CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Inadequate intake of minerals and vitamins during growth has become a major health problem in developed and developing countries, particularly in pregnant women, infants and children who have an unbalanced diet. Studies in humans and animals have shown that micronutrient deficiency during development may be responsible for in utero programming of cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases in adulthood. Zinc deficiency is now widely recognized as a leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality since it is an essential trace element required for growth, reproduction, development of multiple organs and regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. This micronutrient is also a catalytic, structural and regulatory component of enzymes and has antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This work is an updated review of the association between micronutrient deficiency during fetal and postnatal life and the development of cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases in adulthood. The effects induced by zinc deficiency during prenatal and postnatal life are described in greater depth.