The Bell Curve: The Dosage Is the Poison

The Bell Curve, or normal distribution, is a useful tool in many areas. Here is a chart from the Wikipedia article on normal distribution:

Two Ends of the Bell CurveThe red line is the typical distribution that is called the bell curve. An example might be a chart of height. Along the horizontal axis would be height. Along the vertical axis would number of people. The most people would be along the top/middle of the curve. NBA players would be on the right, and very short people on the left.

An example of this as it relates to health might be vitamins. The vertical axis would be optimal health; the horizontal would be dosage of the vitamin. A little of a vitamin, because of the steepness of the curve, is very beneficial. As you increase the dosage the benefit increases. But there is a reduction in the benefit from each additional dose of the vitamin as the steepness of the curve decreases. At some point increases in optimal health stop and any additional vitamin decreases optimal health. While I supplement, the bell curve tells me that care is needed so no overdose occurs. The dosage is the poison.

Exercise is another example of a Bell Curve. For this curve the vertical axis is optimal health, and the horizontal is amount of exercise. A little exercise can have a tremendous impact on your health. Remember the curve is steep. But just as with vitamins, the dosage is the poison. You can very negatively impact your health if you do too much. (Did you really expect I would tell you what vitamins to take and everything would be alright? No, you will need to move your body. It is a little embarassing for me to write about this as it is cold where I am and exercise, moving, for me has dropped off considerably. )

The dosage being the poison is not a new concept. It has been know for hundreds of years going back at least to the medieval times. (If a history major like me cannot quote a medieval scholastic, who can?) So if you go to your granddaughter's birthday party, a small piece of cake isn't going to impact you much, assuming you are not allergic to wheat. But if you go to a "birthday" party every day, your health will suffer--the dosage is the poison.

Sorry, but today's homework is math. But an understanding of what a Bell Curve is will be helpful.