One of the concepts discussed by Dr. D'Adamo at the conference was hormesis.

I was trying to figure out how I could establish what would be the appropriate hormetic dose level for various foods.

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Issue 1

Let's say I know what dose of a food will present an immediate adverse but short term affect (say headache, hives, digestive distress).

A) Is this the level I want. I positively know that I have stressed the body. I am will to endure short term pain for increasing my overall health and longevity.

B) Do I want to try to scale the dose back off of this to:
--The most I can eat just short of inducing sickness.
--One tenth of dose that produces short term observable effects
--One hundredth of dose that produces short term observable effects
--One Thousandth of dose that produces short term observable effects
--Some other dose level

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Issue two:

Could I just include a few inorganic foods in my diet and assume that my body is sufficiently stressed that I do not need to eat foods rated as toxins/avoids?

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Issue three:

If I currently have enough allergens (mold, pollen, dust, chemicals in air) to stress my body, should I assume that is enough stress, and not try to include any efforts including foods for hormesis?

Wait- what on earth does hormesis have to do with intentionally ingesting toxins?

I thought hormesis was the idea that everything is good, in the right amount. Too much exercise stresses the body, lack of exercise is bad for you, but "just right" exercise is strenghtening. Too much sun causes sunburn, heat stroke, and skin cancer, too little sun causes vitamin D deficiency and depression, just the right amount is beneficial. The trace amount of arsenic and lead in my sea salt are "just the right amount" for those trace minerals, etc etc.

If you get sick eating a certain food, then you shouldn't eat it. Or, if it's creating a "healing crisis" then it's probably best to eat it in a small enough "dose" that it doesn't cause any unpleasant symptoms. That might be half the portion size for some foods, 3/4 the portion size for another, 1/10th of another. There isn't "one right answer" that works across the board, for all foods and all  bodies.

I don't think Dr. D'Adamo meant to use lectins as a means for hormetics.

I still miss the psychosomatic aspects...

Quoted from Tom Martens

I don't think Dr. D'Adamo meant to use lectins as a means for hormetics.

May want to look at slide 144 in "The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything"
This slide is headed "Low Lectin Diet" vs "No-Lectin diet" vs "I Don't Know Lectin Diet"

The graph on the slide includes a Hormetic Zone for lectins.

(For those without the slides-The graph resembles a single cycle of a sine wave. No dose at extreme left--doses increasing to the right. Hormetic Zone is on the right where the curve is positive. As dose increases the wave goes negative.)

sometimes lectins are beneficial in small amounts(hormetic) especially for polyps or colon health like mushrooms and fava beans

Since I don't know what you are talking about, I'd like to understand the topic better.  

Are you saying that certain foods that might bring about illness in larger (or more consistent) amounts, might be used in smaller controlled portions as a way to stimulate a healing or health-promoting effect?

Hormetics sounds like homeopathy.  Titrate something down to almost nothing and it can cure.
ie Belladona...which in a large dose is poison.

Quoted from Victoria

Are you saying that certain foods that might bring about illness in larger (or more consistent) amounts, might be used in smaller controlled portions as a way to stimulate a healing or health-promoting effect?

Yes, but to apply the concept one needs to know the quantity that is health promoting versus being harmful.

So I am asking how to calculate the dose that is health promoting.

A later slide suggests one can use can use targeted hormesis to prevent dementia, osteoporosis, cancer ...

I kind of would like to prevent dementia, but without some knowledge of an appropriate dose I am not able to adjust my diet to get the benefits of hormesis.

Quoted Text

May want to look at slide 144 in "The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything"
This slide is headed "Low Lectin Diet" vs "No-Lectin diet" vs "I Don't Know Lectin Diet"

I saw that slide and was curious as to what Dr. D. would say about it but it was one that was not addressed. (there were many slides and only so much time!) Very interesting topic and I was wondering how it would relate to the diet.

Quoted from Chloe

Hormetics sounds like homeopathy.  Titrate something down to almost nothing and it can cure.
ie Belladona...which in a large dose is poison.

Hormetics has an inverse amount as compared to homeopathy.  As in you are actually getting something but in a low dose, short duration type treatment.

Quoted from C_sharp

May want to look at slide 144 in "The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything"
This slide is headed "Low Lectin Diet" vs "No-Lectin diet" vs "I Don't Know Lectin Diet"

The graph on the slide includes a Hormetic Zone for lectins.

(For those without the slides-The graph resembles a single cycle of a sine wave. No dose at extreme left--doses increasing to the right. Hormetic Zone is on the right where the curve is positive. As dose increases the wave goes negative.)

I think it's the 80% compliant that will give the hermetic effect.  Lectins don't seem to be the low dose, short term "dose" that would be needed for the intended effect.

I second the fava beans. Hate beans though..

This is a thread that I could think on for a few days. Betting the newbies are scratching their heads for sure.

Advice to newbies: don't get caught up in this.

C#, your brain intrigues me. So great to meet you.

C_sharp, I missed you at the conference!

Wanted to say hello to the guy who always has sound advice.

Angela, I am also scratching my head!

C#

It was a great pleasure to have met you in person at the Conference..

About "beneficial" hormetic amounts of otherwise harmful/lethal substances, I believe there's the "individuality" here, it could be quite possible that we may all have different thresholds

My two cents

Cheers,
Yaman

Hormetics are included in our personalized swamies .....
I believe certain foods I do get back home already create that effect, depending
I have no easy access to pure organic food choices

Quoted from Lola

Hormetics are included in our personalized swamies .....

Are these the black dots???

perhaps those, too
and also, some people can t possibly find all organic, so there too lies a possibility......
we don t live in an organic bubble so that is taken into consideration as well.....
it is a balancing act, no?

Would this mean that people like my friend are correct when they say we should eat a few toxin/avoids every day to keep our bodies in balance?  

Quoted from Victoria

Would this mean that people like my friend are correct when they say we should eat a few toxin/avoids every day to keep our bodies in balance?  

I'm not worried about not getting enough toxins in my diet. Without trying to add more.

Without having been there to hear the lecture I would take away that targeted hormetics have value.

The key being targeted.  

Quoted from Victoria

Would this mean that people like my friend are correct when they say we should eat a few toxin/avoids every day to keep our bodies in balance?  

Not every day

Once a week or month in small amouts would be reasonable.

Quoted from Lloyd

I'm not worried about not getting enough toxins in my diet. Without trying to add more.

Do you mean Genotype Toxins, or environmental toxins?  'Cause I have not eaten any toxins or avoids on my food list for close to 10 years.  

Quoted from Tom Martens

Not every day

Once a week or month in small amouts would be reasonable.

Tom, by "reasonable", do you mean desirable?  Maybe most people eat some avoids occasionally, but I never do.  Since this is the first I've heard of this, I'm very confused.  I'm wondering what the implications are for someone like myself who does not ever eat toxins from the food list.  Are we hurting ourselves in some way?