Telomeres, Aging, and Nutrition

Dhillon, Varinderpal S.; Bull, Caroline; Fenech, Michael

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-801816-3.00010-8

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 97 publications

(74 reference statements)

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“…Telomere shortening in buccal cells, like lymphocytes, was also associated with increased risk for dementia, but the association tended to be stronger with blood lymphocytes in our studies (26,27). It is interesting to note that some of the dietary and metabolic factors associated with protection against (e.g., Mediterranean diet and higher v-3 FA intake) or aggravation of (e.g., high homocysteine and obesity) telomere shortening are also often linked in the same directions with AD risk (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33).…”

Section: Current Status Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 41%

Vitamins Associated with Brain Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer Disease: Biomarkers, Epidemiological and Experimental Evidence, Plausible Mechanisms, and Knowledge Gaps

Fenech

2017

Advances in Nutrition

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The key to preventing brain aging, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer disease (AD) via vitamin intake is first to understand molecular mechanisms, then to deduce relevant biomarkers, and subsequently to test the level of evidence for the impact of vitamins in the relevant pathways and their modulation of dementia risk. This narrative review infers information on mechanisms from gene and metabolic defects associated with MCI and AD, and assesses the role of vitamins using recent results from animal and human studies. Current evidence suggests that all known vitamins and some "quasi-vitamins" are involved as cofactors or influence ≥1 of the 6 key sets of pathways or pathologies associated with MCI or AD, relating to ) 1-carbon metabolism,) DNA damage and repair, ) mitochondrial function and glucose metabolism,) lipid and phospholipid metabolism and myelination, ) neurotransmitter synthesis and synaptogenesis, and) amyloidosis and Tau protein phosphorylation. The contemporary level of evidence for each of the vitamins varies considerably, but it is notable that B vitamins are involved as cofactors in all of the core pathways or pathologies and, together with vitamins C and E, are consistently associated with a protective role against dementia. Outcomes from recent studies indicate that the efficacy and safety of supplementation with vitamins to prevent MCI and the early stages of AD will most likely depend on ) which pathways are defective,) which vitamins are deficient and could correct the relevant metabolic defects, and ) the modulating impact of nutrient-nutrient and nutrient-genotype interaction. More focus on a precision nutrition approach is required to realize the full potential of vitamin therapy in preventing dementia and to avoid causing harm.

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Section: Current Status Of Knowledgementioning

confidence: 41%

Vitamins Associated with Brain Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer Disease: Biomarkers, Epidemiological and Experimental Evidence, Plausible Mechanisms, and Knowledge Gaps

Fenech

2017

Advances in Nutrition

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“…One of the most interesting examples are telomeres, which shorten with age. DNA lesions in their sequence (e.g., guanine oxidation) can result in SSBs or DSBs [132], which increase the risk of age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., dementia), and diabetes [77]. Anorexia of aging is a state of severe deficiencies of microelements involved in antioxidant protection and maintaining genome stability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maintaining stable concentrations of ROS in the cells is a major determinant of longevity and healthy aging. Cellular aging is also associated with extensive and irreversible DNA damage within telomeric or non-telomeric genome sequences [77][78][79].…”

Section: Micronutrients Dna Damage and Repairmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, zinc supplementation reduced DNA damage (mean tail moment decreased by 39.9%, p < 0.01). Moreover, a clinical study on 200 patients (age [65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80] showed that Zn supplementation (20 mg/day) improved genome stability and telomeres integrity [108]. After 12 weeks of supplementation, the activity of Cu/Zn SOD in erythrocytes was significantly higher in the Zn group vs. the control group (activity increased by 33.07% in the Zn group, while the placebo group showed only a 2.45% increase (relative to the initial value)).…”

Section: Zincmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nutrition Can Help DNA Repair in the Case of Aging

2020

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Micronutrients such as vitamins and trace elements are crucial for maintaining the health of all organisms. Micronutrients are involved in every cellular/biochemical process. They play roles in proper heart and brain functioning, influence immunological responses, and antioxidant defense systems. Therefore, prolonged deficiency in one or more micronutrients leads to cardiovascular or neurodegenerative disorders. Keeping micronutrients at adequate levels is especially important for seniors. They are prone to deficiencies due to age-associated functional decline and often to a diet poor in nutrients. Moreover, lack of micronutrients has an indirect impact on the genome. Their low levels reduce the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and therefore inhibit the efficiency of defense against free radicals which can lead to the formation of DNA lesions. The more DNA damage in the genetic material, the faster aging at the cellular level and a higher risk of pathological processes (e.g., carcinogenesis). Supplementation of crucial antioxidative micronutrients such as selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin E seems to have the potential to positively influence the condition of an aging organism, including minimizing inflammation, enhancing antioxidative defense, and limiting the formation of DNA lesions. In consequence, it may lead to lowering the risk and incidence of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and malnutrition. In this article, we attempt to present the synergistic action of selected antioxidant micronutrients (vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc) for inhibiting oxidative stress and DNA damage, which may impede the process of healthy aging.

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