Adverse effects of nutritional inadequacy and excess: a hormetic model

Abstract

I address and explain the increased risk of adverse effects from nutrients by using the paradigm of hormesis, the biological and toxicological concept that small quantities have opposite effects from large quantities. To provide necessary background, I categorize, depict, discuss, and contrast hormetic and other dose-response relations. I review some of the different hormetic mechanisms that others have proposed. I then use the hormetic paradigm to explain adverse effects from essential nutrients, including vitamin D. The hormesis paradigm could be useful to nutritional scientists in their consideration of nutritional adverse effects.

Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: safety considerations in the design and interpretation of clinical trials

“…The safety considerations reviewed here are intended to help clinicians to contextualize the interpretation of these and other trials expected to be published over the next several years. Bearing in mind the U-or J-shaped hormetic dose-response curves that represent the balance between a nutrient's benefits and harms, 109 antenatal vitamin D supplementation research should proceed cautiously, aiming to expose pregnant women to an amount of supplemental vitamin D sufficient to achieve an optimal vitamin D status and anticipated public health benefits (for example, reduced risk of low birth weight, improved immune function and so on), but within a range that will be safe for population-based application.…”

Mildly abnormal general movement quality in infants is associated with higher Mead acid and lower arachidonic acid and shows a U-shaped relation with the DHA/AA ratio

“…Of these, the effect of alcohol on coronary artery disease [47] is probably best known, while also micronutrient dose-response curves are classical examples [48]. The pathophysiological effects in U-shaped curves in the descending (i.e.…”

Overview of the conference “Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century: an Update”

“…Both low and excessively high intakes are associated with increased risk of adverse effects, and optimum intakes occur between these 2 extremes, as discussed by Daniel Hayes (21,22). We need to understand the full range of potential adverse effects and their mechanisms of action to establish a threshold below which adverse effects are unlikely to occur.…”