Everyone knows it and has been affected by it: inflammation. They take place in our bodies and have a direct impact on our health. But what actually is inflammation, how does inflammaging affect our longevity and what can we do to relieve our inflammation? You will find out all about this in this article.
Inflammation at a glance
Inflammation is the body's own reaction to damaging internal or external stimuli. The goal of inflammation is to eliminate these damaging stimuli and initiate a healing process. Inflammation is therefore an immune reaction that consists of many complex steps and biological processes. Inflammation plays an important role, especially in many age-related diseases. More on that later.
Worth knowing: 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 hit your toe on the edge of the bed and it hurts like hell. At first there is a stabbing pain, then the toe becomes red, very warm and swells. In addition, performing can be somewhat more difficult as a result. Overall, 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 on a 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.b IL-6)
- Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)
These laboratory values can 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 affect the body that go beyond the physiological level. For example, injuries in accidents caused by pressure or friction. In addition, exposure to cold or heat can overtax 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 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 (e.g.b: for gout). In addition, inflammation also occurs due to exposure to allergens from food, e.g.b In the case of 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.
The basic rule is: Inflammations are inherently positive and have been preserved over millions of years, the body's own protective measures against harmful influences. But in certain autoimmune diseases, these inflammatory processes can lead to self-destruction.
Diet can do good here: Find out more about anti-inflammatory foods that you should eat every day. Scientifically proven with studies.
But before we get to the practical tips, let's clarify what role inflammation plays in the aging process (inflammaging) and why it is so important to keep these in view.
Inflammaging – inflammation and the aging process
As we get older, in addition to changes in proteostasis and the accumulation of senescent cells in our body, the so-calledoccurs > Inflammaging.
Inflammaging is a term often used in longevity research, which consists of the words Inflammation (German: inflammation) and Aging (German: Altern). The so-called inflammatory aging.
This process is also promoted by senescent cells , because these can secrete inflammatory substances. At the molecular level, this leads to increased activation of NF-kB - a transcription factor that is significantly involved in the development of inflammation. In addition, inflammatory 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 transmission pathways in the body and disrupt intercellular communication . The consequences of this are a weakened immune system and body systems that do not function optimally.
Inflammatory processes play a role in many age-related diseases such as:B:
- Alzheimer dementia
- Arteriosclerosis
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Cancer diseases
Since chronic inflammation is associated with many age-related diseases, it is important to prevent it. This can u.a An anti-inflammatory diet also helps.
Especially in the vessels of our body, low-threshold inflammation develops early in life, which leads to CHD or thrombotic diseases over decades.
Anti-inflammatory diet
Before we look at specific foods, it can help to give your intestines targeted periods of rest to relieve inflammation in the body. The so-called intermittent fasting in combination with calorie restriction has been proven in studies to reduce inflammatory parameters in the blood. You only eat during a certain time window during the day. For example, you fast for 16 hours from 8 p.m. in the evening to 12 p.m. in the morning and then eat your meals within an 8-hour window from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. During fasting, the body...a the so-called autophagy activates - a biological process in which cell households are cleaned up.
But the specific selection of certain foods can also prevent or reduce inflammation.
Taking long-chain omega-3 fatty acids can be proven 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 significant 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 include:a:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Cocoa powder
- Pulses
- Nuts
- Soy products
- Green or black Tea
However, almost all plant-based foods contain a certain amount of these secondary plant substances.
Conclusion on the topic of inflammation
Inflammation is a Risk factor for some age-related diseases. Therefore, it makes sense to cultivate healthy habits that lower inflammation. In addition to a balanced diet with lots of polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables this also includes taking long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The so-called intermittent fasting can also help reduce inflammation. If you would like to learn more about the causes of the aging process and Inflammaging , then check out our blog series on the Hallmarks of Aging on.
