Hormesis Theory

Since the dawn of time man has struggled with the concept of death: It is a dilemma that has caused concern and turmoil to many. Our brains riddle us questions concerning death, regardless of how inevitable the event may be. The not knowing when it will happen, how it will happen or whether we have enough time in our hands. Yet every day we have new hope of a longer lives; new innovations and medications. We may not be able to achieve immortality this very moment, but we can settle for the next best thing: longevity. Nonetheless, before longevity comes health. We must first conquer the intangible ways of our health, if we wish to live a little longer. This is where Hormesis comes in. Hormesis is a theory that has had its ups and downs in the …show more content…
Specifically, we shall discuss whether the concept of Hormesis is existed. We shall also discuss the two types of Hormesis, inhibition and stimulation. More specifically we shall discuss the role Nuclear Medicine, Radiology and Radiation Therapy play in Hormesis as it relates to radiation. Finally, we shall discuss our thoughts on the Hormesis theory; specifically, if it a feasible concept or simply far-fetched. Hormesis is defined by the National Institute of Health (NIH) as an “Environmental agent characterized by a low dose stimulation or beneficial effect and a high dose inhibitory or toxic effect”. In short this simply describes that in order for a hermetic effect to take place a low dose should be achieved that can yield a positive stimulation of a process within an organism. Likewise, a negative effect can occur which is also characterized by a high dose, which we mostly refer to as poisoning. In many cases by definition Hormesis does exist but, does hormesis exist at a low dose: any and every time? This is one of the issues that is being debated by many great minds. Some arguments presented shed light on certain important factor that surround this …show more content…
All systems in the universe have a form of debugging due to the fact that all systems have bugs in them. Everything in excess can harm anyone or anything. Water is the substance that drives natures flourishing beauty, yet it can wipe cities off the map. It can poison organisms by over consumption. It can kill a plant or a tree solely based on the amount of moisture. Yet water is one if not the most important molecule in our lives. In conclusion “it is the dose that makes a thing a poison” (Paracelsus 1541). There is not one thing that can be only good and not bad for any organism. Even energy in high amounts can cause destruction. Hormesis is a theory that possess vast worth for humanity, it can allow us to better understand how our bodies really work. How our bodies really heal and how easily any substance can damage them. Sometimes these damages incur formations of malignant forms within an organism’s body, equally sometimes they remove or combat this forms. It is my belief that Hormesis does exist and it is important for our future health to comprehend its