Ray Peat on Endotoxin

Short answer: Ray Peat called endotoxin a constant, everywhere stressor. He wrote that it is absorbed from an irritated intestine, poisons mitochondria, and raises lactate, nitric oxide, estrogen, serotonin and cortisol, and that diet can keep it down.

What Ray Peat wrote about endotoxin

He described the mechanism as a direct stimulation of cells that makes them take up water, followed by inflammation and a block in mitochondrial respiration. Source: Lactate vs. CO2 in wounds, sickness, and aging; the other approach to cancer

Endotoxin increases lactate and nitric oxide, and it raises estrogen. He notes that it acts together with unsaturated fats. Source: Lactate vs. CO2 in wounds, sickness, and aging; the other approach to cancer, Alzheimer's: The problem of Alzheimer's disease as a clue to immortality — part 1

Intestinal irritation lets endotoxin and serotonin be absorbed, and that is one of the things that pushes cortisol up. Source: Serotonin: Effects in disease, aging and inflammation

The liver has several ways to detoxify endotoxin and serotonin, but they can fail with poor nutrition and low thyroid function. Source: Serotonin: Effects in disease, aging and inflammation

Stress alone opens the door. Prolonged stress cuts the blood flow to the intestine and damages its ability to keep large molecules out. Source: Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency

Exercise on an empty stomach increases its absorption. Source: Lactate vs. CO2 in wounds, sickness, and aging; the other approach to cancer

Antibiotics lowered estrogen and cortisol and raised progesterone in women and in rats, which he explained by less endotoxin reaching the liver. He adds that antibiotics kill the bacteria that make vitamin K, so vitamin K should be supplied. Source: Lactate vs. CO2 in wounds, sickness, and aging; the other approach to cancer, Rosacea, inflammation, and aging: The inefficiency of stress

Endotoxin from the bowel can also disturb the nerves, which is why he recommends the carrot salad in his article on epilepsy. Source: Epilepsy and Progesterone

What he suggested in practice

• A daily raw carrot or the carrot salad.
• No fermentable fiber and no starch that resists digestion.
• Activated charcoal now and then.
• Good thyroid function and nutrition, so the liver can clear what gets through.

Where he wrote about it

This topic comes up in 39 of the articles on his site. These are the most relevant ones:

• Food-junk and some mystery ailments: Fatigue, Alzheimer's, Colitis, Immunodeficiency · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Thyroid, insomnia, and the insanities: Commonalities in disease · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Lactate vs. CO2 in wounds, sickness, and aging; the other approach to cancer · original on raypeat.com ↗
• BSE ("mad cow"), scrapie, etc.: Stimulated amyloid degeneration and the toxic fats · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Rosacea, inflammation, and aging: The inefficiency of stress · original on raypeat.com ↗
• The dark side of stress (learned helplessness) · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Calcium and Disease: Hypertension, organ calcification, & shock, vs. respiratory energy · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Cholesterol, longevity, intelligence, and health · original on raypeat.com ↗

My take

Endotoxin is the root cause of a lot of what people call mystery symptoms. I wrote everything I know about it, the gut barrier and how to fix it in How to fix leaky gut.

Quick answers

What did Ray Peat say about endotoxin?

That it is a chronic stressor absorbed from the intestine which blocks mitochondrial respiration and raises lactate, nitric oxide, estrogen, serotonin and cortisol.

How did Ray Peat suggest lowering endotoxin?

With a daily raw carrot or carrot salad, by avoiding fermentable fiber and resistant starch, with occasional activated charcoal, and by supporting the liver through thyroid function and nutrition.