Nutrigenomics: relationship among nutrition, genomics and child growth

PADULA G; PONZINIBBIO MV; SEOANE AI; GAMBARO R

Montevideo

Congreso; X Congreso ALAMCTA. II Congreso de la Sociedad Uruguaya de Radioprotección. I Jornada de Salud y Toxicología Ambiental; 2016

Asociación Latinoamericana de Mutagénesis, Carcinogénesis y Teratogénesis

Presently, nutritional transition in Argentine is characterized by a decrease of acute malnutrition and an increased prevalence of obesity, stunting and hidden hunger. Hidden hunger is the lack of specific and essential micronutrients for infant growth. It is a consequence of inadequate nutrition, which determines that the body reserves are insufficient to meet the requirements of growth, pregnancy, lactation or infection. These deficiencies can have important consequences for the present or the future of the children who suffer hidden hunger. The main micronutrients required for child growth are iron, zinc,vitamin A, vitamin B (like riboflavin), folic acid, niacin and essential fatty acids. Considering that many minerals and vitamins act as substrate and/or cofactors in DNA maintenance reactions, their exact concentration in the cell is critical. Thus, non-optimal levels of these micronutrients would impair the activity of enzymes needed for genomic stability, since they produce DNA double- or single-strand breaks, oxidative damage, or both. Micronutrientsare important for the prevention of degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer and premature aging, due to their role in maintaining genomic stability. Therefore, there is international concern about the need to redefine the optimal mineral and vitamin requirements to prevent DNA damage. The objective of this presentation is to show the results obtained in relation to the effect on the genome of deficiency and excess of micronutrients important for children growth.