Progesterone and Progestins
199 associated posts. These are attributed summaries; original text remains at the linked X post and in the local archive.
- @lowmegatron · 2025-09-30 original
Author posts extended Ray Peat quotations linking schizophrenia to stress, hormonal stress, serotonin, estrogen dominance from hypothyroidism, lipid peroxidation, low energy metabolism and poor sleep. A shared NTFabiano post calls the menstrual cycle an overlooked vital sign in mental health.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-09-30 original
Author shares a Ray Peat quotation that mink embryo implantation is delayed until spring, when progesterone rises and supplies the oxygen needed for implantation, while estrogen and serotonin lower intrauterine oxygen.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-09-30 original
Author reports that female rats take more cocaine than males and that progesterone reduces cocaine use in females in some contexts. A quoted excerpt says progesterone alone reduced reinstatement only in females, while progesterone plus atomoxetine reduced it in both sexes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-02 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying that in the 1930s thyroid removal raised blood cholesterol and thyroid supplementation lowered it. He says thyroid promotes conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone and progesterone. The embedded metabolicwave post is a Ray Peat clip on the cholesterol-lowering effect of thyroid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-07 original
The author summarizes Ray Peat's comments on endotoxin from leaky gut. The summary covers links to aging, stress, cancer, inflammation, thyroid, estrogen and cholesterol, plus dietary and other factors said to raise or lower endotoxin effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-09 original
Author cites a case-control study abstract reporting about 2x thyroid cancer risk associated with dental X-rays, and adds a sarcastic remark that X-rays were once called safe and are now safer because doses are lower. The quoted post relays Ray Peat's views on avoiding unnecessary X-rays and on nutrients, hormones, coffee and red light as protective around X-rays.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-12 original
The author lists substances and practices that he claims lower or block serotonin, including aspirin, L-theanine, thiamine, glycine, taurine, T3, ginger, cyproheptadine, vitamin E, magnesium, DHEA, progesterone, testosterone/DHT, lysine, and avoiding seed oils. The quoted context is a Ray Peat line about serotonin overproduction and hibernation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-14 original
The post quotes Ray Peat recalling Hungarian data on hundreds of thousands of women, in which lifespan rose with number of babies up to eight. He attributes this to residual higher progesterone offsetting the pro-aging effects of estrogen.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-15 original
Ray Peat quote recounting second-hand anecdotes that children born to mothers given progesterone did precocious things, including a four-year-old's notebook story.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-16 original
The author lists supplements, foods and habits they say protect against polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and seed oil effects. The lists cover reducing lipid peroxidation, lowering free fatty acids and supporting glucuronidation and sulfation. The author also advises eating mostly saturated fats and avoiding high-PUFA oils. The embedded lowmegatron post has an overlapping saturated fat/PUFA list plus a note on olive oil.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-16 original
The author states that blocking the glucocorticoid receptor lowers glucose and insulin in obese, diabetic mice, and that receptor activation raises free fatty acids. They list interventions said to help lower cortisol. The embedded lowmegatron post quotes a suggestion that coffee's anti-diabetic effect involves inhibiting 11β-HSD1.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-17 original
The author asks whether psychiatry wastes time using GABA agonist drugs for anxiety and disorders that are energetic in origin. A Ray Peat quotation replies they can be useful for a day or two for rest. The embedded lowmegatron post quotes Peat linking schizophrenia to stress, hypothyroidism, estrogen/serotonin, lipid peroxidation and low energy metabolism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-23 original
Author claims negative ion generators lower serotonin and histamine, and that oceans and waterfalls naturally produce negative ions. Bullets and a Ray Peat quote say positive ions raise serotonin and negative ions reduce brain serotonin and histamine. The embedded lowmegatron post lists substances and practices said to lower or block serotonin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-10-26 original
The author shares a Ray Peat quotation saying that reabsorption of estrogen from a sluggish, bacteria-altered intestine (said to always occur in hypothyroidism) raises systemic estrogen and stresses the liver. Peat is quoted as saying an antibiotic or a daily raw carrot can lower estrogen and cortisol and raise progesterone. The quoted X post is a list of foods and lifestyle items followed by a Erling Haaland description.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-01 original
The post reproduces a long Ray Peat passage claiming caffeine and coffee are protective and nutrient-like, with effects on the thyroid, liver, cancer, progesterone, Parkinson's disease, iron and cell death. An embedded post from lowmegatron cites a prospective cohort study linking higher coffee intake to lower gout risk.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-06 original
The post shares a Ray Peat quotation on minimizing the harmful effects of serotonin through diet, light and specific agents. The quoted lowmegatron post lists compounds and practices said to lower or block serotonin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-09 original
The author lists claimed effects of high prolactin, its claimed causes (stress, serotonin, hypothyroidism, low zinc, seed oils, etc.) and things he says may lower it (zinc, DHT, coffee, aspirin, bright light, progesterone, thyroid optimization, etc.).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-10 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants increase prolactin and were found to cause osteoporosis after prolonged use. The embedded lowmegatron post lists symptoms attributed to high prolactin, causes of high prolactin, and factors said to lower it.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-10 original
The post quotes Ray Peat on pregnenolone, progesterone, vitamin D and calcium for concussion after-effects. It pairs this with a quoted abstract of a progesterone trial in acute severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) reporting better neurologic outcomes versus placebo.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-11 original
The post claims aspirin can boost dopamine and may help in Parkinson's. It says aspirin increases tyrosine hydroxylase, which is needed to make dopamine, and that this was shown in lab-grown brain cells and live mice. The embedded lowmegatron post lists substances and practices claimed to lower or block serotonin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-12 original
The author claims polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic and arachidonic acid interfere with vitamin D binding to DBP, while saturated fats do not. The embedded lowmegatron post lists strategies to protect against seed oils and polyunsaturated fats, including supplements, foods and fats to eat or avoid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-14 original
Post quotes Ray Peat on atrial fibrillation: vitamins D, K and calcium stabilize heart rhythm, estrogen promotes hyperventilation and AF tendency, progesterone opposes it, thyroid helps cells retain magnesium, and milk, orange juice and seafood supply stabilizing minerals.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-17 original
The author asks whether vitamin A deficiency severe enough to cause dandruff and acne could also cause anxiety. They cite a Ray Peat quote that it could, because vitamin A is needed to make pregnenolone and progesterone. A bracketed note, apparently the author's own, says retinoic acid upregulates StAR, and that without enough StAR cholesterol delivery and pregnenolone synthesis fall.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-17 original
The author quotes Ray Peat saying that with insufficient cholesterol the high postpartum progesterone is unlikely to be maintained, and that pro-inflammatory effects of serotonin and estrogen then predominate, causing depression, joint pain, anxiety and brain edema. The author adds that postpartum depression drugs (brexanolone, zuranolone) relate to allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite. They also lay out the cholesterol-to-allopregnanolone pathway and note its dependence on T3 and vitamin A. They cite a postpartum cholesterol and mood study (PMID 8845727). The embedded lowmegatron post quotes a thyroid study on T3, TSH and depression (PMID 9971866).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-18 original
Post quotes Ray Peat saying acetazolamide, caffeine, thyroid and progesterone stimulate respiration and help sleep apnea, that thyroid is the main regulator of respiration, and that obstructive apnea is probably the same condition as other apnea. It pairs this with a quoted conclusion from a systematic review and meta-analysis of acetazolamide for obstructive and central sleep apnea.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-18 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying T3 is the best thing for controlling serotonin's effects and criticizing serotonin as a 'happy hormone' consensus view. The embedded lowmegatron post argues that low cholesterol postpartum may contribute to depression, and that allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, is used for postpartum depression and can be raised by progesterone or pregnenolone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-20 original
Author states that progesterone and allopregnanolone reduce learned helplessness, an animal model analogous to depression, and that learned helplessness is characterized by increased brain serotonin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-21 original
Author lists conditions said to be caused by bacterial endotoxin entering the bloodstream in leaky gut, then lists nutrients, drugs, foods and lifestyle factors said to reduce endotoxin or its inflammatory effects. The embedded post claims pregnenolone curbs alcohol cravings partly through TLR4 inhibition.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-21 original
The post author says endotoxin raises cortisol and that chronically elevated cortisol can cause low testosterone, weight gain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and depression. They quote a human endotoxin-administration study reporting dose-related rises in inflammatory markers, cortisol and norepinephrine. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron says blocking the glucocorticoid receptor lowers glucose and insulin in obese diabetic mice. It also lists many things it says help lower cortisol.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-22 original
Author describes a case report of a woman whose manic symptoms after gastrectomy for obesity reportedly resolved within two weeks on 1 g/day activated charcoal, with a quoted mechanism proposing a brain–gut axis. The embedded lowmegatron post claims bacterial endotoxin from leaky gut causes many conditions and lists interventions said to help with endotoxin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-22 original
Author shares a Ray Peat quotation describing his own experience with desiccated thyroid, which he says brought pleasure and a wish to smile. He also describes suicidal women using thyroid or progesterone, who he says changed from weeping to smiling within hours. The embedded lowmegatron post claims depression is a low-brain-energy state that can be caused by low thyroid hormone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-22 original
The author shares Ray Peat's statement that thyroid hormone raises energy, the CO2/lactate ratio, brain temperature and the progesterone-to-estrogen ratio. A second quotation, not attributed in the retrieved text, calls lactate necessary for carcinogenesis. The author then argues CO2 itself has anticancer effects, citing Japanese rodent experiments in which transcutaneous CO2 treated human cancer xenografts. The quoted post from doctorinigo presents a lactate 'Lactagenesis' hypothesis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-22 original
The author shares an anonymous Facebook comment, posted with permission, describing a couple's reported results from T3 thyroid hormone. The commenter reports resolution of calcification/sclerosis, myxedema, psoriasis, PMDD and high cholesterol, among other changes. The quoted post from lowmegatron discusses high-dose T4 in bipolar depression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-24 original
The author explains how menstrual-cycle timing affects basal temperature testing for thyroid status. They say hormonal birth control and HRT make the Barnes basal-temperature test unreliable. They quote Broda Barnes on using basal temperature to guide thyroid treatment and on the test's limits.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-25 original
The author argues that hormones, especially estrogens, shape Candida growth and virulence, using a series of study excerpts. The excerpts say estrogen promotes Candida albicans virulence and immune evasion while progesterone reduces virulence factors. The author notes this is mostly relevant to vaginal candidiasis, not white tongue or GI overgrowth. The embedded post quotes Ray Peat on sugar, yeast, low thyroid and digestion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-25 original
The author claims much mental illness begins in the gut because bacterial endotoxin poisons mitochondria and leaky gut lets more endotoxin into circulation. They quote a systematic review and meta-analysis on gut dysbiosis markers in severe mental illness and chronic fatigue. They then list nutrients, foods and other factors they say reduce endotoxin or endotoxin-driven inflammation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-26 original
The author lists nutrients, foods and other factors they say can help with high histamine, including correcting hypothyroidism and estrogen dominance. The embedded post from lowmegatron introduces a thread on histamine hacks and lists conditions in which histamine is implicated.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-26 original
The post pairs a Ray Peat quote saying slight hypothyroidism commonly causes chronic urinary infections, because thyroid hormone and progesterone support IgA and reduce histamine resistance. It then quotes a case report of a woman with recurrent urinary tract infections and slightly raised TSH who had no recurrence for 10 months after levothyroxine 25 mcg.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-28 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying hypothyroidism raises estrogen and nitric oxide and lowers serum osmolarity, and that several agents can correct the fluid imbalance in Ménière's disease. It adds a quoted paper excerpt associating thyroid diseases with Ménière's. The embedded earlier post gives study abstracts on thyroid hormone use, pregnancy and the menstrual cycle in Ménière's disease.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-28 original
The post excerpts a case report of a 54-year-old hypothyroid woman with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation whose palpitations and AF episodes reportedly improved after 6 weeks of levothyroxine. It notes that hypothyroidism may contribute to arrhythmia and that excess thyroid hormone also causes Afib. The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) gives a Ray Peat quote on nutrients and hormones affecting atrial fibrillation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-29 original
The post claims rosacea and other skin conditions are often due to gut events, citing a Ray Peat quote on bacterial endotoxin and a case report of rosacea remission after reduced bowel transit time. The embedded quoted post (lowmegatron) lists conditions attributed to endotoxin from leaky gut and a long list of substances said to help with endotoxin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-30 own thread
lowmegatron lists factors he claims help control endotoxin. These include optimizing T3, coffee (including decaf), a low omega-6 diet, vitamin C, aspirin, fixing sleep and circadian disorganization, activated charcoal, naringenin, benfotiamine, glycine, aged cascara sagrada, cooked mushrooms, progesterone, pregnenolone and zinc.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-11-30 original
The author says Ceylon cinnamon was their most useful supplement for regular migraine and they still use a little daily. They summarize a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of cinnamon 600mg three times daily for 2 months, which reported reduced migraine frequency, severity, duration, IL-6 and nitric oxide. They also say keeping blood sugar up, optimizing T3 and raising progesterone relative to estrogen are usually most important.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 own thread
lowmegatron says progesterone minimizes estrogen-induced prolactin and has anti-serotonin effects. He quotes a source saying progesterone is converted to 5α-DHP in the pituitary, which inhibits estrogen-induced prolactin release similarly to progesterone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 original
The author argues that polyester on the genitals affects fertility, citing dog, rat and human studies with quoted excerpts showing reduced sperm, low progesterone and failed conception, largely reversible after removal. The embedded lowmegatron post says polyester underwear makes men infertile and shrinks the testicles, and quotes an electrostatic field theory.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-02 original
Author says thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO) are higher in women with melasma and higher still in severe cases, and that estrogen may be involved. Author quotes papers on estrogen and autoimmune thyroid disease and on sex steroid regulation of melanin synthesis via GPER and PAQR7, plus quotes from Ray Peat and Hippocrates. The embedded quoted post claims light is the most effective treatment for Hashimoto's.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-03 original
Author states hypothyroidism is a cause of hyperpigmentation, supported by a Ray Peat quote linking melasma to estrogen excess, energy depletion and thyroid function, and a case report of pigmentation improving after levothyroxine. The author's 🙄 appears to express skepticism about the case report's "no apparent clinical symptoms" wording. The embedded quoted post is the earlier melasma/thyroid antibody post.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-05 original
The author quotes Ray Peat on light, winter sickness and estrogen dominance. Peat claims a lack of bright light causes progesterone deficiency, leaving estrogen and prolactin unopposed. He also links this to unsaturated fats and tryptophan and says thyroid supplement needs can be four times higher in December than in July.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-08 original
The post quotes Ray Peat saying a few doses of progesterone can shift the balance, activating the thyroid and liver and stabilizing blood sugar so glucose is available for T4-to-T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-09 original
The post says birth control pill use is associated with higher hypothyroidism risk, rising with duration. It cites a study of 5116 women in which use over 10 years had OR 3.837. The embedded lowmegatron post quotes Ray Peat on fiber, bowel function and estrogen clearance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-11 original
The post quotes Ray Peat on accumulated unstable fats making endotoxin exposure more inflammatory and stressing the lipid-rich brain with age. The embedded quote, from lowmegatron, lists conditions attributed to endotoxin from leaky gut and a long list of nutrients, drugs and habits said to help.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-12 original
Author describes brexanolone, an IV allopregnanolone treatment for postpartum depression costing $30-40,000, and notes allopregnanolone is downstream of pregnenolone and progesterone. The post quotes Ray Peat on progesterone's conversion to allopregnanolone and mood effects. It also quotes a paper (PMID 32250509) hypothesizing that oral progesterone could raise allopregnanolone and relieve postpartum depression at far lower cost, with further studies needed.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-15 original
The author says people with liver cirrhosis cannot make adequate T3, that most T3 is made outside the thyroid, and that some tissue-produced T3 is invisible to blood tests. They quote a study reporting lower serum and urinary T3 in cirrhosis. The embedded post (lowmegatron) quotes Ray Peat on progesterone and T4-to-T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-16 original
The post quotes Ray Peat on using flowers of sulfur topically or by mouth for yeast, with raw carrot and herbs as alternatives. The embedded lowmegatron post presents excerpts saying estrogen promotes Candida albicans growth and virulence while progesterone may reduce it, noting this mostly concerns vaginal candidiasis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-21 original
The posting account quotes Ray Peat that thyroid and magnesium are often needed to normalize mitochondria and prevent calcification, and clarifies that 'thyroid' here means T3. The embedded post by lowmegatron shares a Facebook commenter's anecdote of many reported improvements after switching to T3.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-22 original
The author cites a paper suggesting that stress-related high histamine combined with vitamin C depletion damages arterial endothelium and predisposes to atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction. The author lists agents said to help lower histamine, depending on context, and common causes of elevated histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 original
The author explains the Broda Barnes basal temperature test as a proxy for basal metabolic rate and thyroid hormone (T3) activity. They describe how to measure it and cite the normal values. They list factors that can make it unreliable, including birth control pills, HRT and menstrual cycle timing. The embedded post by lowmegatron describes a myxedema coma case report with subclinical hypothyroidism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 own thread
lowmegatron claims birth control pills and HRT override natural hormonal fluctuations. He argues that Barnes's basal-temperature test therefore cannot reliably reflect thyroid status in pill or HRT users, because the early-follicular temperature trough is abolished or replaced by an elevated or erratic baseline.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-29 original
Post quotes Ray Peat saying progesterone raises body temperature while estrogen lowers it via nitric oxide and vasodilation, and that hot flashes reflect estrogen imbalance relative to progesterone. It adds an excerpt from a paper on menstrual-cycle temperature regulation. An embedded lowmegatron post quotes Peat saying a few progesterone doses can shift balance and aid T4-to-T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2025-12-30 original
The post quotes Ray Peat's anecdotes that progesterone or pregnenolone revived old horses and dogs. The author adds that these hormones lower CRH/ACTH, that excess cortisol accelerates aging, and that photos show a dog treated for Cushing's syndrome. The embedded post (lowmegatron) discusses thyroid hormone, lactate and CO2, and rodent data on transcutaneous CO2 against human tumor xenografts.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-04 original
The author claims estrogen increases cocaine use and progesterone decreases it. The support is a quoted review abstract (rat literature) on 17β-estradiol, progesterone and allopregnanolone in cocaine-related behaviours. A Ray Peat quotation also describes estrogen as excitatory, progesterone as calming, and T3 and progesterone as mutually reinforcing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-06 original
The author says Buteyko breathing can help with asthma, quoting a Buteyko Breathing Technique paper reporting reduced inhaled steroid and beta2-agonist use. They then give a long Ray Peat quotation linking thyroid function, CO2, lactic acid, adrenaline, endotoxin and nitric oxide to hyperventilation and asthma inflammation. The embedded quote, from lowmegatron, is another Ray Peat passage on protective CO2.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-06 original
The author lists common causes of elevated histamine (such as high estrogen, endotoxin, hypothyroidism and nutrient deficiencies) and conditions in which histamine is implicated. They list things that 'can help', including vitamin E, progesterone, lidocaine, magnesium, l-theanine, thiamine, DAO and vitamin C. The embedded quoted post from lowmegatron opens a thread on 'histamine hacks' and lists the same implicated conditions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-06 original
The author quotes Ray Peat saying very bright incandescent light restores mitochondrial enzymes governed by thyroid hormone. Peat also claims lack of bright light causes progesterone deficiency, leaving estrogen and prolactin unopposed. The quoted context is the author's own post about a 500-watt halogen work light.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-08 original
Ray Peat states progesterone antagonizes effects of estrogen, cortisol, and aldosterone, which interfere with glucose oxidation. Embedded post discusses thyroid hormone T3, depression, glucose oxidation, and inadequacy of TSH/T4 testing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-09 original
Estrogen increases pain by elevating serotonin through a gut-based pathway involving bacterial metabolites and L cells. Multiple papers cited showing serotonin's role in various types of chronic pain and its amplification mechanisms. Ray Peat quote on estrogen increasing serotonin and postpartum complications.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-09 original
Salamanders regenerate limbs while adult frogs do not; electrical polarity difference tracks this capacity. Progesterone-loaded silk hydrogel device applied for 24 hours to frog amputation site initiates blastema formation and regeneration, suggesting reactivation of intrinsic regenerative ability. Two PMIDs cited with extensive mechanism details.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-10 original
Daily carrot consumption may produce hormonal shifts similar to antibiotic therapy: lowering cortisol and estrogen while raising progesterone, through bacterial modulation of liver detoxification in low-thyroid individuals with sluggish digestion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-10 own thread
lowmegatron quotes Ray Peat saying that in women and rats antibiotics lowered estrogen and cortisol and raised progesterone. Peat attributes this to the liver's improved ability to inactivate estrogen and maintain blood sugar when endotoxin stress fell, and suggests diets that reduce intestinal toxin production.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-10 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a paper by A. Toth reporting six case histories in which long-term antibiotic therapy corrected luteal phase defect and relieved premenstrual symptoms. Prolactin fell and progesterone rose, one case of secondary amenorrhoea reversed, and four patients with long-standing infertility conceived within months.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-11 original
Estrogen increases pain through serotonin-dependent pathways. Chronic pain perpetuates itself via serotonin signaling that hyperactivates TRPV1 receptors in the trigeminal nerve, amplifying nociceptive responses. Estrogen, serotonin, and inadequate postpartum cholesterol confluence promotes inflammation and pain.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-11 original
Four infertile patients conceived within months after completing long-term antibiotic therapy, consistent with antibiotic correction of luteal phase defects and hormonal dysregulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-12 original
The author claims low thyroid hormone can lower androgens, neurosteroids and other steroids derived from pregnenolone, such as DHT, DHEA, testosterone, progesterone and allopregnanolone. He says T3 regulates StAR, which shuttles cholesterol into mitochondria. The quoted context claims hypothyroidism can cause low testosterone with raised prolactin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-16 original
Progesterone normalizes disturbed sleep by acting as a physiologic sleep regulator rather than hypnotic drug, restoring normal sleep architecture including deep sleep unlike conventional sleeping pills. Doses of 300mg studied.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-17 original
Adrenaline elevation disturbs sleep and indicates defective cellular energy production. Thyroid hormone, salt, sugar, protein, and progesterone restore sleep by acting directly on cellular energy production.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-20 original
Ray Peat's explanation of estrogen and progesterone's opposing effects on neural excitation, body temperature, and mental function; thyroid and progesterone synergy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-24 original
Repost of Ray Peat quote on progesterone producing larger cranium relative to face in animal models, making rats appear baby-faced and more intelligent-looking compared to estrogen effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-27 original
Knowledge claim on vitamin A's role in neurosteroid production for mood and mental health; Ray Peat quotation on vitamin A activation of steroid-forming enzymes; connection to allopregnanolone pathway.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-01-28 original
Ray Peat quoted on T3 effects on aromatase inhibition and testosterone efficacy in men. Claims T3 lowers aromatase; elevated aromatase from stress lowers testosterone and increases estrogen. Discusses how T3, aspirin, pregnenolone, or progesterone inhibit aromatase and improve testosterone effectiveness.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-05 original
Ray Peat quotation on stress hormones (elevated cortisol, decreased DHEA/progesterone/testosterone) driving inflammation, degeneration and depression as a protective shutdown response. Embedded post on hypothyroidism-cortisol relationship, TSH thresholds, T3 effects on cortisol metabolism enzymes, sympathetic activation and blood pressure.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-09 original
Author presents Ray Peat's description of Marian Diamond's research on enriched environments increasing rat brain size and prenatal hormone exposure effects, with progesterone enlarging cranium and estrogen decreasing brain mass.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-11 original
Author claims hypothyroidism impairs sleep stages 3 and 4, and that active thyroid hormone T3 is needed for proper rest. Includes embedded quote from lowmegatron about progesterone normalizing sleep without suppressing deep sleep.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-11 original
Quoted Ray Peat claims that diet and hormones interact; magnesium uptake requires adequate vitamin D and T3; T3 production requires selenium and sugar; pregnenolone and progesterone support T3 effects; cyproheptadine blocks stress mediators from hormonal-nutritional deficiencies; excess phosphate relative to calcium and magnesium creates tension.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-13 original
Discussion of allopregnanolone (brexanolone) rapid therapeutic effects in postpartum depression; defines clinical assessment scales (HAMD, EPDS, GAD-7, PHQ-9); cites proof-of-concept study showing symptom reduction; includes embedded discussion of allopregnanolone's role in stress-related mood disorders.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-15 original
T3, aspirin, and pregnenolone or progesterone inhibit aromatase and enhance testosterone effectiveness; mechanism involves reducing estrogen excess from stress-induced aromatase elevation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-16 original
Explanation of allopregnanolone's role in depression treatment, how SSRIs increase it, its FDA-approved medication form (Brexanolone), and how bioidentical progesterone and pregnenolone increase allopregnanolone; includes mechanism of action via GABA receptors and embedded Ray Peat quote on stress hormones.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-16 original
Ray Peat passage discussing polyunsaturated fat toxicity in high-fat diet using Eskimo diet example; explains mechanism of thyroid hormone promotion in traditional Eskimo diet through consumption of organ meats (thyroid gland, brain) containing cholesterol and steroid hormone precursors; contrasts with negative effects of polyunsaturated fat on thyroid function.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-02-27 original
Low progesterone increases twin pregnancy odds in dairy cows; high milk production requires high feed intake, which increases hepatic blood flow and reduces circulating progesterone; low progesterone drives double ovulation; a 2021 review found 3-fold higher double ovulation rates in low versus high progesterone cows (33% vs 10%); progesterone supplementation before artificial insemination may reduce twinning.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-01 original
Author shares Ray Peat's explanation that defensive action prevents stress ulcer formation via reduced serotonin, protecting against cortisol and circulation/energy disruption; notes endotoxin and prostaglandins activate similar stress systems, while progesterone and aspirin provide protection.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-01 original
Author shares Ray Peat's observation on Three Mile Island infants born without thyroid glands who remained asymptomatic while breastfed due to thyroid hormone in breast milk, contrasts with cow's milk as less rich in thyroid and progesterone but contributing to metabolic stimulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-03 original
Author presents two lengthy Ray Peat quotes: first on learned helplessness, stress-induced brain atrophy, and the brain-gut serotonin/nitric oxide axis; second on estrogen-progesterone dynamics in stress and aging, emphasizing intracellular estrogen retention and progesterone's role in expelling cellular estrogen.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-03 original
Author presents personal anecdotes from two users (husband and wife) reporting dramatic health improvements from switching to T3 thyroid hormone including water weight loss, temperature normalization, resolution of psoriasis, reproductive function recovery, PMDD reversal, mood stabilization, and histamine reduction; pairs with experimental animal data showing hypothyroidism increases mast cells and histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-06 original
Ray Peat quotation describes high metabolic rate in young people converting cholesterol into pregnenolone, DHEA, and progesterone to maintain low blood cholesterol; age-related decline in metabolic rate increases cholesterol as a regulatory process supporting synthesis of protective neurosteroids. Embedded post cites clinical evidence that thyroid is the only thing safely lowering cholesterol and that thyroid dysfunction impacts lipid profiles.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-07 original
Repost sharing user experiences of T3 thyroid hormone therapy. Two people report multiple improvements including weight loss, temperature normalization, resolution of psoriasis, return of ovulation, reversal of PMDD and emotional symptoms, reversal of Raynaud's, cholesterol normalization, discontinuation of ADHD medication, and resolution of histamine-related symptoms. Study cited showing experimental hypothyroidism increases mast cells and histamine in rats.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-12 original
Bacterial endotoxin reduces REM sleep and causes depression-like symptoms including fatigue, reduced appetite and cognitive impairment. Embedded post summarizes Ray Peat commentary on endotoxin's role in aging, cancer, inflammation, and dietary/supplement interventions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-14 original
User @whimbreline shares personal experience of nasal congestion resolved after starting regular thyroid and progesterone treatment; notes improved quality of life metrics (tissue use, nasal spray use).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-16 original
Author quotes Ray Peat on thyroid hormone's role in regulating adrenaline, serotonin, and estrogen; discusses methylene blue as electron-carrier substitute for thyroid hormone in treating depression and dementia; embeds lowmegatron post linking hypothyroidism to dementia risk, especially in patients on thyroid medication.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-23 original
Author synthesizes research on sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and alcohol use disorder, presenting four main claims: estrogen linked to increased alcohol use; estrogen sensitizes reward pathways to alcohol; estrogen:progesterone ratio affects binge drinking risk; progesterone reduces stress-induced cravings. Multiple studies cited with human and animal notation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-25 own thread
The post text is only links. Its quoted post by lowmegatron lists claimed ways to address endotoxin, including cascara sagrada, minocycline, aspirin, cocoa, coffee, DHEA, ginger, glycine, sleep, naringenin, orange juice, pregnenolone, progesterone, probiotics, sugar, taurine, several vitamins, mushrooms and zinc, and notes PUFA-rich high-fat diets may raise endotoxin.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-30 original
Brexanolone is an IV drug for postpartum depression delivering allopregnanolone at $30-40,000 cost. Allopregnanolone is downstream of pregnenolone and progesterone. Embedded post suggests 300 mg pregnenolone as alternative treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-30 original
Ray Peat recounts personal history of his mother's infertility treatment with Armour corpus luteum powder derived from pregnant pig ovaries in the 1930s.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-03-31 original
Ray Peat quoted on T4 effectiveness as antithyroid substance, thyroid's role in pregnenolone production, and cholesterol requirements. Embedded post discusses neurosteroids, pregnenolone and progesterone for memory and anxiety via intranasal administration.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-01 original
Boswellia resin and Boswellic acids (especially Acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid) have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties through 5-LOX and COX inhibition, reducing polyunsaturated fat-derived inflammatory molecules. Relevant to cancer prevention, arthritis, Crohn's disease, asthma, and bronchitis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-05 original
Ray Peat and cited research describe taurine and glycine as antiestrogenic compounds that counteract estrogen's excitatory effects. Seizure susceptibility correlates with estrogen-to-progesterone ratios during menstrual cycle; taurine demonstrates anticonvulsant properties in animal studies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-06 original
Ray Peat quotation on thyroid hormone and vitamin A roles in converting cholesterol to pregnenolone, steroid hormone synthesis, and compensatory cholesterol mechanisms during stress-induced thyroid suppression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-08 original
Pregnenolone and progesterone act quickly against water retention. Estrogen increases lung water content impairing oxygen transfer (animal studies). High estrogen-to-progesterone ratio occurs in malnourished, low-thyroid, or stressed individuals. Progesterone supplementation can rapidly improve water balance and breathing within an hour.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-09 original
Ray Peat advises against topical application of fat-soluble vitamins or steroid hormones to testicles, citing risk to gonadal lipid environment. Recommends arms or legs as alternative application sites for DHEA, pregnenolone, and progesterone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-10 original
Author cites research showing progesterone increases body temperature while estrogen lowers it, with specific descriptions of the temporal dynamics of this effect across the menstrual cycle.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-15 original
Bacterial endotoxin (LPS) lowers both TSH and thyroid hormones, creating misleading thyroid test results. Multiple dietary and supplemental compounds may reduce endotoxin burden or its effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-17 original
Animal studies from 1980s implicate serotonin in learned helplessness development. Tryptophan and 5-HTP precursors impaired escape learning; serotonin antagonist methysergide reversed effects. Combined with weak stress, serotonin precursors caused greater learning deficit. Embedded quote discusses stress effects on gut and brain health via serotonin and estrogen-progesterone balance.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-17 original
Randomized controlled trial found 300 mg bioidentical progesterone at bedtime for 12 weeks significantly increased free T4 in postmenopausal women without thyroid disease. Ray Peat's mechanism: estrogen inhibits thyroid hormone secretion while progesterone promotes release. No significant changes in T3 or TSH. Progesterone also effectively reduced hot flushes and night sweats.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-23 original
Ray Peat quotation on thermogenic substances and inflammation; study cited showing mild hypothermia promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine production in monocytes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-23 original
Ray Peat anecdote on pregnenolone and progesterone improving mobility in aging animals; both hormones lower CRH and ACTH which trigger cortisol excess. Photos show before-and-after of dog with Cushing's syndrome illustrating cortisol's aging effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-23 own thread
Link-only post with media in a thread about a Ray Peat quote on progesterone and pregnenolone helping old animals. The parent context says the photos show a dog treated for Cushing's syndrome, and claims these hormones lower CRH and ACTH. That content is in the parent, not in this post.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-24 original
Lita Lee quote on pregnenolone as major anti-aging steroid; claims adequate thyroid converts LDL cholesterol to pregnenolone which opposes cortisol toxicity, prevents panic attacks, and converts to progesterone/DHEA as needed. States pregnenolone increases mental focus and prevents cognitive decline. Embedded Ray Peat quote on pregnenolone and progesterone's rapid water-retention effects via estrogen opposition.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-25 original
Ray Peat quote recounting personal experience with moles: avoided direct application due to cancerization risk; reports observed shrinking of moles within days when applying progesterone or DHEA (in vitamin E) 1 inch away, with steady shrinking over 7-10 days. Also describes increasing T3 thyroid hormone dosing to maintain normal daytime temperature and elevated resting pulse (95 bpm), and soaking in epsom salts/baking soda/salt baths for mole acceleration.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-25 original
Reports pregnenolone activates emotional regulation brain circuits, reducing negative-circuit activation linked to anxiety. Explains mechanism via conversion to allopregnanolone, noting allopregnanolone was prescribed for postpartum depression at ~40,000 USD (synthetic analog at 15,000+ USD), while pregnenolone costs dollars. Cites research using 400 mg oral pregnenolone dose. Attributes Ray Peat quote on thyroid hormone and vitamin A role in cholesterol-to-pregnenolone conversion. Recommends Balanced Body Mind (UK) and Raena (US) pregnenolone brands without disclosed affiliation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-27 original
Higher progesterone levels in women and higher testosterone and progesterone in men predict lower stress response. Study measured ACTH and cortisol response to Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Progesterone inhibits HPA axis reactivity in women; testosterone inhibits it in men. Women studied during follicular phase.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-04-28 original
lowmegatron claims he can tell estrogen:progesterone and serotonin:DHT balance from text alone. The quoted post claims that fat distribution reflects hormones, and that claim belongs to the quoted author, not to lowmegatron.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-04 original
Author quotes Ray Peat on thyroid and eczema/psoriasis mechanism, includes personal Facebook testimony of 30-year psoriasis resolution on T3, cites Hashimoto's prevalence in psoriasis patients, and embeds prior detailed personal experience post on T3 benefits across multiple conditions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-08 original
Author quotes Ray Peat on thyroid hormone T3 decline with aging and impact on steroid hormone production (pregnenolone and progesterone); presents human study showing pregnenolone reduces stress-induced alcohol cravings.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-08 original
Synthesis of research on estradiol as risk factor and progesterone/allopregnanolone as treatment options for cocaine use disorder in women; Ray Peat commentary on hormone effects on brain excitation and mental function.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-14 original
Quoted Ray Peat anecdote: hangnails disappeared after getting progesterone on hands in lab accident, never returned; nested anecdote about mole changes with progesterone/DHEA and T3 dosing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-18 original
Progesterone 300 mg normalizes sleep architecture and lowers nighttime TSH in older women, acting as a physiologic sleep regulator rather than hypnotic drug.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-21 original
Wild carrot seed has anti-progesterone activity through inhibition of 3β-HSD enzyme, arresting estrus cycles and reducing ovarian steroidogenesis in mice; this effect is counteracted by sufficient progesterone. Two cited studies document these mechanisms and implantation delay in rats.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-21 original
PCOS is nearly 3 times more likely in autoimmune thyroid disease (primarily Hashimoto's). Women with PCOS are about 3 times as likely to have subclinical hypothyroidism, with odds increasing when TSH ≥4 mIU/L. Ray Peat is quoted that PCOS can be produced in animals by thyroidectomy due to impaired ovarian progesterone synthesis.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-21 original
Salt, glycine, CO2, progesterone, thyroid hormone and sugar optimize energy and sleep as restorative background processes (Ray Peat quote). Progesterone restores normal sleep when disturbed without inhibiting deep sleep (unlike hypnotics). Hypothyroidism decreases stages 3-4 sleep; desiccated thyroid may increase these. Glycine 3g improves sleep quality and reduces fatigue in sleep-restricted subjects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-22 original
Sharing a Ray Peat quotation on thyroid hormone (T3) converting cholesterol into pregnenolone, progesterone, and DHEA, with embedded secondary post discussing the same mechanism and additional claims about pregnenolone anti-aging effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-23 original
Progesterone lowers blood pressure through three mechanisms: dilating blood vessels, preventing adrenaline-induced blood pressure rises, and blocking calcium channel uptake in vascular smooth muscle (similar to calcium channel blocker drugs). A small clinical trial of 10 hypertensive patients (6 men, 4 postmenopausal women, mild to moderate, untreated) showed progesterone caused significant blood pressure reduction compared to placebo and baseline, suggesting antihypertensive rather than hypertensive action.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-23 original
Ray Peat quote on thyroid-progesterone-estrogen relationships, combined with citations of randomized controlled trial showing progesterone increases free T4, and rat cell study demonstrating estradiol increases thyroid cell growth and blocks iodine transporter expression.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-05-25 original
Progesterone stabilizes mast cells by inhibiting histamine secretion, which may explain reduced inflammatory symptoms during pregnancy. Quotation cites rat peritoneal mast cell study showing progesterone inhibits histamine secretion triggered immunologically or by substance P.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-01 original
Practical tips for lowering prolactin and serotonin through thyroid optimization, nutrient status, dietary fat composition, light exposure, supplements, and specific compounds; includes embedded quote on cyproheptadine mechanism for SSRI sexual dysfunction.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-03 original
Ray Peat quote on intestinal inflammation from infection and undigested starches causing endotoxin-driven insulin resistance; comprehensive list of dietary and supplement interventions claimed to reduce endotoxin and associated inflammation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-03 original
Ray Peat quote on thyroid hormones' role in regulating pregnenolone production through cholesterol metabolism, influenced by protein, vitamin A, and T3 availability. Author clarifies 'thyroid' means T3 and T4 with optimal T4-to-T3 conversion.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-08 original
Personal anecdote of using topical progesterone to rapidly calm a severely distressed woman who had been drinking heavily and exhibiting aggressive behavior, after other supplements (magnesium, l-theanine, taurine) showed limited effect.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-17 original
Extended Ray Peat quotation on caffeine's parallels to thyroid and progesterone, with embedded post by lowmegatron citing coffee's antidepressant and gut-protective effects via tight junction proteins and reduced intestinal permeability.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-18 original
Explanation of how progesterone and estrogen affect thyroid hormone conversion, specifically D2 enzyme activity and T4-to-T3 conversion; cites research in ovariectomized rats and hypothesizes progesterone withdrawal during menopause as mechanism.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-18 original
Ray Peat quote on progesterone's role in thyroid hormone conversion; embedded post discusses progesterone's effects on deiodinase 2 enzyme and T4→T3 conversion in animal studies.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-20 original
Quoted testimonial: T3 thyroid hormone reversed calcification, myxedema, and water weight (50 pounds), normalized body temperature from 96.4 to 98.6°F, cleared 30-year psoriasis, restored ovulation, resolved severe PMDD and emotional symptoms, improved cholesterol and Raynaud's in spouse who also discontinued 25-year ADHD medication. Embedded source post links hypothyroidism to 4.5x increased mast cells and 50% increased histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-22 original
lowmegatron says accidental exposure to owners' transdermal estradiol gel caused hair loss in dogs. The quoted case reports describe the alopecia resolving after the exposure stopped.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-23 original
Author reports behavioral and personality differences between women taking estrogen versus progesterone based on observed comments received. Estrogen-dominant women described as aggressive, insulting, and inattentive; progesterone-dominant women described as opposite. References Ray Peat's comparison of cocaine and estrogen mechanisms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-24 original
Reports sex differences in cocaine use disorder related to female sex hormones; estradiol increases vulnerability while progesterone and allopregnanolone may reduce cocaine seeking; cites animal study on combination progesterone and atomoxetine treatment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-25 original
lowmegatron quotes Ray Peat on graying hair. Peat says he has seen DHEA correct it quickly, that melanin-producing enzymes need copper, and that shellfish is a good source of copper with less iron. The quote also recommends low DHEA doses and warns that excess DHEA may convert to estrogen or testosterone in people deficient in progesterone, pregnenolone or thyroid.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-27 original
Author describes personal experience with hypothyroidism causing fear-based worldview; shares Ray Peat quote about progesterone and thyroid hormones breaking fear.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-29 original
Author presents Ray Peat quotes and citations on estrogen's adverse cardiovascular effects in men, including discussion of the Coronary Drug Project trial and elevated serum estradiol in men with heart disease.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-06-29 original
Progesterone and testosterone protect against histamine while estrogen increases histamine formation and actions. Post includes Ray Peat quote and research on mast cell regulation. Embedded quote from lowmegatron describes personal PEA use for suspected histamine symptoms and reviews PEA evidence across multiple conditions.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-01 original
List of compounds and conditions that lower or elevate histamine; embedded post by lowmegatron reporting personal experience with PEA for histamine symptoms and citing clinical/veterinary/animal evidence for PEA in mast cell disorders.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-03 original
lowmegatron says stinging nettles are a source of serotonin and histamine. He quotes text that nettle sting fluid contains formic acid, leukotrienes, acetylcholine, histamine and serotonin, with estimated serotonin per sting. The quoted parent lists things he says lower or raise histamine.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-05 original
Author shares Ray Peat anecdote about pregnant woman whose vivid stretch marks reportedly resolved in three days after consuming eggs, milk, and oysters, in response to question about foods increasing progesterone and lowering aldosterone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-05 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a passage claiming that natural steroids derived from pregnenolone, progesterone or DHEA help with water retention, edema and heart failure. The quote says this is because they antagonize aldosterone, which it claims causes inflammation and water retention.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-05 own thread
lowmegatron quotes a passage claiming that estrogen activates the adrenal cortex to make aldosterone and cortisol, and that adequate progesterone blocks their peripheral effects. It says progesterone can substitute for their essential beneficial effects when the adrenals are removed, and protects against their excess as it does against estrogen toxicity. The quoted post in context is a Ray Peat quote about eggs, milk and oysters and stretch marks.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-06 original
Acne pathophysiology linked to thyroid hormone imbalances affecting sebaceous glands; vitamin A deficiency correlated with acne severity; Ray Peat discusses thyroid and vitamin A balance, liver consumption, bright light, and their effects on acne, dandruff, and skin cell turnover.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-08 original
Quoted statement from Ray Peat on cardiac rhythm stabilization and AFib risk factors. Claims vitamins D, K, calcium stabilize heart rhythm. Estrogen causes hyperventilation and increases AFib risk; progesterone has opposite effects. Thyroid T3 essential for cellular magnesium retention. Dietary recommendations: milk and orange juice for minerals, seafood weekly for trace minerals.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-10 original
PUFA (polyunsaturated fat) accumulation progressively degrades liver protective functions; restoration requires carbohydrates and saturated fats plus depleted factors like pregnenolone and progesterone. Embedded quote compares butter vs soybean oil in alcoholic liver disease.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-10 original
Broda Barnes quoted on relationship between thyroid secretion and cholesterol levels, describing clinical observations that hyperthyroidism lowers cholesterol and proper thyroid dosing normalizes it. Embedded quoted post attributes Ray Peat quote on thyroid's role in pregnenolone production requiring adequate cholesterol, vitamin A, and protein.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-15 original
lowmegatron presents a case report, cited as 'Reversible Hair Loss due to Levothyroxine Overdose', of an infant with congenital hypothyroidism who developed diffuse non-scarring hair loss 15-20 days after starting levothyroxine. Hair regrew after the dose was reduced. The author concludes that overdose may cause hair loss. The author also gives a best-guess reading of the FT3 and FT4 levels because the assay ranges are not stated.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-15 original
Ray Peat anecdote: two moles appeared and grew during summer beer consumption, then shrank and disappeared when beer stopped; attributed to estrogen content. Embedded Ray Peat quote on topical progesterone/DHEA and increased T3 causing mole shrinkage, and epsom salt baths.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-20 original
Topical progesterone cream (and pregnenolone) appear to improve skin quality, wrinkles, and produce facelift-like effects in some people but not others. Cited double-blind study shows all three skin elasticity parameters improved continuously in treatment group with no changes in control group, with clinical examination confirming improvements in aging parameters.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-20 original
Pregnenolone topical and oral application for anti-aging effects with mixed results. Ray Peat describes dramatic symptom resolution from pregnenolone during 1983 health crisis with multiple conditions (arterial inflammation, dental abscesses, asthma, migraines, colitis). Notes many pregnenolone products contaminated with estrogenic impurities; recommends BodyBalancedMind (UK) and mentions Raena as trusted brands.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-21 original
Repost of Ray Peat quotes linking carbon dioxide, saturated fats, progesterone, and estrogen balance to brain size at birth and Alzheimer's disease prevention; shares embedded New Scientist article on CO2 inhalation and glymphatic clearance of amyloid and tau.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-24 original
Ray Peat on thyroid hormone T4-to-T3 conversion: requires glucose, selenium, adequate protein, and specific nutrient ratios; discusses mineral balance, estrogen interference, and optimal dosing strategies for thyroid replacement therapy including desiccated thyroid and synthetic combinations.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-25 own thread
Quotes Ray Peat claiming many women with abnormal Pap smears, including biopsy-indicated carcinoma in situ, returned to normal in two months on a diet with protein, magnesium chloride, vitamins A, E, C and B-vitamins, thyroid and progesterone as needed, and liver twice weekly.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-25 own thread
Quotes Ray Peat saying men diagnosed with scleroderma reported symptom regression with thyroid, magnesium, epsom salt baths, topical progesterone and vitamin E; he suspects mitochondrial CO2 removes calcium. The quoted context is the author's own post on making magnesium bicarbonate water from magnesium hydroxide and carbonated water.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-27 original
Ray Peat quoted on high metabolic rate increasing vitamin A requirement due to pregnenolone and progesterone synthesis; clarification that preformed retinol/retinyl esters from animal foods are meant, not plant carotenes. Embedded post by lowmegatron discusses thyroid hormone imbalance effects on sebaceous glands and acne, cites studies on vitamin A and acne, quotes Peat on vitamin A-thyroid balance for acne management via hormone effects on skin cell turnover.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-07-27 original
Bioidentical progesterone inhibits mast cell degranulation per cited study; discusses relevance to allergic and inflammatory conditions more prevalent in women. Embedded post by lowmegatron links hypothyroidism to mast cell increase and histamine elevation via Ray Peat quotation and animal study. User comments included praising progesterone effects on long-standing itching and MCAS symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-02 original
Pregnenolone reduces brain regions associated with negative emotions via increased allopregnanolone. Bioidentical progesterone also boosts allopregnanolone. Intranasal administration improves memory (pregnenolone) and reduces anxiety (progesterone), though oral routes work. Author recommends Progest-E brand progesterone and BodyBalancedMind (UK) or Raena (US) brands for pregnenolone, cautioning that many brands contain estrogenic impurities causing negative effects. Embedded quoted post by Ray Peat describes pregnenolone's facial skin benefits and rapid symptom relief (inflammation, dental abscesses, asthma, migraines, colitis).
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-02 original
Author reports anecdotal list of health outcomes observed in some patients using thyroid hormone (T3): weight loss (50 lbs), histamine dysregulation resolution, psoriasis clearance, ovulation restoration, PMDD remission, Raynaud's disappearance, ADHD medication discontinuation, post-nasal drip cessation, calcification/sclerosis reversal, myxedema reversal, and elevated body temperature (2 degrees). No mechanistic explanation provided; framed as variable individual responses.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 original
Author explains hormone effects on skin pigmentation: estrogen darkens, progesterone lightens; thyroid status affects melanin synthesis; cites research on membrane receptors (GPER, PAQR7) and Ray Peat interpretation; notes subclinical hypothyroidism as cause of hyperpigmentation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-03 own thread
The author claims birth control pills and HRT override natural hormonal fluctuations behind basal temperature changes. They say pills either abolish the early-follicular trough or replace it with an elevated or erratic baseline, so Barnes's test cannot reliably reflect thyroid status in users. They say only women not exposed to synthetic progestins or estrogens keep the low point, and the same applies to HRT.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-09 original
Progesterone and thyroid supplementation resolved 4-year histamine intolerance in 3 days despite normal thyroid labs; progesterone inhibits mast cell degranulation; hypothyroidism increases mast cell population and histamine content; embedded quote links thyroid hormone to CO2 production and mast cell regulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-10 original
Enterosgel, a polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate enterosorbent, may increase live births in women with endometritis when combined with antibiotics and probiotics. Endotoxin lowers progesterone and elevates PGF2α, increasing abortion risk; Enterosgel absorbs endotoxin. A study of 98 patients showed live birth rates of 6/32 with antibiotics alone, 19/33 with antibiotics plus Enterosgel, and 30/33 with antibiotics plus Enterosgel plus probiotic.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-10 original
Pregnenolone may help reduce alcohol cravings and anxiety in alcohol use disorder. A Ray Peat anecdote describes an alcoholic man whose anxiety and depression lifted after taking pregnenolone, describing it as 'the feeling I've been trying to get from alcohol, but it never worked.' Alcohol's calming effects are mediated through pregnenolone, DHEA, allopregnanolone, and progesterone. A human study (2023) found pregnenolone (300–500 mg/day) reduces stress-induced and alcohol cue-induced craving and normalizes HPA axis function. Author recommends Balancedbodymind, Raena, and Forefront Health pregnenolone brands, cautioning that many brands produce bad effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-13 original
Light exposure affects thyroid hormone requirements seasonally. Absence of bright light creates progesterone deficiency, allowing unopposed estrogen and prolactin. Ray Peat observed seasonal health problems (premenstrual syndrome, arthritis, colitis) in students moving to cloudy Eugene and proposed reorganizing medicine around estrogen-related processes.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-13 original
Ray Peat quotation reporting anecdotal animal cases where progesterone and pregnenolone administration restored health and mobility in aged horse and dogs with mobility impairment.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-14 original
Progesterone exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in osteoarthritis by suppressing inflammatory cytokine production and regulating bone remodeling. Opening quote attributes anecdotal joint surgery avoidance to Ray Peat. Embedded post describes CO2 bath benefits for osteoarthritis pain, wound healing, and circulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-15 original
Bioidentical progesterone acts as physiologic sleep regulator restoring normal sleep when disturbed, without inhibiting deep sleep like hypnotic drugs. Particularly beneficial for elderly. Embedded post describes thyroid hormone deficiency effects on sleep onset and duration.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-16 original
Ray Peat quote on bowel inflammation treatment including multiple interventions; followed by discussion of lidocaine gel for ulcerative colitis with multiple clinical study summaries showing rapid symptom relief, mucosal healing, and lymphocyte depletion with 83% response rate in larger trial.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-18 original
Estrogen promotes Candida albicans virulence and growth by enabling immune evasion; progesterone reduces biofilm formation and virulence. Estrogen correlates with increased risk of vulvovaginal candidiasis during pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, and HRT. Progesterone lacks protective effect against infection in animal models but may reduce virulence determinants.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-19 original
Pregnenolone increases deep sleep by converting to progesterone and allopregnanolone, exerting anti-cortisol and pro-GABA effects. Studies show pregnenolone increases slow-wave sleep, improves sleep efficiency, and reduces intermittent wakefulness. Progesterone restores normal sleep when disturbed without inhibiting deep sleep like hypnotic drugs. Achieving maximum plasma allopregnanolone requires 1,600 mg progesterone daily.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-20 original
Author argues creatine lowers lipofuscin (aging pigment from polyunsaturated fat damage) and discusses mechanisms involving antioxidants, diet composition, hormone ratios, and protein turnover, citing animal studies and quotes from Ray Peat on lipofuscin formation and proteolytic enzyme inhibition.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-21 original
PEA (palmitoylethanolamide) helps high histamine conditions by stabilizing mast cells and inhibiting histamine release. Natural fatty-acid amide produced in human tissues; modulates immune function. Must use micronized or ultramicronized forms. Multiple animal and human studies cited showing mast cell stabilization, reduced inflammatory mediators (PG D2, TNF-α, histamine), and symptom reduction.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-22 original
Pregnenolone mechanism for reducing alcohol drinking in animals and stress-induced alcohol craving in humans: increases allopregnanolone (GABA modulator). Mechanism depends on T3 and cholesterol. Recommends three specific brands with sourcing caution due to impurity risks.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-25 original
TRH increases blood pressure, resting pulse, and prolactin, which can lower testosterone and progesterone. TRH rises when thyroid hormones are low and stimulates TSH. When the thyroid does not adequately respond, TRH remains elevated. The embedded quoted post describes a patient's experience with T3 supplementation improving sleep quality and reducing nocturnal symptoms.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-28 original
Thyroid hormone accelerates alcohol detoxification and affects neurosteroid production (pregnenolone, DHEA, progesterone, allopregnanolone), which mediate anxiety relief and intoxication effects. Hyperthyroidism markedly increases ethanol metabolism rate.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-08-30 original
Men have used progesterone for decades.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-02 original
Ray Peat quote: Thyroid tends to lower cholesterol by converting it into pregnenolone and other steroids. Embedded quote discusses pregnenolone's effects on skin aging and health; Ray Peat personal account of pregnenolone's dramatic symptom relief from inflammatory conditions and associated facial rejuvenation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-03 original
List of interventions for high histamine including thyroid correction, DAO enzyme, micronized PEA, progesterone, B vitamins, magnesium, L-theanine, copper, vitamins C and E, low PUFA diet, and hypoglycemia avoidance; author notes context-dependent efficacy. Embedded quote details personal PEA experimentation with symptom reduction and extensive research on PEA mechanisms in mast cell modulation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-07 original
Author warns against attributing negative effects to pregnenolone itself; cites Ray Peat quote attributing adverse reactions to product impurity decline since 2013. Embedded post by dannyroddy discusses pregnenolone quality degradation and suggests progesterone and DHEA alternatives.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-07 original
Author quotes Ray Peat on factors supporting healthier pregnancies and postpartum outcomes, including sunlight, vitamin D, whole foods, thyroid function optimization, and specific hormones and anti-inflammatory medications.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-07 original
Bioidentical progesterone reduces anxiety and increases pro-social and exploratory behaviors in mice via increased allopregnanolone (5α-reductase metabolite); synthetic progestin (MPA) does not produce this effect because it does not serve as substrate for 5α-reductase. Neurosteroid effects may be relevant to sex differences in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Embedded post discusses thyroid hormone's role in alcohol detoxification and neurosteroid production.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-07 original
Ray Peat quote and embedded post on allopregnanolone as downstream mechanism of progesterone's mood, seizure and psychosis effects; pregnenolone supplementation (400 mg) proposed to increase allopregnanolone and activate emotion regulation circuits; specific supplement brands mentioned without claimed affiliation.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-08 original
Coffee drinkers have lower TSH and much lower risk of subclinical hypothyroidism; embedded post attributes extensive caffeine and coffee health benefits to Ray Peat, including thyroid protection, liver protection, cancer prevention, and cognitive effects.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-09 original
Hypothyroidism lowers pregnenolone and downstream steroid hormones (DHEA, testosterone, estrogen) with implications for mood, mental illness, reproduction, libido, dementia risk, substance abuse, aging, appearance, and muscle mass. StAR protein shuttles cholesterol into mitochondria to make pregnenolone; thyroid hormone T3 regulates StAR. Study shows serum ADIOLS, ADIOL, DHEAS, DHEA, and pregnenolone sulfate are decreased in hypothyroidism. Embedded quoted account lists hormones derived from pregnenolone.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-10 original
Hypothyroidism leads to estrogen dominance partly through suppressed progesterone and pregnenolone. Thyroidectomy in animals causes progesterone and pregnenolone levels to drop due to reduced mitochondrial respiration needed for pregnenolone synthesis. Deficiency of active T3 thyroid hormone is the mechanism. Low basal temperature may indicate low T3 despite normal thyroid blood markers.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-12 original
Skin-to-skin contact halves cortisol in NICU preterm infants while increasing melatonin, providing strong evidence that contact ameliorates NICU-related stress. Embedded quote from Ray Peat on healthier pregnancy factors including sunlight, nutrition, thyroid optimization, and hormonal support.
Source summary and thread relationship - @1immortals1 · 2026-09-14 original
99% of vitamin B6 supplements contain pyridoxine, the inactive form; approximately 1 in 3 people cannot convert it efficiently. The active form P5P (pyridoxal 5-phosphate) is required for neurotransmitter synthesis. Author recommends specific dosing and brands with pricing.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-21 original
Progesterone increases expression of genes the thyroid uses for iodine uptake, hormone synthesis and growth. This effect is progesterone-receptor-dependent. Evidence shows free T4 increases and TSH tends lower during progesterone treatment in women.
Source summary and thread relationship - @lowmegatron · 2026-09-21 original
Women show increased sensitivity to allergens and histamine when estrogen dominates progesterone. Bioidentical progesterone decreases mast cell degranulation. Skin-test reactions to histamine increase at ovulation during peak estrogen. Progesterone reduces mast cell secretion and may explain suppression of inflammatory conditions during pregnancy.
Source summary and thread relationship - @1immortals1 · 2026-09-29 original
DIM (diindolylmethane) from cruciferous vegetables shifts estrogen metabolism from harmful (16α-hydroxyestrone) to protective (2-hydroxyestrone) pathway; author recommends 100–200mg daily ($0.20/day) as modulation alternative to pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors.
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