Hormones, hormesis, and holistic obesity care

Abstract

Hormones and hormesis are different words, derived from the same root, hormao (to excite). Hormones are chemical messengers which ensure inter-organ and inter-cellular homeostatic communication. Hormesis is the phenomenon in which exposure to low dose of stressor causes a beneficial response, while higher doses have a neutral or negative effect on functioning of the organism. Hormesis is a well-accepted part of plant and animal biology, as well as certain fields of medicine. This commentary describes how obesity related hormones and hormesis are linked, using examples from reproductive endocrinology, bone health and diabetes, to simplify the concept. Keywords: Endocrinology, homeostasis, metabolic set point, obesity