Everyone knows it and has been affected by it at some point: 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 will find out all about it in this article.
Overview of inflammation
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. Inflammations are therefore immune reactions that consist of many complex sub-steps and biological processes. Inflammation plays a significant role, especially in many age-related diseases. More on that later.
Worth knowing: In medicine, the ending -itis is used for inflammations 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 stabbing pain, then the toe turns red, very warm and swells. It can also be a little more difficult to walk on. All in all, these are very 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 the molecular level in our body and can be determined by inflammatory parameters in the blood. In medicine, the following parameters are examined for inflammation (3):
- C-reactive protein (CRP)
- interleukins (e.g. IL-6)
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)
This laboratory values may also be increased 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 stimuli from inside or outside the body act on it that go beyond the physiological level. For example, injuries in accidents caused by pressure or friction. In addition, exposure to cold or heat can overstrain the body's resilience and cause inflammatory reactions. However, just as cold can also be Longevity Hack can be used, you will find out in our article about cryotherapy.
Metabolic products such as uric acid crystals can cause mechanical damage within the body, which then leads to inflammatory reactions in the joints (eg in gout). Inflammation can also be caused by the effects of allergens in food, for example in celiac disease the body reacts to the wheat protein gluten with inflammatory reactions in the intestine.If left untreated, this tolerance disorder leads to the destruction of the intestinal epithelium in those affected over time.
Basically, inflammation is a positive, natural protective mechanism against harmful influences that has been preserved for millions of years. However, in certain autoimmune diseases, these inflammatory processes can lead to self-destruction.
Nutrition can do good here: Find out more about anti-inflammatory foodsthat you should eat every day. Scientifically proven with studies.
Before we get to the practical tips, let’s clarify what role Inflammation in the Aging Process (inflammaging) and why it is so important to keep an eye on them.
Inflammaging – Inflammation and the Aging Process
With increasing age, in addition to changes in proteostasis and the accumulation of senescent cells in our body to the so-called Inflammaging.
Inflammaging is a term frequently used in longevity research, which is composed of the words inflammation (German: inflammation) and aging (German: aging). The so-called inflammatory aging.
This process is also supported by senescent cells promoted because they can secrete substances that promote inflammation. At the molecular level, this leads to increased activation of NF-kB - a transcription factor that plays a key role in the development of inflammation. In addition, inflammatory messengers such as interleukin-1b, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interferons (IFNs) are increasingly produced. These inflammatory reactions, which increase with age, can deregulate signal transmission pathways in the body and intercellular communication The consequences of this are a weakened immune system and suboptimally functioning body systems.
Inflammatory processes play a role in many age-related diseases such as:
- Alzheimer's dementia
- arteriosclerosis
- osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- diabetes
- cardiovascular diseases
- cancer
Since chronic inflammation is associated with many age-related diseases, it is important to prevent them. anti-inflammatory diet help.
Low-level inflammations develop early in life, particularly in the blood vessels of our body, and over the decades they lead to coronary heart disease or thrombotic diseases.
Anti-inflammatory diet
Before we look at specific foods, it can be helpful to give your intestines specific rest periods to reduce inflammation in the body. The so-called intermittent fasting In combination with calorie restriction, studies have shown that it reduces inflammatory parameters in the blood. You only eat during a certain time window during the day.For example, you fast for 16 hours from 8pm in the evening to 12pm in the morning and then eat your meals from 12pm to 8pm within an 8-hour time frame. During fasting, the body produces, among other things, the so-called autophagy activated – a biological process in which the cell balance is cleaned up.
But the specific selection of certain foods can also prevent or reduce inflammation.
The intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to reduce inflammation. In addition, certain secondary plant substances, the so-called polyphenols help with this. These reduce the previously mentioned NF-kB levels, which plays a key role in the development of inflammation. In addition, polyphenols can affect 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 include:
- blueberries
- strawberries
- cocoa powder
- legumes
- nuts
- soy products
- Green or black tea
However, almost all plant foods contain a certain amount of these secondary plant substances.
Conclusion on the topic of inflammaging
Inflammation is a risk factor for some age-related diseasesTherefore, it is a good idea to cultivate healthy habits that reduce inflammation. These include a balanced diet with plenty of polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables also the intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The so-called intermittent fasting can also help reduce inflammation. If you want to learn more about the causes of aging and Inflammaging then check out our blog series on the Hallmarks of Aging to.
