Peat vs. Jaminet

I recently sent Ray Peat a question on the role of brain infections on headaches and insomnia to which he graciously responded. I have also recently been interested in Paul Jaminet's theories on the root cause of brain disorders. Peat responded by saying he thought brain infections were very rare and that the culprits were more likely hypothyroidism, excess serotonin, and gut inflammation. This was, in a way, very encouraging. The possibility of a brain infection was not a comforting thought, especially when the treatment is carbohydrate restriction and antibiotics.

I wanted to break down at a high level the two arguments, and what my personal experiences have been, and the extent those experiences support either hypothesis.

Migraines

Jaminet- Brain hypoglycemia caused by intracelluar bacteria stealing glucose

Peat - Hypogylcemia, hypothyroid, gut inflammation.

Jaminet's favor:

• Low carb, near ketogenic diet very effective at eliminating headaches and improving mood, despite possibly being bad for thyroid.
• Brain hypoglycemia symptoms with normal BG readings.

Peat's favor:

• Thyroid and high sugar consumption provides some relief in the short run (although may make things worse in the long run)
• Gut issues and headaches tend to correlate.

Some of these observations can be made to work with the other's theories. Jaminet mentions that eating large amounts of carbohydrates would temporarily relieve the symptoms of hypoglycemia for example. On the other hand the benefits of carbohydrate restriction may be explainable by reducing the endotoxin and serotonin production in the gut or it's effect on neurotransmitter levels (lower glutamate, higher GABA).

Insomnia

Jaminet - Bacteria steal tryptophan causing serotonin deficiency and thus melatonin deficiency.

Peat - Excess serotonin causing sleep disturbance. Hypothyroidism.

Weight of evidence clearly in Peat's favor because:

• Melatonin supplements did not help at all.
• Years ago a 5-htp supplement (serotonin precursor) made me feel lifeless and crashed my sex drive.
• Dopamine agonist Bromocriptine helped me fall asleep (if taken in the A.M.). Presumably this would make insomnia worse if the issue was a lack of serotonin.
• Thyroid/sugar/orange juice/milk at bed time helps me fall asleep and sleep well.

I think there is some crossover between the two approaches. In both cases bacteria play a major role, either from infection or overgrowth in the intestines (Peat) or directly an infection in the Brain (Jaminet). Peat's theories mesh well with my focus on gut health and diet, where as Jaminet's insights mesh well with suspicions of tick borne infections. Lately I have been swinging back towards Peat with higher consumption of sugars, gelatin, and dairy while taking thyroid (T3 only). So far things have been mostly favorable with improved sleep, mood, and energy levels. Headaches have not really attenuated, but I think outstanding gut issues may be playing an important role there.

Sources:

Ray Peat articles and interviews

Perfect Health Diet