Diet and Longevity Phenotype

Longevity phenotype is the resultant of a multifactorial process that permits an individual to survive, delay, or escape aging-related pathologies, thanks to genetic predispositions and external stimuli, such as diet, and is the principal modulator of human health through a fine modulation of gene expression.It has been shown that in a population undergoing the same stimuli, only offspring of long-lived people could manage erythrocyte membrane fatty acids, causing a reduction of oxidative stress and an increment of membrane integrity. Mutations in genes implicated in the elongation of fatty acid chains confer metabolic advantages to the organism. In addition, caloric restriction is shown to have a direct consequence also on the sympathetic nervous system with a modulation of heart rate variability. These findings suggest a new way to understand how to perturb the aging process through nutrition in an attempt to mimic the metabolism of individuals genetically predisposed to the longevity phenotype.