Hormesis - a small amount of 'toxin' eg exercise or Intermittent Fasting can help

reposted from: http://www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/lns/BestinSmallDoses.pdf - copy of New Scientist 2008 article

crabsallover highlights, key points, comments / links.

Hormesis (wikipedia) involves a biphasic response in which a small amount of a toxin has a beneficial effect whilst increasing quantities are toxic.

An example of a hormetic product is selenium which is a micronutrient and improves health at low doses but is toxic at high doses. Plants and vegetables (5 a day) and Exercise have a hormetic effect too.

A very low dose of a chemical agent may trigger from an organism the opposite response to a very high dose.