Inflammaging: The Inflammation + Aging Connection

Chronic inflammation is the central culprit behind all kinds of chronic illness. Inflammation is also behind many of the symptoms and diseases we associate with aging, which is why the term “inflammaging” was coined. (1) 

Research has shown that chronic, low-grade inflammation becomes more common as we get older, and is typically at the root of age-related diseases. (2) 

Inflammation is not just a result of aging and age-related illness, it’s a cause. And it’s not inevitable. Like all knowledge, this understanding provides us with an opportunity. 

By taking action at any time in our lives to prevent or reduce chronic inflammation, we can give our bodies the chance to live healthier for longer. 

So why does inflammation tend to increase as we get older? What are the mechanisms behind inflammaging? What causes it? How can you assess where you’re at now? 

I’m going to answer all of these questions, plus share tons of effective tools and strategies you can use to lower inflammation and live better. Let’s get into it. 

How Inflammaging Affects The Body

Inflammaging affects the body much in the same way that inflammation in general affects the body. As I write about in The Inflammation Spectrum, inflammation happens on a continuum, and can be increasingly problematic over time if it’s not resolved. 

What we see with inflammaging is actually the accumulation of many years (often decades) of low level inflammation that eventually causes destruction, deterioration, and dysfunction throughout the body. 

Inflammation is marked by a high level of circulating proinflammatory cells and molecules including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukins (ILs), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), prostaglandins, cytokines, and free radicals, and ongoing activation of immune cells. We may also see a decreased ability to fight inflammation (e.g. lower levels of antioxidants like glutathione that combat oxidative stress). 

All of these things, when chronic, can affect the whole body, which is why many people find themselves with various, seemingly unrelated symptoms and conditions. 

Here are some of the ways in which inflammaging and long term inflammation can affect the entire body: 

Inflammation disrupts metabolic function, which over time can lead to conditions including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and atherosclerosis. (3) 

Chronic inflammation in the organs, including the liver and lungs, can lead to organ damage and disease. 

Ongoing inflammation disrupts the gut microbiome and can damage the gut lining, leading to dysbiosis, leaky gut, and other gastrointestinal problems. 

Persistent inflammation in the brain has been shown to cause or contribute to disrupted mood, depression, and anxiety, as well as cognitive dysfunction, brain fog, memory loss, and cognitive decline. Inflammation is behind age-related neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Inflammation disrupts immune system function and contributes to the development of autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). (4) 

Chronic inflammation disrupts hormonal balance, which can trigger insulin resistance, imbalances in sex hormones, and thyroid conditions. (5) 

Ongoing inflammation can impact the skin, leading to the loss of collagen and other important proteins and molecules that keep the skin healthy, and contributing to wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and other skin concerns associated with aging. 

Inflammaging and Cellular Senescence 

One key feature of aging and age-related disease is increased cellular senescence. Cellular senescence occurs when cells within the body stop dividing the way they should. These cells stay alive, accumulate, and can damage otherwise healthy cells. 

Senescent cells (those that have stopped dividing but haven’t died off) have been shown to release inflammatory molecules – and inflammation has also been shown to trigger or contribute to cellular senescence. This can create a vicious cycle, with inflammation triggering cellular damage and damaged cells triggering inflammation. (6) 

Potential Root Causes

There are several possible root causes of inflammation and inflammaging. (7) In most cases, chronic inflammation is brought on by a combination of different causative factors, rather than just one thing. The more of these causes we can understand, the better chance we have of combating the problem and improving our healthy longevity. 

Imbalances in the gut microbiome (gut dysbiosis) (2) 

Cellular senescence (6)

Mitochondrial dysfunction (8) 

Exposure to toxins and pathogens

An inflammatory diet (especially a diet high in sugar, processed foods, and alcohol) (9)

Autoimmune disease

Lack of exercise

Chronic use of certain medications including NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen/Advil) (10)

Hormonal imbalances

An impaired sleep cycle or circadian rhythm 

Chronic stress 

Ongoing parasitic, bacterial, viral, or fungal infections

Smoking

It’s also worth noting that many of these potential root causes are related to one another, and they often exist in a bidirectional, cyclical relationship with inflammation – for example, gut dysbiosis can trigger inflammation, and inflammation can trigger gut dysbiosis. That’s why taking a holistic, whole body, whole person view is so important when it comes to reducing inflammation at its various sources. 

To better understand how much inflammation is impacting your health and what you can do about it, pick up a copy of my book The Inflammation Spectrum. I’ll teach you to recognize how inflammation is manifesting in your body and then walk you through an elimination diet so you can develop a dietary plan that works for you.

How To Reduce Inflammaging

We have more power over inflammation, aging, and our overall health than we’ve long been led to believe. There are so many things you can do to reduce inflammaging and feel your best at any age. 

Here are some of my favorite evidence-based tips for reducing inflammaging.

Reduce Inflammaging Through Diet 

Cut out inflammatory foods. Reduce your intake of sugar, processed foods, fried foods, refined carbohydrates, gluten, dairy, and alcohol, all of which are massive contributors to chronic inflammation. 

Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, eat as many different kinds as possible in order to take in all of their unique anti-inflammatory and health-promoting benefits. Make sure to eat plenty of healthy fats, antioxidant-rich foods, and gut-friendly fiber. 

Uncover your individual triggers with an elimination diet. If you’re already eating a pretty healthy diet, the next step is to figure out if there are any surprising foods that you might be sensitive to. Any food can trigger inflammation if you have a sensitivity to it. Try an elimination diet (where you eliminate several possibly inflammatory foods and then reintroduce them one at a time and monitor your symptoms) to help identify any of your unique triggers. 

Eat oceanic superfoods. Sea moss, blue spirulina, sea vegetables, and marine collagen are a few examples of powerful oceanic superfoods that can help to improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and support brain and cellular health. 

Try intermittent fasting. The discovery that limiting food intake could prolong the lifespan of mice and rats was actually one of the first findings that launched anti-aging research almost a century ago. (6) But fasting doesn’t have to feel restrictive – it’s not necessarily about how much (or how little) you eat but about the timing. Various different patterns of intermittent fasting have been found to reduce inflammation and improve metabolism. Fasting also helps to activate sirtuins, sometimes referred to as the “longevity genes”. 

Boost Nrf-2 through food. Nrf-2 is a protein that helps to decrease inflammation and enhance antioxidant and detox pathways. (11) You can activate Nrf-2 with the help of certain antioxidant-rich foods and drinks, including green tea, apples, turmeric, grapes, broccoli, garlic, and rosemary. 

Eat to decrease NF-kB. NF-kB is an inflammatory factor that plays a significant role in chronic inflammation. (12) Foods including turmeric (which contains the active ingredient curcumin), blueberries, thyme, oregano, and grapes can help to decrease NF-kB.