Tyler, I disagree with Ray Peat on some things (such as the importance of commensal microbiota) but I tried to confirm your allegation about Ray Peat advocating grain-fed meats, and all I found was these:
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/meat-physiology-stress.shtml
"(Grass-fed organic beef fresh from a local farm would be a reasonable choice.)"
Ray Peat’s diet
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AV-Skeptics/message/5523
– with cheese and milk, the feeding of the animals (grassfed vs. grainfed) is more the issue than raw vs. pasteurized.
I think Ray Peat was a condemning omega-3s as being far worse than any omega-6s. I am pretty sure of this, but I admit I cannot immediately find the right source.
Peat considers both omega-6 and omega-3 FAs to be toxic, especially when oxidized, and has frequently warned against both. I quickly searched and found that he does write more about omega-3, which has become popular in the media and diet forums in recent years, and warned that it is even more oxidizable than omega-6:
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fats-degeneration3.shtml
The “balance” between the omega -3 and the omega -6 fatty acids is increasingly being presented as a defense against the toxic omega -6 fats. But the accumulation of unsaturated fats with aging makes any defense increasingly difficult, and the extreme instability of the highly unsaturated omega -3 fats creates additional problems.
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/unsuitablefats.shtml
among the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) the omega -3 fatty acids react most easily with oxygen
Peat reported that even cod liver from unfermented sources had problems:
"Between the first and second world wars, cod liver oil was recommended as a vitamin supplement, at first as a source of vitamin A, and later as a source of vitamins A and D. But in the late 1940s, experimenters used it as the main fat in dogs' diet, and found that they all died from cancer, while the dogs on a standard diet had only a 5% cancer mortality. That sort of information, and the availability of synthetic vitamins, led to the decreased use of cod liver oil." http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/fats-degeneration3.shtml
The reason Ron Schmid was prevented from speaking and selling at the conference was because he wrote an article where he blamed his heart problems on his consumption of Green Pasture's Fermented Cod Liver Oil. The article was called Too Much of a Not So Good Thing. This violated the WAPF policy for exhibitors and speakers that they are not allowed to say anything bad about any products that are sold by conference exhibitors or that are produced by companies that donate funds to the foundation.
Yes, and his opinion is rather credible, as he used to sell the GP RFCLO himself. The good news is that he says he has been recovering since he stopped taking daily high doses of CLO (more than the recommended amounts), which fits with his claim that it was the culprit (though that's not proof, of course).
It's difficult to know what to do when there is so much conflicting information and so many conflicting opinions. I was already planning on trying going without any supplements for vit D in the future, so this controversy is another incentive to try that. I think I'll continue to use topical vit D. Even before this controversy, I was mostly using the RFCLO I had recently purchased like a lip balm, figuring it would be safer applied to the skin than directly ingested, though some does get ingested this way, and I would also swallow a tiny amount. I figured the vitamin A might also be good for my lips. Danny Roddy and others recommended vitamin A for glucose-triggered lip chapping.
If I don't buy the RFCLO or CLO/butter oil mixture (which I bought this last time) again, I'll miss it. I actually liked the fermented taste and kick of the unflavored version--more so than vinegar, which many people say they like. A past jar did eventually go rancid, though, when it got down to about 1/3 left, as I took small doses and wasn't good about always keeping it refrigerated. That further increased the cost/unit for me, which was another reason I hadn't been buying it. Some people say that the fresh product tastes "rancid," but if they tasted it when it truly goes bad some months after being opened, they would know that it can get far worse. LOL
I know people who think that all fish smells and tastes rancid--even if fresh caught that day, and to the point where they will exit a kitchen or house if fish is being cooked in it. During a period where I was doing a lot of fishing, I found that the more I ate and handled the fish, the less bad and less strong it smelled to me and the better it tasted. It seems like people adapt to it over time. I have seen videos of Inuit elders relishing and praising "stink heads" (fish fermented for about a year) and Chukchi people relishing fermented walrus that nearly made British physicians ill (the British also considered it "rancid" and they couldn't stand the smell of it, which didn't bother the Chukchi at all). However, the Inuit and Chukchi live in very cold climates, and they have certain physiological adaptations, and even they eat such foods seasonally, so their experience may not be that applicable to us.
