Ray Peat on Protein and Meat

Short answer: Ray Peat wanted a high protein intake but cared about which protein. He wrote that too little protein raises cortisol and estrogen and weakens the bones, and that muscle meat alone delivers an amino acid mix that mimics stress unless it is balanced with gelatin.

What Ray Peat wrote about protein

Without enough protein in the diet, cortisol has to work continuously to pull amino acids out of expendable tissue, because the brain, heart and lungs need a constant supply. Source: Multiple sclerosis, protein, fats, and progesterone

Protein lets the liver eliminate estrogen. People who do not eat enough protein typically have elevated estrogen. Source: Multiple Sclerosis and other hormone related brain syndromes, Natural Estrogens

He called protein deficiency a clear cause of osteoporosis and noted that bone density follows protein intake. Source: Bone Density: First Do No Harm

Muscle meat alone is the problem case. Its amino acid balance entering the blood is the same as in extreme stress, when cortisol breaks down your own muscle. Source: Gelatin, stress, longevity

His balanced proteins are cheese, potatoes, eggs, and beef or lamb broth for the gelatin and minerals. Source: Multiple sclerosis, protein, fats, and progesterone

Protein raises insulin. A large amount of protein eaten without carbohydrate can cause a sharp fall in blood sugar, which he notes especially for eggs. Source: Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context, Diabetes, scleroderma, oils and hormones

He paid attention to meat quality. Stress before slaughter, added water and long storage increase breakdown products in meat, and liver degrades faster than muscle. Source: Meat physiology, stress, and degenerative physiology

A high protein diet with a little extra salt usually helps to correct edema, poor circulation and high blood pressure. Source: Water: swelling, tension, pain, fatigue, aging

What he suggested in practice

• Enough protein every day, mainly from milk, cheese, eggs and shellfish.
• 5 to 10 grams of gelatin with a large serving of meat.
• Fruit or another sugar with protein, especially with eggs.
• Broth for gelatin and minerals.

Where he wrote about it

This topic comes up in 90 of the articles on his site. These are the most relevant ones:

• Glycemia, starch, and sugar in context · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Meat physiology, stress, and degenerative physiology · original on raypeat.com ↗
• BSE ("mad cow"), scrapie, etc.: Stimulated amyloid degeneration and the toxic fats · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Tryptophan, serotonin, and aging · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Gelatin, stress, longevity · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Multiple sclerosis, protein, fats, and progesterone · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Thyroid: Therapies, Confusion, and Fraud · original on raypeat.com ↗
• Natural Estrogens · original on raypeat.com ↗

My take

Half of my protein comes from 20 g of beef gelatin in warm milk with sugar, twice a day. Two spoons of gelatin, a few eggs and some beef are plenty when carbs are high. If your stomach acid is low, keep it to 20 to 30 g per meal.

Quick answers

How much protein did Ray Peat recommend?

His website articles call for a high protein diet without fixing a number. They stress the source: milk, cheese, eggs, shellfish and gelatin rather than muscle meat alone.

What did Ray Peat say about meat?

That muscle meat eaten alone gives an amino acid balance like that of stress, high in tryptophan and cysteine, and should be balanced with gelatin or broth.

What did Ray Peat say about eggs?

He lists eggs among the balanced proteins and the anti-aging foods, and notes that their amino acids stimulate insulin, so they can lower blood sugar if eaten without carbohydrate.