Department of Public Health, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
J Physiol Anthropol. 2010;29(4):127-32. doi: 10.2114/jpa2.29.127.
Hormesis is defined as a dose-response phenomenon characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition, and has been recognized as representing an overcompensation for mild environmental stress. The beneficial effects of mild stress on aging and longevity have been studied for many years. In experimental animals, mild dietary stress (dietary restriction, DR) without malnutrition delays most age-related physiological changes, and extends maximum and average lifespan. Animal studies have also demonstrated that DR can prevent or lessen the severity of cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, autoimmune disease, allergy, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The effects of DR are considered to result from hormetic mechanisms. These effects were reported by means of various DR regimens, such as caloric restriction, total-nutrient restriction, alternate-day fasting, and short-term fasting. Mild dietary stress, including restriction of amount or frequency of intake, is the essence of DR. For more than 99% of their history, humans lived as hunter-gatherers and adapted to restrictions in their food supply. On the other hand, an oversufficiency of food for many today has resulted in the current global epidemic of obesity and obesity-related diseases. DR may be used, therefore, as a novel approach for therapeutic intervention in several diseases, when detailed information about effects of mild dietary stress on human health is obtained from clinical trials.
激效是一种剂量反应现象，其特征是低剂量刺激和高剂量抑制，并已被认为代表了对轻度环境应激的过度补偿。轻度应激对衰老和长寿的有益影响已经研究了很多年。在实验动物中，轻度饮食应激（饮食限制，DR）而没有营养不良会延缓大多数与年龄相关的生理变化，并延长最大和平均寿命。动物研究还表明，DR 可以预防或减轻癌症、中风、冠心病、自身免疫性疾病、过敏、帕金森病和阿尔茨海默病的严重程度。DR 的作用被认为是由激效机制引起的。这些作用是通过各种 DR 方案报告的，如热量限制、全营养素限制、隔日禁食和短期禁食。轻度饮食应激，包括限制摄入量或摄入频率，是 DR 的本质。在人类历史的 99%以上时间里，人类作为狩猎采集者生活，并适应了食物供应的限制。另一方面，如今许多人食物过剩，导致了肥胖和肥胖相关疾病的全球流行。因此，当从临床试验中获得关于轻度饮食应激对人类健康影响的详细信息时，DR 可能被用作治疗干预几种疾病的新方法。
