EP 05: Hormesis: Bio-Hack your Longevity Through Small Stressors

The Better Prescription

We’ve often heard the expression “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” well, today on The Better Prescription, Dr. Minni Malhotra examines the scientific facts behind that saying. She explains Hormesis, the paradoxical phenomenon that occurs when the body benefits from exposure to small amounts of stressors. She discusses how exposing oneself to things like cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis can, in some cases, be helpful. She also talks about various hormones and the effects of hormone imbalances on the body. Hear about how too much exercise can be damaging to one’s health, and find out some tips on how simple stressors like cold water treatment, holding your breath, and intermittent fasting can be used to bio-hack your own longevity. Tune in for all this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to hormesis.
• How many stressors are actually required for healthy growth or homeostasis.
• The importance of exposing the body to stressors especially in early life.
• The potential benefits of cigarette smoking.
• The benefits of THC or cannabis on neurocognitive functions.
• Moderate alcohol consumption and its effects on mortality, cardiovascular disease and cognitive dysfunction.
• The negative effects of high-intensity exercise.
• The positive and negative effects of hormone imbalances like estrogen, progesterone, parathyroid hormone, and cortisol.
• How growth-hormones and insulin can affect your longevity.
• The Wim Hof Method and how it helps people to benefit from hormesis.
• How cold water treatment, holding your breath, and intermittent fasting can be used as bio-hacks to improve longevity.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Dr. Minni Malhotra