Biography
Biography: Marios Kyriazis
Abstract
It is now well appreciated that the process of aging is related to a progressive reduction of biological functional complexity, which results in an increased probability of degeneration, illness, and eventual death. All aging organisms and organs display such a loss of complex function and the reasons are embedded in evolutionary strategies aiming to optimise survival. Recent research has unveiled the benefits of hormesis in delaying or reversing some of this age-related loss of function. It is now possible to retard the rate of loss of biological complexity by introducing an increased amount of nonlinear, repetitive external stimulation that challenges the organism and forces it to up-regulate its biological processes. Hormesis may exert a benefit based on a wide range of challenges such as physical, nutritional, mental, social, and biological stress. Examples of hormetic techniques include intermittent fasting, dietary restriction and calorie restriction mimetics, general environmental enrichment, cognitive and sense stimulation, sexuality-enhancing strategies, exposure to mild metabolic poisons, low or to high temperatures, exercise-mimetics, and other physicochemical challenges. These are based upon a dose-response phenomenon (low dose stimulation, high dose inhibition) which has been found in many studies to positively influence several signalling pathways or biological control mechanisms. Therefore, it is possible to offer specific practical suggestions which can be applied in everyday life, and are based upon solid science, in order to ameliorate age-related degeneration and reduce the impact of disease.