Dietary modulation of mitochondrial DNA damage: implications in aging and associated diseases

Mammalian mitochondria contain small genomes [mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)], which encode several of the proteins that are crucial for respiration. As such, maintaining the integrity of mtDNA is essential for healthy life. Nutritional strategies such as “Calorie Restriction” may play an important role in regulating mtDNA integrity and prolonging lifespan. In this review, we compare mtDNA with nuclear DNA damage and discuss how the resulting cell fates relate to human health. We provide a description of the mechanisms behind Calorie Restriction as an approach to induce mitochondrial processes contributing to a longer lifespan. We make connections between the current repertoire of studies to propose that how nutrition may mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction and potentially reduce DNA damage. Finally, we describe nutritional-based approaches to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction with a focus on mimetics of dietary and calorie restriction.