Biology
Sometimes biology is paradoxical: chronic selenium deficiency can extend lifespan but harm overall health. The concept of hormesis shows that 'not so good' can actually be better in certain circumstances.
Line items
Sometimes biology is a bit paradoxical. Let us explain this briefly today.
Back when science was not yet as refined as it is now—roughly a hundred years ago—researchers naturally wanted to conduct experiments on rats. Well, "wanted" to—of course they actually did it.
But back then, everything was not yet standardized as it is today. That is: scientists back then knew very little about the micronutrient requirements of laboratory animals.
This led to 'accidental discoveries': scientists found, for example, that you simply cannot make laboratory animals fat without the addition of B vitamins. Conversely, the animals naturally became sick and suffered from severe loss of appetite.
In the first third of the 20th century, the broader public was therefore also alerted to the fact that nutrient-rich supplements (e.g., iron-rich yeast) helped to stimulate appetite and 'develop curves.'
A similar paradox is the content of an article from the Financial Post. The topic is the new Netflix series 'Chernobyl.' Admittedly: anyone who has watched the series briefly will be somewhat frightened. Because the health consequences of this catastrophe were in part of a truly terrible kind.
Or were they not? In any case, the article cites studies showing that those who 'received a little radiation' were statistically actually better protected against certain cancers.
How is this possible? Well, the concept is called hormesis. In short: 'What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.' A dose of toxin triggers beneficial adaptations in the body that are ultimately protective.
Why 'not so good' sometimes turns out to be better when looking at certain health endpoints can be demonstrated using a new selenium study. There, scientists surprisingly found that chronic selenium deficiency actually extended the animals' lifespan while simultaneously impairing their health.
Paradoxical, isn't it? Good selenium status makes for better health—but poor selenium status achieves, via hormesis, that animals live longer ... despite worse health.
This reminds me of certain studies and the question of what 'health' actually is. For what good is a 'healthy' BMI if libido suffers or hair falls out? Can one still speak of 'excellent health' then? What good is a long life if the organism is tough but life itself is no fun?
Sometimes 'not so good' is actually totally good for certain purposes. Veganism, for example, is—even if many don't want to hear it—malnutrition, even with supplementation. Everyone seems to lose weight great with it ... and then reaches out after a few months saying:
I'm experiencing hair loss—what could be causing it?
Healthy, yet not so healthy. Or more broadly applied to life itself.
Not all that glitters is gold—but it does glitter! Oh well :-)
