release → free fatty acid mobilization → suppressed thyroid function → shift toward glycolysis → lactic acid production → further stress. Breaking this cycle requires addressing nutrition, thyroid function, and hormonal balance simultaneously.