What are low-level stressors?
Low level stressors are slight stresses to one or more of your body’s systems or organs. These stresses can be caused by anything that would be harmful to your health in a large dose, for example X-rays, sunburn, carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals), other toxins, high temperatures, heavy excercise and the like. Virtually everyone will tell you that these things are bad for your health, and they are right – a large dose of X-rays can kill within a few weeks, prolonged heavy excercise will dramatically shorten your lifespan and so on. But research has shown that for some of these, the exposure/risk relationship is not linear. In other words, exposure at high levels is harmful, but at low levels it may not be, or may even be beneficial. The effect is called hormesis, and it is well known in the drug industry. Research has shown that some drugs which stimulate at low doses suppress at high doses (paracetamol, asperin), and vice versa. Some scientists now think that other stresses can ac
