Ray Peat on Diabetes

Short answer: Ray Peat argued that diabetes is not caused by sugar. He wrote that it is a failure to burn sugar, driven by free fatty acids, polyunsaturated fat, stress hormones and low thyroid function, and that sugar itself can be part of the treatment.

What Ray Peat wrote about diabetes

He called the sugar theory an accident of history. Sweet urine made doctors blame sweets before anyone knew the body makes sugar from its own protein. Source: Sugar issues, Glucose and sucrose for diabetes

In the 1860s Piorry and Budd fed sugar to diabetics who were wasting away. In the case he describes, the sugar in the urine went down instead of up. Source: Glucose and sucrose for diabetes

His mechanism is competition between fuels. Stress, fasting and diabetes raise free fatty acids, and those block the burning of glucose. Source: Heart and hormones, Growth hormone: Hormone of Stress, Aging, and Death?

He described the polyunsaturated fats as toxic to the energy system and as a misleading signal that pushes cells into the diabetic pattern. Source: Diabetes, scleroderma, oils and hormones

He cites Houssay's 1947 experiments: sugar protected better than lard against chemically induced diabetes, and coconut oil protected best. Source: Diabetes, scleroderma, oils and hormones

Free fatty acids and cortisol can kill the insulin-producing beta cells. Source: When energy fails: Edema, heart failure, hypertension, sarcopenia, etc

T4 cannot become T3 without glucose, so he argued that every diabetic is functionally hypothyroid. Source: Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context

Gelatin and glycine help insulin work, and gelatin was used against diabetes more than a century ago. Source: Gelatin, stress, longevity

What he suggested in practice

• The supplements he says most often correct diabetes-like conditions: niacinamide, thiamine, thyroid, and progesterone or pregnenolone.
• Vitamins D and K, which he calls clearly protective.
• Fruit and sugar in place of starch, coconut oil in place of unsaturated fat.
• Aspirin, which he says prevents many of the complications.
• Diabetes is a medical condition. Work with your doctor.

Where he wrote about it

This topic comes up in 70 of the articles on his site. These are the most relevant ones:

• Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Diabetes, scleroderma, oils and hormones · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Glucose and sucrose for diabetes · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Sugar issues · original on raypeat.com ↗
• When energy fails: Edema, heart failure, hypertension, sarcopenia, etc · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Growth hormone: Hormone of Stress, Aging, and Death? · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Suitable Fats, Unsuitable Fats: Issues in Nutrition · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Breast Cancer · original on raypeat.com ↗

My take

I have posted several of these studies myself. In one, type 2 diabetics ate a 55% carbohydrate diet for 28 days and their blood sugar went down. Sugar is not the enemy. Free fatty acids are.

Quick answers

What did Ray Peat say causes diabetes?

A failure to oxidize glucose, caused by excess free fatty acids, polyunsaturated fat, stress hormones and low thyroid function, not by eating sugar.

Did Ray Peat recommend sugar for diabetics?

He describes historical cases in which sugar helped diabetics and argues that sugar and fruit are better than starch. He also names niacinamide, thiamine, thyroid and progesterone as the usual corrective supplements.