Hormesis is a fundamental concept in biology, and in health and disease.
Importantly, you can use hormesis deliberately to improve your own health and live longer.
What is hormesis?
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Importantly, you can use hormesis deliberately to improve your own health and live longer.
What is hormesis?
Thread 👇
Hormesis is a process in which exposure to a low dose of a toxin or stressor that is damaging at higher doses induces an adaptive beneficial effect on the cell or organism.
Hormesis is ubiquitous in living things.
Hormesis is ubiquitous in living things.
Hormesis is fundamental to living organisms' ability to survive and thrive against the assaults of the environment
Hugo Schulz discovered hormesis in 1884 when he noted that yeast cells grew better in the presence of low doses of chemical disinfectants.
Hugo Schulz discovered hormesis in 1884 when he noted that yeast cells grew better in the presence of low doses of chemical disinfectants.
Hormesis is characterized by a "biphasic dose-response curve", with low dose stimulation and high dose toxicity.
E.G. the effect of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, on the growth of a bacterium.
E.G. the effect of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, on the growth of a bacterium.
Many forms of hormesis are relevant to human health.
The best example is exercise.
Not enough exercise is damaging, as is too much exercise.
The right amount results in stress resistance and better health.
The best example is exercise.
Not enough exercise is damaging, as is too much exercise.
The right amount results in stress resistance and better health.
Radiation
Radiation increased the longevity of British radiologists
birpublications.org/doi/abs/10.125…
Lower rates of cancer in an area with high background radiation onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.111…
Radiation increased the longevity of British radiologists
birpublications.org/doi/abs/10.125…
Lower rates of cancer in an area with high background radiation onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.111…
Phytochemicals, e.g. sulforaphane, found in broccoli
The phytoprotective agent sulforaphane prevents inflammatory degenerative diseases and age-related pathologies via Nrf2-mediated hormesis
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
The phytoprotective agent sulforaphane prevents inflammatory degenerative diseases and age-related pathologies via Nrf2-mediated hormesis
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
A lifestyle with the addition of hormetic stress is healthy.
The opposite lifestyle is the couch potato, leading to obesity and diabetes.
Excess food, lack of physical activity: in short, the lifestyle of most people today.
The opposite lifestyle is the couch potato, leading to obesity and diabetes.
Excess food, lack of physical activity: in short, the lifestyle of most people today.
Hormetic stresses are essential for long life and good health.
Comfort is antithetical to them.
Comfort is antithetical to them.
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