💊Daily Pill: Hormesis
What doesn't kill you... 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
The Daily Pill is a series of very short daily posts where I share the definition of a medical term I think we should all know. Read it every morning and build up your medical vocabulary.
🥲Hormesis
Phenomenon in biology and medicine where a low dose of a substance or an environmental factor that is normally harmful actually has a beneficial effect at these lower doses. You can think of it as a biological response where exposure to a mild stress or toxin triggers adaptive beneficial effects on the cell or organism. For example, when cells are exposed to a small amount of a toxic agent or stress, they can not only become resistant to higher levels of that agent but also may show improved functionality and longevity. This is similar to how lifting weights puts stress on muscles, causing them to adapt and grow stronger. Another example is controlled exposure to allergens in allergy therapy.
🤔Why you need to know:
Because you can use this concept to enhance your body. I only have posts on 3 of these but here are some examples of hormesis:
Caloric restriction: Promotes longevity and reduces the risk of many diseases.
Exercise: Induces muscle stress that leads to increased strength and endurance. Masterclass on Building Strength and Stamina
Cold exposure: Triggers increased metabolism and immune system enhancement.
Heat exposure (saunas): Improves cardiovascular health and stress resilience.
Intermittent fasting: Stresses the body intermittently to improve metabolic health.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: Uses controlled oxygen levels to enhance healing and immune responses.
Moderate Sun Exposure: A small amount of daily sunlight can boost vitamin D levels and mood.
Spicy Foods: Capsaicin, found in chili peppers, can stimulate metabolism and heart health.
Coffee Consumption: Moderate coffee drinking is linked to reduced risk of several diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The Ultimate Crash Course on Caffeine
🧠Trivia:
The term "hormesis" was coined by Chester Southam and John Ehrlich in 1943, who observed that small doses of red cedar wood extract, which is toxic at higher concentrations, stimulated fungal spore germination rather than inhibiting it