Dietary antioxidants and lifespan: Relevance of environmental conditions, diet, and genotype of experimental models

The rise of life expectancy in current societies is not accompanied, to date, by a similar increase in healthspan, which represents a great socio-economic problem. It has been suggested that aging can be manipulated and then, the onset of all age-associated chronic disorders can be delayed because these pathologies share age as primary underlying risk factor. One of the most extended ideas is that aging is consequence of the accumulation of molecular damage. According to the oxidative damage theory, antioxidants should slow down aging, extending lifespan and healthspan. The present review analyzes studies evaluating the effect of dietary antioxidants on lifespan of different aging models and discusses the evidence on favor of their antioxidant activity as anti-aging mechanisms. Moreover, possible causes for differences between the reported results are evaluated.

Automated summary

The increase in life expectancy in current societies has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in healthspan, which is a significant socio-economic problem. It has been suggested that manipulating the aging process can delay the onset of age-related chronic disorders, as these pathologies share age as the primary underlying risk factor. The accumulation of molecular damage is one of the widely accepted theories of aging. According to the oxidative damage theory, antioxidants are expected to slow down aging, extending both lifespan and healthspan. This review examines studies on the effects of dietary antioxidants on lifespan in different aging models, and discusses the evidence supporting their antioxidant activity as anti-aging mechanisms. Furthermore, possible reasons for discrepancies in the reported results are evaluated.