Nutrient (zinc and vitamin E)-gene interactions related to inflammatory and antioxidant response in aging and inflammation

Aging is an inevitable biological process with gradual and spontaneous biochemical and physiological changes and increased susceptibility to diseases. Some nutritional factors (zinc and vitamin E) may remodel these changes leading to a possible avoidance of diseases with subsequent healthy aging, because they are involved in improving immune functions and antioxidant defence. The polymorphisms of some genes codifying proteins related to inflammation are predictive on the one hand of longevity, while, on the other hand, they are associated with atherosclerosis. Since the health life span has a strong genetic component, which is in turn also affected by nutritional factors such as zinc and vitamin E, these polymorphisms can be useful tools for establishing the real beneficial effects of zinc or vitamin E in older subjects to prevent or delay as much as possible the appearance of age-related diseases. Therefore, zinc or vitamin E and gene interactions are crucial to healthy aging. © SINPE-GASAPE.