Stress can be excellent for your health!
As a young boy growing up in a hot climate, I heard it, ad infinitum, that the sun was dangerous and that sun screen was critical for my safety. At the same time, my mother, once a nurse, would point out that the right amount of the very same potentially damaging sun would also be very healthy for me. It seemed contradictory, but in fact, is not. It's part of a process called hormesis, and may be a fundamental key to improving health, strength, mental function, fecundity, and vitality.
Hormesis is defined as a systemic effect where a benefit, such as improved immunity, more robust health, or even longevity, can accrue from exposure to low doses of something that is toxic at higher doses (Calabrese et al., 2007.) The example of solar radiation is but one of many examples of this effect on humans throughout nature. Thousands of compounds have been identified as hormetic. The discovery of hormesis in the 20th century was first described by an oak bark that inhibited fungal growth at high doses, but at low doses actually improved fungal growth.
Essentially, hormesis is part of the body's attempt to maintain homeostasis. Anytime external stressors act on us, causing our body to become imbalanced in some fashion, it attempts to return to its optimal state. This is a complex process to fully understand, but what it clearly shows is that the human body (and indeed all nature) is adaptive to its environment in a remarkably plastic way, and that this can be utilized to improve well-being.
A good analogue to understand hormesis is body building (actually exercise in general.) When you work out with weights, you are in a real sense, tearing up your muscle fibers, doing harmful damage to them, and in response, your body builds new and larger/denser fibers. By knowing how this process works, we can take advantage of it to benefit our muscle growth, and our health. Research published in the journal Dose Response shows that when the body is under hormetic stressors, it activates a set of anti-stress gene networks, which then activate various homeostatic mechanisms (like sirtuin pathways, heat-shock proteins, growth factors, and antioxidants.) These adaptive responses protect the cells, tissue, and organs from environmental toxicity and stress.
Another example of this is caloric restriction. Many studies have now shown that when the body is consuming less calories, various processes are enacted that have protective effects. While extreme hunger can have many damaging consequences, mild hunger, especially lasting short periods like a fast, can actually have many beneficial effects, including improved overall health, better immune response, and, again, even longevity. The famous Wim Hof has clearly demonstrated (and research has backed it up) that while excessive cold exposure can be harmful, short periods of extreme cold, much like a fast, can have very positive health benefits.
Ionizing radiation (like sunlight), despite its dangers at higher doses, is also beneficial at low doses. Some research showed reduced rates of cancer in workers who handled low-level radioactive materials, and in those that worked at high altitudes. In 2005, the National Cancer Institute published a report stating that low levels of sun radiation can reduce the risk of cancer.
Stories of people in history who would take low doses of a poison so that they may assassinate a target without killing themselves, give some further insight into hormesis. A series of studies on dioxin, a toxic chemical related to agent-orange, which has no safe levels for consumption in humans according to the EPA, showed that in rats, low doses significantly reduced the size of tumors. Furthermore, analysis of data from the NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) suggested low exposure to dioxin reduced rates of cancer in factory workers.
Nutritional Benefits from Hormetic Foods.
In nutrition, there are also many examples of the hormetic effect, and understanding them is fundamental to taking advantage. Much has been written on the beneficial effects of turmeric on cancer cell proliferation. Like many plants, at low levels of consumption, what would otherwise be a toxic substance, becomes highly healthful. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, contains two enzymes, 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2, which we know create and sustain inflammation in organs and tissue. So, at high doses, curcumin is toxic and dangerous, but at low doses, it is anti-inflammatory, and therefore hormetic in nature.
Essential micronutrients like vitamin A exemplify hormesis at work. In relatively low amounts, A is essential for proper human development and particularly for eye function, but in high amounts, vitamin A can cause headaches, extreme drowsiness, and even altered mental states (Penniston and Tanumihardjo, 2006.)
Allacin, laurel, moringa, spinach, kale, berries -- the list of hormetic compounds with low-dose benefits is over 5000 strong! Even caffeine is hormetic.
Eat the Right Foods for Better Health.
Many of the benefits derived from vegetables may in fact be related to the hormetic effect. Plants create toxic chemical responses to environmental stressors, especially bacteria, fungi, and virii. While, to an attacking fungus these phytochemicals are toxic enough to be deterrents, to humans their mildly toxic effects create an overall cellular response which leads to hormetic health advantages like lower risk of disease, infection, and neuro-degeneration.
Consider that many benefits attributed to consuming fruits and vegetables are directly result of this hormetic process. When we study and develop formulas for our supplements, we consider the application of hormesis through dose control -- choosing key foods in key amounts. Our RESVERAYOUTH supplement is a master class in the application of hormetic nutrition. Studies show the protective and antioxidant effects of the hormetic compounds in red wine like resveratrol, and the anthocyanins in 'superfruits' like acai, blueberries and pomegranate, result in positive benefits to health and longevity. Our GREEN 33 supplement takes advantage of the phytochemicals, antioxidants, and catechins in cruciferous 'super' vegetables and other fruits to produce real benefits to health.
Dosage is everything.
Science is clear that consumption of these mildly toxic substances, called phytochemicals, at specific concentrations in supplements can be highly beneficial to our health. According to research published in Neuromolecular Med. (2008; 10(4): 236–246:) "sulforaphane, a phytochemical present in high amounts in broccoli sprouts and cruciferous vegetables, is known to activate the Nrf2-ARE stress response pathway in a variety of cells including neurons. Sulforaphane has been reported to protect cultured neurons against oxidative stress (Kraft et al., 2004) and dopaminergic neurons against mitochondrial toxins."
There are endless examples of how the right application of stress or toxin can be useful to good health. But the key is that at the wrong doses, these same compounds can be harmful. Meta-analyses performed by various researchers (Cook and Calabrese, 2007; Hayes, 2007) help provide 4 Organics with detailed information regarding the dose-response effects of a wide range of natural plant compounds, and we apply this to our formulations for ideal effect.
Dose is everything. In order to gain the benefits, the right amount is crucial -- what scientists call 'biphasic dose response.' You may have heard the common expression in toxicology: the dose determines the poison. Take the correct amount and you are off to the races. Take the wrong amount and woe betide. The line between medicine and poison is critical.
Hormesis for Better Health.
So what is the lesson from hormesis? It may very well be that many of the positive effects we attribute to eating fruits and vegetables are a direct result of their hormetic nature. Moreover, in addition to eating the right foods, we can also judiciously apply stressors to the body in order to bolster strength and improve tolerance to a wide range of life challenges and assaults. Exercise, cold, heat, radiation, calorie control, plant alkaloids, and much more, can be carefully applied to create better health and longer life.
One might almost see it as a foundational philosophy for good health. The right application of stress, like all concerted efforts to accomplish difficult things, results in positive life rewards. The more you challenge yourself, the more capable you become at effectively responding to life's challenges. Understanding hormesis means understanding better health!
The opinions expressed in this article are of the author. Content and other information presented on the site are not a substitute for professional advice, counseling, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard professional medical or mental health advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read here.
References:
Cook R, Calabrese EJ. The importance of hormesis to public health. Cien saude Colet. 2007;12:955–963.
Bastianetto S, Zheng WH, Quirion R. Neuroprotective abilities of resveratrol and other red wine constituents against nitric oxide-related toxicity in cultured hippocampal neurons. Br J Pharmacol. 2000;131:711–720.
Bastianetto S, Yao ZX, Papadopoulos V, Quirion R. Neuroprotective effects of green and black teas and their catechin gallate esters against beta-amyloid-induced toxicity. Eur J Neurosci. 2006;23:55–64.
Berger KJ, Guss DA. Mycotoxins revisited: Part I. J Emerg Med. 2005;28:53–62.
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