Posts made by Mauritio

@Peatly Yes good point . You would expect the opposite. Not sure why that would be. Can Vitamin A substitute for thyroid hormone ?

@brad Thanks for sharing. Miss the possibility to talk to him. He was such a gentle soul.

@Sunniva Swasons apple polyphenols.

Great caption btw I would add that when you learn something new, you change the way you see that past, which is basically like changing the past. Very empowering quote as it puts the power back into the hands of the individual.

A few quotes on Vitamin A from Ray's favorite physiology book, Textbook Of Endocrine Physiology By Constance R. Martin PhD.
The textbook is still downloadable from this thread: (https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/textbook-of-endocrine-physiology-by-constance-r-martin-phd.21092/post-552642)

"Cells of the thyroid gland make similar molecules.
and thyroid hormone deficiencies increase the dietary requirements for vitamin A."

"Vitamin A derivatives are essential for promoting normal growth and differentiation of the epithelial cell of skin mucous membranes, reproductive organs and some sensory structures; and they exert influences on mucus secretion, keratinization, and other processes**. They deter the development of hyperplasia, dysplasia, and metaplasia and have therefore been tested for use in patients with some forms of cancer (8).** They play roles in directing growth
and remodeling of bone (82) and they protect against overgrowth at sites of innervation. Deficiencies impair skeletal development, but they are also associated with periosteal proliferation in some regions, with excessive osteoblacstic activity, and with neurological disturbances related to bone impingement on the nerves (30). Such effects are accompanied by changes in the RNA and DNA content of the tissues, and they probably involve interactions with other regulators. "

"Laboratory mammals maintained on Vitamin A deficient diets stop growing, acquire numerous epithelial cell and connective tissue disorders and become blind and sterile. Retinoic acid can prevent or alleviate most of the effects, including the keratinization of the conjunctiva and failure to establish and maintain estrous cycles. However retinol or a precursor is needed for spermatogenesis, for the ability to sustain pregnancy, and for the formation of visual pigments."

Interesting, following.
It does have an androgenic feeling to it, so look out for changes in that too.

Wow, interesting!
500mcg is quite the dosage, although in this case probably the lesser issue.

Heres another study on selenium beeing protective against heavy metals:

• https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/selenium-removes-mercury-in-methylmercury-poisoned-rats.51024/

@questforhealth Yes, I would think so. If the candida biofilm holds the heavy metal, what happens to the metal when you destroy the biofilm? Intuitively I would say it gets released. Not good...

@Amazoniac
It is very interesting that Vitamin C ameliorates some of the issues of a Vitamin A deficiency, which implies that Vit. A deficiency causes oxidative stress in some way, which Vitamin C reverses. This hypothesis would be further validated if there were studies showing that other anti-oxidants like selenium or Vitamin E can do the same thing.

Table 2 however shows that while Vitamin C restored 3bHSD and thus androstenedione concenctation,the Vitamin A deficient and VItamin C supplemented group 3, had a cortisol blood level that was more than 50% higher than group 1, which received Vitamin A. So the addition of Vitamin C seems to restore the steroid production, but move them more into a stress hormones state.

With that beeing said , it would be good to see how other hormones like pregnenolone, testosterone or prolactin change on those diets.

Niacinamide is as effective as minoxidil

Apple Polyphenols are more effective than finasteride.

It is almost as if we dont need these drugs and nature has a solution for us.

"It was observed an increase of 6.7 total hairs/0.25 cm2 after 6 months of procyanidin therapy. The same effects have been reported with minoxidil40–42 and finasteride (an inhibitor of type II 5α-reductase, Merck)8 therapy for androgenetic alopecia. In 2% minoxidil treatment, an increase of 250 total hairs/5.1 cm2 (calculated as 12.3 total hairs/0.25 cm2) after 12-month therapy was reported.40 In finasteride treatment (1 mg/day, oral administration), an increase of 86 total hairs/5.1 cm2 (calculated as 4.22 total hairs/0.25 cm2) after 12-month therapy was reported.8 The level of efficacy of 1% procyanidin B2 is concluded to compare favorably with minoxidil and finasteride therapy.15 "

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5775114/

@Ivy You can make the apple polyphenols into a topical as well. Just dissolve a capsule in water (or apple juice) and apply it to the scalp. Maybe a bit of alcohol could enhance the penetration.
You could also add niacianmide to the solution since it is water soluble as well ( just as the polyphenols).

The studies show that oral OR topical apple polyphenols (procyanidin B2 to be precise) are effective for hair loss, so a combination of both should be very effective. If you add niacinamide and the glucose from apple juice that is hair growth galore.

"One of the major issues with heavy metals, especially mercury, is the high percentage of reabsorption through the gut. While elemental mercury is poorly absorbed through the gut, its organic methylated form is highly absorbed (90–95% absorption). The non-organic elemental mercury excreted through the bile is often methylated by abnormal bacteria or yeast in the gut resulting in re-absorption of methylated mercury. Organic mercury (from fish and seafood) and elemental mercury absorbed from various pollutants can also be absorbed through the digestive tract. The methylated mercury can pass the blood-brain barrier, and exert its toxic effects in the brain either as methylated mercury, or after being demethylated in the brain, as elemental mercury. A similar mechanism and issue exists for other heavy metals that can get reabsorbed through the digestive tract."

"Candida protects the body from heavy metal toxicity. Candida surrounds metals in the body, encompassing them, in an effort to protect the body from foreign metals. If heavy metal toxicity remains present in the body the Candida will not leave. “Overgrowth of Candida is often due to heavy metal toxicity (such as mercury gradually leaching from silver fillings). Swiss research shows that Candida actually helps protect the body against heavy metal toxicity. Rather than trying to ‘kill’ the Candida, the best therapy is to clear the heavy metals and toxic dental work (all metals) so the Candida can return to normal levels in the body,” says pH Pure. This belief is not accepted by all practitioners."

https://www.nourishingplot.com/2013/12/12/five-factors-that-perpetuate-candida/[/URL]

I think this might be the reason many can never really get rid of their candida/ fungus issue. Heavy metal toxicity might be the underlying issue. So if you treat that, Candida might leave as well. This is where MCP (Modified Citrus Pectin For Lead Poisoning) comes into play...

So if I read this study right candida does in fact have protective function in the case of heavy metal toxicity as [USER=13318]@Rinse & rePeat[/USER] suggested

"Our results showed that the metal ions were reduced to their corresponding metallic nanoconglomerate or nanoparticles by Candida species. This is the first report on how yeasts of this genus are capable of achieving homeostasis (resilience) in the presence of metal ions of both precious and toxic metals by reducing them to a metallic state."

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6801149/

"This suggests that Candida biofilms may adsorb metal cations from their surroundings and that sequestration in the extracellular matrix may contribute to resistance. We concluded that biofilm formation may be a strategy for metal resistance and/or tolerance in yeasts."

• Metal resistance in Candida biofilms

So Candida preferentially accumulates Chromium, lead, silver and cadmium.

"The objective of this work was to study the resistance and removal capacity of heavy metals by the yeast Candida albicans. The resistance of some heavy metals was analyzed: the yeast grows in 2000 ppm of chromium, zinc, lead, and copper, 1500 ppm of arsenic (III), 500 ppm of silver, and little bit in cobalt (300 ppm) and mercury and cadmium (200 ppm). Analyzing its potential to remove heavy metals, it can efficiently remove is as follows: Cr(VI) (76%), lead (57%), silver (51%), cadmium (46%), fairly arsenic(III) (40% with the modified biomass), cobalt (37%), mercury (36%), copper (31%), little bit zinc (22%), and fluoride (10%). "

• Biosorption of Heavy Metals by Candida albicans

A Few articles on that topic:

• Co-Infections as Signals of Heavy Metal Toxicity | Optimus Medica

• Heavy Metal Toxicity and Candida: What is it and Why is it so Prevalent?

@evan-hinkle
My results come from the supplement. Eating apples is not as effective for some reason.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26303142/

After 1 month on apple polyphenols I notice:

​- less hair loss

• less water retention in face and body

• muscles look fuller (pro-liver effect)

All in all the effect is not super strong, but noticable so I will continue.

Even a mild Vitamin A deficiency decreases DHEA and Pregnenolone formation by about 40% in rats.
Not surpsing, since Vitamin A is needed for the enzyme that converts cholesterol into pregnenolone ( https://bioenergetic.forum/topic/1006/vitamin-a-deficiency-impairs-gonadal-steroid-synthesis?_=1708874573052)

Even more evident was the effect on androstenedione, which suggests that the important enzyme 3bHSD was not working anymore (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/3β-Hydroxysteroid-Dehydrogenase)
In the testes the conversion was more than 4 times lower when the animals experienced an "acute Vitamin A deficiency".

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1264968/?page=1

Great points. You can get too much Vitamin A, but you can certainly get too little.

To clarify what you said: if your Vitamin A is low, you will get a pregnenolone deficiency, since the side chain cleaveage enzyme converts cholesterol to pregnenolone. Pregnenolone was peats one supplement he would take on a lonely island with him for a reason and he often repeated how you need T3 and Vitamin A to turn cholesterol into hormones and bile acids.

You guys should look into the RXR. Its a very interesting nuclear receptor.

I posted a lot more studies on C3G in this thread on the forum that had to do with Ray Peat.
just too lazy to post them all here.

https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/cyanidin-3-o-glucoside-c3g-the-next-polyphenolic-star.52555/

@Milk The difference is like 10% ...

@Not_James_Bond
Depends on the cost.

Elederberry juice is good. Dried elderberries are pretty economic since they contain a lot more C3G per gram.