Peat Archive

Ray Peat argued that cholesterol is not a villain but a vital protective substance that the body produces for good reason. He noted that cholesterol is the precursor to all steroid hormones (progesterone, pregnenolone, DHEA, cortisol, testosterone), vitamin D, and bile acids. When thyroid function declines, the body's ability to convert cholesterol into these essential substances diminishes, causing cholesterol to accumulate in the blood — a sign of hypothyroidism, not of dietary excess.

Peat was highly critical of statin drugs, arguing that lowering cholesterol reduces the body's ability to produce protective hormones and has been associated with increased rates of cancer, depression, violent behavior, and death from non-cardiac causes. He recommended thyroid optimization as the proper way to normalize cholesterol levels.