Psoriasis, Ray Peat, Liver

Psoriasis pathogenesis involves the liver problems – there is no doubt about it! But how exactly do liver functions deteriorate to the point of developing psoriasis in persons who lived a relatively healthy or average lifestyle? I mean no alcohol, not heavily overeating on sugar and no drugs…

Psoriasis and Liver: Ray Peat On Liver Health

Ray Peat will tell you why and how liver functions start to lack.

Sure, emotional stress or diet low in nutrients is at the core of the problem.

Can you guess what nutritional deficiencies are usually at the beginning?

Here is a transcript of what Ray Peat is saying in the next excerpt of his interview for one radio.

“
The liver to the extent that it’s injured will ruin the whole organism. It’s the the chemist for the whole organism and if you’re starving and not getting enough protein especially or not enough B vitamins your liver loses the ability to detoxify and you get gross hormone imbalances.

And that can lead to a progressive inflammation, fibrosis and as these processes get more serious the liver becomes a larger source of nitric oxide.

And at the point that it’s becoming inflamed and cirrhotic then it starts secreting nitric oxide to the whole system.

And the lungs with an acute injury to the liver, the lungs will become acutely inflamed.

When they transplant a liver they’ve measured the sick person’s nitric oxide very high when they put in a new liver suddenly the nitric oxide is low and the lungs suddenly begin working more efficiently. Demonstrating that the liver is poisoning the lungs so that the oxygen doesn’t get through efficiently.

And with the brain the same thing is happening edema is produced in the brain by the endotoxin-nitric oxide combination.

The ammonia produced by the liver which is being injured was a traditional explanation for why the brain has problems in proportion to the liver.

But now it’s known that the ammonia is activating the nerves that are excited by the glutamic acid – MSG excitatory amino acid – and those excitatory amino acids act largely through nitric oxide.

And so a depression, anxiety and I assume aggression is a part of this mixture of gradual poisoning to different degrees.
“

Undigested Starch Toxicity

Recently I have had a discussion via e-mail with one of the readers of this psoriasis blog. It worked out as a great debate so I asked Ross if he let me publish our conversation. He agreed so you can read an interesting debate full of ideas about fish oil, psoriasis, inflammation, coconut oil, endotoxins, starch toxicity and Ray Peat recommendations.

Ross:

Hi John

I want to think you for introducing me to the ideas of Ray Peat. I think he has a lot of very interesting things to say that are relevant to psoriasis, and to good health in general. I note that some of the things he says are inconsistent with some of your earlier suggestions, so I commend you for being open minded. It is not easy, or indeed common, to have such intellectual flexibility, so well done!

Best regards.

John:

Thank you, Ross!

If you want to go ahead and do the best work possible in any area you need to be open minded and never think you got something that is 100% truth and can never be changed.

May I ask you for some “inconsistent” suggestions of mine? I want to get as much feedback as possible so if you do not mind, please, share anything what comes on your mind.

I listen to Ray Peat interviews on YouTube almost daily and he surely knows a lot as he is in the business for about 50 years.

One very interesting topic is “The Persorption of Starch” by Gerhard Volkheimer. Search about it on Google and you will understand why I strive for enzymes, thinning the blood and fighting the hypoxia since 2013 when I started my blog.

Ray Peat mentioned this topic as well. If you had any questions, please, let me know.

The more feedback and questions I get the better.

Here is what I posted on my Facebook a week ago:

”
I will publish new articles in the next few days and weeks. It just takes very long to put the articles together as I want them to be the “evergreens”.

I write a lot articles at the time so not one by one. I want them to be (almost) perfect in a way that I will have no need in the future to rewrite and edit them.
What can I say new what I researched during the past few months?

1. Lecithin, B-complex and bile flow (artichoke leaf extract) and Ursodeoxycholic acid (if one can get prescribed some) are all essentials!

We already know that, but what can make a great improvement is using coenzymated form of b-complex. Source Naturals brand produce probably the best B-complex I know about. Especially Thiamine as CoCarboxylase makes a huge difference in (ANS) nervous system function.

2. Urine (and sauna) can expel a lot of toxins responsible for psoriasis. Thiamine (cocarboxylase) helps with that. Urine become darker as thiamin probably makes the lymphatic system much more effective!

It is known that Beri Beri (a thiamine deficiency) has one very interesting symptom in relation to lymph – swollen legs! Which means that a lot of fluid in the body is not filtered by the kidneys!You can read about the lymphatic system and inflammation induced nitric oxide effects on lymphatic vessels!

3. Iron toxicity – iron is toxic to liver and I will publish some articles how to lower the toxic levels of iron in the body.
“

Thank you for your support and feedback which helps me to research and write!

How are you now?

What supplements do you take?

John

Ross:

Hi John

Thanks for your email. I look forward to reading your new articles.

One of the big things that Ray Peat advocates is avoiding polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). I think this may be inconsistent with your recommendation to supplement with fish oil?

If hypothyroidism is involved in psoriasis (which I think it probably is, at least in my case as the symptoms are pretty much identical) then Ray Peat recommends avoiding foods that are goitrogens / estrogenic. I think perhaps this includes Licorice and maybe Schisandra which I think you recommend. I had a bad reaction to Schisandra.

Ray Peat suggests consuming high sugar (fructose, lactose and glucose) to increase cellular energy production and reduce hypoglycemia including at night before sleep, to lower adrenaline and night sweats. I had a recollection that perhaps you suggested it might be better to avoid sugars before bed to prevent the insulin spike and crash followed by adrenaline and night sweats.

I am starting to see significant improvements. I had my amalgam fillings removed and my root canals removed a few months ago. The main supplements I’m currently taking are desiccated beef liver capsules, collagen, and a mixture of cooked turmeric powder in coconut oil with black pepper. I was drinking a lot of coconut water for potassium but after listening to Ray Peat I have switched to Orange Juice which is way cheaper, nearly as high in potassium, has some magnesium, as well as compounds that are anti estrogenic (apparently). I’m also swigging oregano oil diluted in olive oil. Avoiding PUFAs. Eating saturated fats with carbohydrates. Eating dairy with meats (eg. cheese or followed up with home made ice cream – no gum – and banana, more fructose and potassium). Reduced alcohol consumption. Eliminated coffee (although ray suggests coffee is actually very beneficial provided taken after a meal). And I just started Pregnenolone this week to help produce thyroid. One thing I am about to try is chicken neck soup as another means to improve thyroid function. Sunshine and saunas have also been very helpful. I’m in the process of buying a 250w infrared bulb / heat lamp which Ray also recommends. So will see if that helps too. Anyway, as I said, significant improvements and I think I’m now on the right track. So thanks again for all your help.

Oh, I found a better way to listen to Ray Peat than via YouTube. There is an app called Podbean that is free to download. If you search Ray Peat you can subscribe and listen to every single interview he has done all in one place. It updates as new interviews are done and it is a more manageable way to listen I think.

Finally, I thought that your insight about psoriasis essentially being fungal growth on the skin that lacks oxygen consistent with Ray’s comment that the hypothyroidism causes the skin to be high in estrogen and that estrogen is loved by fungus as it is also used for its reproductive hormone.

So I’m kind of going with the hypothesis that if we fix the liver and the thyroid and aim to increase cellular energy production and metabolism we get more oxygen at the skin and less estrogen making the skin environment inhospitable to fungus.

I have listened to the starch episode. For me it is difficult to live off fruits and no starch, particularly in the winter. I note that Ray Peat suggests that starch might be ok if consumed with liberal amounts of saturated fats, which I think is a good practical principle to follow.
http://www.functionalps.com/blog/2014/06/06/ray-peat-phd-concerns-with-starches/

Best regards.

Ross

John:

Hi,

regarding the licorice and schisandra – I have not been recommending it as a cure or a potent natural supplements. I simply mentioned those as a potential help. Personally, I felt nothing on schisandra or licorice.

The only 3 things I recommend to everybody to try is B-complex, Lecithin and some choleretic supplement like artichoke leaf extract, ox bile or dehydrocholic acid.

Regarding the fish oil – I will use it as I feel it decreases the inflammation significantly.

I try to get as many sources of information and opinions as possible so I could make my own opinion. There is nobody who I agree 100% with – not even Ray Peat.

Hypothyroidism as many other hormonal imbalances (including the insulin resistance) is usually caused by intestinal inflammation (leaky gut).

I do not remember I was against eating the sugars before the sleep.

It depends what you eat – orange juice, oranges, glucose containing drink, fructose containing drink, candies, sucrose, cakes,…

As I do a lot of sport activities I know that after a heavy workout I have to eat enough carbohydrates otherwise night sweating caused by hypoglycemia is 90% guaranteed.

The point is that in chronic health problems like psoriasis there is a culprit somewhere in making the energy – thick blood and hypoxia is one of them, possible thiamine deficiency is another as in thiamine deficiency lactic acidosis appears… check the lactic acidosis on my blog.

– https://www.psoriasisdietplan.com/2016/07/real-cause-of-acidic-blood-is-deficiency-of-these-vitamins/
– https://www.psoriasisdietplan.com/2018/02/high-dose-thiamine-for-psoriasis/

Always listen to your body to get the best possible results. Never believe or follow anything without analyzing how you feel. Even Ray Peat may be wrong as everybody is unique.

You may hate fish oil now but I can tell you that curcumin (turmeric contains about 3% of it) has its drawbacks as well – blocks the enzyme which degrades the histamine. Also piperine (black pepper contains it) is a potent irritant to the small intestine…

Everything has its pros and cons so in the end you have to know how you feel and if it helps you.

One of the problems with starches is that they can and do pass through the leaky gut and clog the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) = tissue hypoxia. Saturated fats like coconut oil which helped a lot of psoriatics slow down the absorption = more time for enzymes to digest that starch.

– https://www.psoriasisdietplan.com/2017/08/psoriasis-the-gut-brain-axis/
– https://www.psoriasisdietplan.com/2017/08/allergy-and-diet-part-1-the-ultimate-cure-for-psoriasis-and-inflammation/

I do not know if this is why coconut oil helped so many people or if it is its antifungal properties or even some thing else.

– https://www.psoriasisdietplan.com/2017/03/coconut-potent-anti-inflammatory-food-may-work-better-than-biologic-drugs/

My psoriasis theory is not directly fungal infection of the skin.

It is ANS dysfunction which overreacting even to symbiotic microorganisms. Malassezia yeast which lives in the hair follicles may make ANS overreact and create the inflammation which we call psoriasis.

If you want my advice on magnesium supplement I would take this – https://www.iherb.com/pr/Healthy-Origins-Fully-Reacted-Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Chelate-8-oz-227-g/62797

or in tablets – https://www.iherb.com/pr/Healthy-Origins-Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Chelate-360-Tablets/79272

And here is the best multimineral supplement I know about – https://www.iherb.com/pr/Healthy-Origins-Chelated-Multi-Mineral-Iron-Free-240-Veggie-Caps/73144

What we need to address to clear up psoriasis?

If we have no dental infections then the most important thing is resolving the leaky gut (iNOS, yeast overgrowth, low bile flow and enzymes production) and supplementing the B-complex with lecithin.

Do you know Steve Hines, ND? There are some interviews he was in so if you want I can send you the links. He mostly explains the importance of dental health, chronic infections and production of disaccharidases – the enzymes in the small intestine.

Regarding the PUFA (omega 3) and coconut oil.

The research shows that coconut oil increases the absorption of endotoxin when consumed and omega 3 attenuates the endotoxin absorption.

So, in this omega 3 wins over coconut oil.

In general a fatty meal is considered as endotoxin absorption enhancer as some researchers suggest that bile acids released into the small intestine allow the endotoxin (LIPOpolysaccharide) transport into the lymph and blood.

I am trying to pinpoint the best diet in general for 7 years and still can not say what the best diet is.

But what I can say for sure is that undigested starch causes A LOT of problems if not most in those with psoriasis and general chronic inflammation.

John

Ross:

John,

yes I think you are correct that PUFA reduces inflammation. However, as I understand it they adversely affect cell respiration and have serious long term consequences, potentially including cancer.

I understand Ray Peat to be saying that to achieve health the goal should be to increase metabolism and the efficiency of cellular respiration. If we am do that then the body ought to be an environment that is inhospitable to the various microorganisms that generate the LPS involved in psoriasis. If that is achievable then we should not need to use PUFA as an anti inflammatory and we can therefore avoid their harmful effects.

Regarding starch, if it is undigested starch that is the problem, then perhaps if we do need some starchy carbs in the winter the solution might be to eat a little often (with some saturated fats). That way there is a greater chance of the starch being digested.

I don’t know Steve Hines but I will check him out. Thanks for the tip. I think low level dental infections have been a problem for me so it will be interesting to hear what he says.

Ross

John:

Can you point me at an exact passage where Ray Peat talks about the omega 3/fish oil thing you are referring to?

Is he explicitly against consumption of the fish (oil)? Overdosing is another story for sure…

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in a lot of foods so we can not avoid them 100%.

On the other hand omega 3 deficiency is heavily linked to mental health. Generally, fats (and liver is responsible for fat digestion along the pancreas) are very important as they build up the cell walls.

The problem with omega 3 is that they can go rancid easily when exposed to the air as they are very unstable. Rancid fats are very toxic but this is another story.

In my experience omega 3 dramatically improves the general look of the skin… One common physical symptom that you can see in a lot of people is kind of dark circles (around) the hair follicles on the back of the arm (triceps area) – Keratosis Pilaris. This is seen in omega 3 deficiency.

John

Ross:

Hey John

Peat talks about PUFAs in general in a lot of different places. I can’t recall exactly where he talks about Omega 3. But I do recall him saying that the omega oils are stable and liquid at cold temperatures and therefore useful if you’re a cold water fish, but not if you are a human living at normal human temperatures. I might be able to dig out a link to that interview. Let me check.

I could be wrong but I also thought I heard him say that it is cholesterol rather than Omega oils that build up the cell walls. Totally outside my realm of expertise.

Ross

Thank you for your consent to publish this conversation, Ross!