Inflammation is the body’s first-response system. Acute inflammation — the redness, heat, and swelling that follow an injury or infection — is essential and protective. The type of inflammation that accelerates ageing is different: chronic, low-grade, and invisible. It persists quietly for years, damaging tissue, disrupting hormonal signalling, and driving the diseases most people associate with ageing.
The term now used in the research is “inflammaging” — the portmanteau of inflammation and ageing, capturing the idea that chronic inflammation is not a consequence of ageing but a cause of it.
What inflammaging actually does
Chronic low-grade inflammation damages blood vessel walls, contributing to cardiovascular disease. It disrupts insulin signalling, driving metabolic dysfunction and diabetes. It damages the myelin sheath around neurons, contributing to cognitive decline. It activates pro-ageing gene expression pathways including NF-κB, which accelerates cellular senescence. And it perpetuates itself — senescent cells (cells that have stopped dividing but haven’t been cleared) secrete inflammatory compounds that sustain the inflammatory state.
Most of the conditions that define ageing — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, certain cancers — have inflammaging as a significant contributing mechanism. Reducing chronic inflammation is not a specific treatment for any one disease. It’s an upstream intervention that affects all of them simultaneously.
What drives inflammaging
The main drivers are well established: visceral fat (metabolically active adipose tissue that secretes inflammatory cytokines), gut dysbiosis (imbalanced gut microbiome producing inflammatory compounds), chronic sleep deprivation, sedentary behaviour, psychological stress, ultra-processed food consumption, and — emerging evidence suggests — chronic mild dehydration and water contaminant exposure.
The accumulation of senescent cells increases with age and is self-amplifying. Senolytics — compounds that selectively clear senescent cells — are one of the most active areas of current longevity research, with dasatinib/quercetin combinations showing promising results in early human trials.
The most effective anti-inflammatory interventions
Exercise. The most potent and best-evidenced anti-inflammatory intervention available. Reduces visceral fat, lowers IL-6 and TNF-alpha (key inflammatory cytokines), improves insulin sensitivity, and promotes the clearance of senescent cells. The anti-inflammatory benefits persist for hours after exercise and compound with consistent training over months.
Diet. The Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with the lowest inflammatory marker levels of any studied dietary pattern. High polyphenol intake (berries, olive oil, dark leafy greens, legumes), omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed), and low ultra-processed food are the key components. The mechanism involves microbiome health, direct anti-inflammatory compound activity, and metabolic effects.
Sleep. A single night of poor sleep raises CRP, IL-6, and TNF-alpha measurably. Chronic sleep deprivation sustains elevated inflammation. Addressing sleep quality is one of the most accessible inflammaging interventions.
Stress management. Psychological stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis, producing sustained cortisol elevation that drives inflammatory signalling. Chronic stress and chronic inflammation operate through overlapping mechanisms.
Chronic inflammation has lifestyle causes. Find out where yours might be coming from.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is inflammaging?
Inflammaging is the chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation that increases with age and drives most age-related disease. Unlike acute inflammation — which is protective and resolves — inflammaging is persistent, produces no obvious symptoms for years, and damages tissue and cellular function continuously. It is now considered a central mechanism of biological ageing rather than a consequence of it, contributing to cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, metabolic dysfunction, and cancer.
How does exercise reduce inflammation?
Exercise reduces visceral fat, which is the primary source of pro-inflammatory cytokines in most adults. It also directly lowers circulating IL-6 and TNF-alpha — two of the most established inflammatory markers — through multiple mechanisms including improved insulin sensitivity and the activation of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10. Myokines (muscle-derived signalling molecules released during exercise) have direct anti-inflammatory systemic effects. The benefits are dose-dependent and accumulate with consistent training.
What foods cause the most inflammation?
Ultra-processed foods are the primary driver of dietary inflammaging. They disrupt the gut microbiome, drive blood glucose instability (which activates inflammatory pathways), and are typically high in omega-6 fatty acids relative to omega-3 (an imbalance associated with increased inflammation). Refined sugars, industrial seed oils, and artificial additives are the specific components most consistently associated with elevated inflammatory markers in population studies.
Can inflammation cause weight gain?
Yes, and weight gain causes inflammation in return, creating a feedback loop. Visceral fat is metabolically active tissue that continuously secretes inflammatory cytokines (adipokines). Inflammation disrupts insulin signalling and leptin sensitivity, impairing the hormonal systems that regulate appetite and fat storage. This bidirectional relationship means that reducing inflammation supports weight management, and weight management reduces inflammation — both need to be addressed simultaneously for meaningful improvement.
What supplements reduce inflammation?
The supplements with the strongest evidence for anti-inflammatory effects are omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA), which directly reduce prostaglandin and leukotriene production; curcumin (with piperine for bioavailability), which inhibits NF-κB inflammatory signalling; and quercetin, which has multiple anti-inflammatory mechanisms and is also being studied as a senolytic. Magnesium deficiency is associated with elevated CRP; correcting it reduces inflammatory markers. Resveratrol and many other popular anti-inflammatory supplements have weaker human evidence.
How do I know if I have chronic inflammation?
The most accessible biomarker is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), available through a standard blood test. A level below 1 mg/L is optimal; 1-3 mg/L indicates moderate risk; above 3 mg/L indicates high risk. IL-6 and homocysteine are other relevant markers. Elevated fasting insulin and HbA1c indicate metabolic inflammation. Symptom clues include persistent fatigue, frequent illness, joint pain, digestive issues, and skin conditions — though these are non-specific and overlap with many conditions.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
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