Health paradoxes

catchphrase for the apparent paradox that French people have a low incidence of heart disease while consuming many saturated fats

thumb|Hormesis is a biological phenomenon wherein an organism that is exposed to a known harmful stressor has an adaptive response that may be beneficial to the organism Hormesis is a two-phased dose-response relationship whereby low-dose exposures have a beneficial effect and high-dose amounts are either inhibitory to function or toxic. Within the hormetic zone, the biological response to low-dose amounts of some stressors is generally favorable. An example is the breathing of oxygen, which is needed in certain concentrations for respiration in aerobic animals. Exposure to elevated levels of

biological observation of cancer rate not correlating with number of cells in an organism

unintended effect of a drug

is an abnormally large decrease in systolic blood pressure and pulse wave amplitude during inspiration.

Paradox of high CHD incidence among Israeli Jews