Everyone knows them and has been affected by them: Inflammation. It takes place in our body and has a direct impact on our health. But what exactly is inflammation, how does inflammaging affect our longevity and what can we do to reduce our inflammation? You can find out in this article.
Inflammations at a glance
Inflammations are the body's own reactions to damaging internal or external stimuli. The aim of inflammation is to eliminate these damaging stimuli and initiate a healing process. Inflammation is therefore an immune reaction that consists of many complex sub-steps and biological processes. Inflammation plays an important role in many age-related diseases in particular. More on this later.
FUN FACT: In medicine, the ending -itis is used for inflammation of affected parts of the body. For example, dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin (ancient Greek: derma).
What are the signs of inflammation?
Everyone knows it: you stub your toe on the edge of the bed and it hurts like hell. At first there is a sharp pain, then the toe turns red, becomes very warm and swells up. It may also be slightly more difficult to walk. All in all, these are typical signs of inflammation. The five classic signs of inflammation are:
- Redness (Latin: rubor)
- swelling (Latin: tumor)
- overheating (Latin: calor)
- pain (Latin: dolor)
- Limited function (Latin: functio laesa)
These inflammatory reactions also take place at a molecular level in our body and can be determined by inflammatory parameters in the blood. In medicine, the following parameters, among others, are examined in inflammation (3):
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- Interleukins (z.B. IL-6)
- Tumornekrosefaktor-alpha (TNF-α)
These laboratory values can also be elevated in certain inflammatory diseases or infections.
The five cardinal symptoms of inflammation are: Rubor, Tumor, Dolor. Calor, Function Laesa.
Why does inflammation occur in the body?
Inflammation occurs when the body is exposed to internal or external stimuli that go beyond the physiological level. For example, injuries caused by pressure or friction in accidents. In addition, exposure to cold or heat can overstress the body's resilience and thus cause inflammatory reactions. However, you can find out how cold can also be used as a longevity hack in our article on cryotherapy .
Metabolic products such as uric acid crystals can cause mechanical damage within the body, which then leads to inflammatory reactions in the joints ( z.B.: in gout). Inflammation is also caused by the effects of allergens from food,z.B. in the case of coeliac disease, the body reacts to the wheat protein gluten with inflammatory reactions in the intestine. This tolerance disorder leads to the destruction of the intestinal epithelium over time if left untreated.
In general, inflammation is a positive, endogenous protective measure against harmful influences that has been preserved for millions of years. However, in certain autoimmune diseases, these inflammatory processes can lead to self-destruction.
Diet can do some good here: find out more about anti-inflammatory foodsthat you should eat every day. Scientifically proven with studies.
But before we get to the practical tips, let's clarify the role inflammation plays in the ageing process (inflammaging) and why it's so important to keep an eye on it.
Inflammaging - inflammation and the aging process
In addition to changes in proteostasis and the accumulation of senescent cells in our body, increasing age leads to so-called inflammaging.
Inflammaging is a term frequently used in longevity research that is made up of the words inflammation (German: Entzündung) and aging (German: Altern). The so-called inflammatory aging.
This process is also promoted by senescent cells because these can secrete pro-inflammatory substances. On a molecular level, this leads to increased activation of NF-kB - a transcription factor that is significantly involved in the development of inflammation. In addition, inflammation-promoting messenger substances such as interleukin-1b, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferons (IFNs) are increasingly produced. These inflammatory reactions, which increase with age, can deregulate signal transduction pathways in the body and disrupt intercellular communication The consequences of this are a weakened immune system and body systemsthat do not function optimally.
Inflammatory processes play a role in many age-related diseases such as z.B:
- Alzheimer-Demenz
- arteriosclerosis
- Osteoporose
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Cancer
As chronic inflammation is associated with many age-related diseases, it is important to prevent it. A anti-inflammatory diet can also help with this.
Low-threshold inflammation develops early in life, particularly in our body's blood vessels, which can lead to CHD or thrombotic diseases over decades.
An anti-inflammatory diet
Before we look at specific foods, it can help to give your gut specific rest periods to reduce inflammation in the body. The so-called intermittent fasting in combination with calorie restriction has been shown in studies to reduce inflammatory parameters in the blood. This involves eating only in a certain time window during the day. For example, you fast for 16 hours from 20:00 in the evening to 12:00 in the morning and then eat your meals from 12:00 to 20:00 within an 8-hour time window. During fasting, the bodyu.a activates the so-called autophagy - a biological process in which the cellular balance is tidied up.
However, the specific selection of certain foods can also prevent or reduce inflammation.
The intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acidshas been shown to reduce inflammation. In addition, certain secondary plant substances, the so-called polyphenols can help. These reduce the previously mentioned NF-kB level , which plays a key role in the development of inflammation. In addition, polyphenols can positively influence other inflammatory parameters such as interleukin-6 . Therefore, a plant-based and colorful diet with lots of fruit and vegetables has a beneficial effect on our health.
Foods rich in polyphenols areu.a .:
- Blaubeeren
- Erdbeeren
- Kakaopulver
- Hülsenfrüchte
- Nüsse
- Sojaprodukte
- Green or black Tea
However, almost all plant foods contain some amount of these phytochemicals.
Conclusion on the topic of inflammaging
Inflammation is a risk factor for some age-related diseases . It therefore makes sense to cultivate healthy habits that reduce inflammation. This includes a balanced diet with plenty of polyphenol-rich fruit and vegetables as well as the intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids . The so-called intermittent fasting can also help to reduce inflammation. If you would like to learn more about the causes of the ageing process and inflammaging , check out our blog series on the Hallmarks of Aging.
