Xenohormesis is a hypothesis that posits that certain molecules such as plant
polyphenols, which indicate
stress in the plants, can have a longevity-conferring effect in consumers of plants (i.e.
mammals) and studies that relationship. It was first used in the paper "Small molecules that regulate lifespan: evidence for xenohormesis" by
David Sinclair and colleagues from the
Harvard Medical School.
If the plants an animal is eating are under stress, their increased polyphenol content may signal forthcoming
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...
conditions. It could be advantageous for the animal to begin to react—i.e. to
hunker down to prepare for the lean times to come. The effects researchers have observed from
resveratrol
Resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-''trans''-stilbene) is a stilbenoid, a type of natural phenol, and a phytoalexin produced by several plants in response to injury or when the plant is under attack by pathogens, such as bacteria or fungi. Sources ...
may be just such a response.
See also
*
Hormesis
References
Biological processes
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