Zinc and aging: a narrative review of the effects on hematopoiesis and its link with diseases

There has been a global increase in the older population in recent decades and, as age advances, complex metabolic and epigenetic changes occur in the organism, and these may trigger some health complications commonly found among this population. Additionally, several changes occur in older people that can reduce the dietary intake or the process of nutrient absorption. In this way, tissues with high nutrient requirements are more affected. Hematopoiesis is the process of formation, development, and maturation of blood cells and is a process with a high turnover. This high demand makes the integrity of the hematopoietic process susceptible to various factors that impair physiological function, such as aging and micronutrient bioavailability. Among these micronutrients, Zinc is considered an important micronutrient, playing diverse roles across various tissues and cell types. Some of the alterations in hematopoiesis that appear as a consequence of aging and due to insufficient micronutrient intake are well described in the literature; however, not much is known about how zinc deficiency contributes towards the development of diseases seen in aging. Considering the importance of zinc to act on several biological processes, this narrative review discusses several studies related to the physiological requirements, deficiency, or excess of zinc, including studies in experimental models and humans, and aimed to shed light on the relationship between zinc and the regulation of hematopoietic tissue, exploring possible links between this mineral with common disorders that appear during aging.