Nutrient Cycling, Not Constant Dosing
Your cells expect ebb and flow. Constant input creates adaptation.
The Evolutionary Context
For millions of years, nutrient availability was cyclical. Seasons determined what foods were available. Hunting was feast or famine. Even daily eating patterns varied based on what could be found.
Our cells adapted to this reality. They developed mechanisms to upregulate absorption when nutrients were scarce and downregulate when they were abundant. They expected variation, not constancy.
What Happens With Constant Dosing
increase in iron absorption with alternate-day dosing versus daily
Receptor desensitization begins within hours of constant exposure
The Desensitization Mechanism
When cells are constantly flooded with a nutrient, they adapt. Receptors internalize. Transporters downregulate. The cell literally becomes less responsive to protect itself from overload.
This is why the first dose of a supplement often works best. Each subsequent dose may be less effective as the body adapts to the new constant input.
Cycling creates the opposite effect. Periods without the nutrient allow receptors to resensitize. When the nutrient returns, the body responds fully again.
Practical Applications
Constant supplementation violates evolutionary patterns our cells expect.
Sometimes less frequent dosing produces better results than hammering the same pathway every day. Your cells need time to reset.