Inflammation, Aging, and Longevity: Why, How, and What to Do

By: Brandi Goodman

Inflammation,-Aging,-and-Longevity-Why,-How,-and-What-to-Do

Inflammation is a bit like a fire. It can warm and protect, but left unchecked, it can cause damage. For many of us, it's a silent issue that we may overlook until we start to experience chronic pain or other signs of aging. But this isn't just about feeling stiff when you get out of bed—it goes deeper. The link between inflammation and aging is profound, affecting nearly every aspect of your health. From how your joints move to how well your brain functions, inflammation can accelerate aging and cut your golden years short if left unchecked.

There's good news: you can manage inflammation and, in turn, your longevity. Lifestyle choices, chiropractic care, and dietary changes can significantly impact. So, let's break down why inflammation speeds up the aging process and what you can do to age well and live longer.

How inflammation accelerates aging

Inflammation is your body's natural response to injury, stress, or infection. But when inflammation becomes chronic—persisting over time rather than resolving—it can wreak havoc on your health. The term "inflamm-aging" perfectly describes this phenomenon: the gradual, low-grade inflammation that often accompanies aging. It's a pivotal contributor to age-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and even Alzheimer's. Your immune system, your first defense against harmful invaders, begins to weaken as you age. When chronic inflammation sets in, it can strain your immune system further, leaving you vulnerable to everything from neurodegenerative diseases to joint pain.

Here's the thing—inflammation isn't inevitable. While aging naturally leads to some level of inflammation, there are steps you can take to control it. Focusing on anti-inflammatory diets, stress management, and even regular chiropractic adjustments can prevent inflammation from derailing your health.

What happens to your body when inflammation sticks around?

Chronic inflammation is a silent disruptor, creeping into multiple systems in your body. Here's a quick tour of the damage it can cause:

Joints: Chronic inflammation wears down cartilage, leading to osteoarthritis. You might notice swollen, painful joints that limit your mobility.
Bone marrow: This vital part of your body produces blood cells, but when inflamed, it can lead to DNA damage and even malignant cell growth.
Heart: Persistent inflammation puts you at higher risk for heart disease, making your cardiovascular system work harder, which can increase the chances of a stroke or heart attack.
Metabolism: Your body's ability to manage weight and blood sugar becomes impaired, leading to obesity and chronic conditions like diabetes.
Brain: Inflammation in the brain can cause cognitive decline, making it harder for you to think clearly and increasing your risk for Alzheimer's disease.

That's a lot to digest, but understanding these impacts empowers you to fight back. Each system affected by inflammation offers clues about managing and reducing it.

Why does inflammation increase with age?

As you age, your immune system weakens. You may find that you get sick more often or that a small cut takes longer to heal than it used to. On top of this, older adults are usually less active, may experience more stress, and sometimes don't eat as well as they should. These factors all contribute to the rise of chronic inflammation as we age.

Here's where things get tricky: inflammation isn't just about what's happening on the outside. In many cases, it's about what's going on inside your body. If you're not eating an anti-inflammatory diet or are constantly stressed, your body is likely producing more inflammatory chemicals than it should be. Over time, these chemicals cause wear and tear on your body, which accelerates aging.

How does inflammation relate to Alzheimer's disease?

Chronic inflammation in the brain can have devastating effects on cognitive health. It damages brain cells and contributes to the formation of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. These plaques disrupt communication between brain cells, leading to memory loss, confusion, and a decline in cognitive function. Inflammation is also associated with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease.

To reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and slow cognitive decline, it is crucial to manage inflammation. This can be done through lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet, regular physical activity, stress management, and routine chiropractic care. But beyond managing inflammation, it's important to actively challenge your brain to maintain high levels of cognitive function. Engaging in activities like learning new skills, reading to expand vocabulary, playing memory games, and solving puzzles can help keep your brain sharp and resilient as you age. Keeping your brain active fosters neuroplasticity, which supports long-term cognitive health and may help ward off diseases like Alzheimer's.

By staying mentally engaged and controlling inflammation, you can protect your brain and maintain cognitive health well into your later years.

The power of diet in reducing inflammation

You are what you eat. And when it comes to inflammation, this couldn't be truer. One of the easiest ways to fight inflammation is to adjust your diet. An anti-inflammatory diet is rich in foods that help keep inflammation in check, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Let's break it down:

Fruits and vegetables: These are packed with antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals in your body. Berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli and cauliflower) are top choices.
Healthy fats: Foods like olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish (like salmon) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve heart health.
Whole grains: To improve your body's ability to fight inflammation, swap out processed carbs for whole grains like quinoa and brown rice.
Spice and herbs: Turmeric and ginger are potent anti-inflammatories that can be easily added to your meals.

Consider the Mediterranean diet if you're looking for a structured eating method. This diet emphasizes whole, nutrient-rich foods and healthy fats like olive oil. Research has shown that this diet reduces inflammation, supports heart health, boosts cognitive function, and promotes longevity.

Gut health and inflammation

You might be surprised to learn that gut health is crucial in managing inflammation. Your gut is home to trillions of good and bad bacteria. As you age, this balance can shift, increasing harmful bacteria, which triggers inflammation.

Eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi can help restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut. When your gut is in good health, inflammation levels go down, and you may notice an improvement in digestion, less bloating, and better overall health. Some studies even suggest that a healthy gut can improve brain function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Stress and inflammation: An unexpected connection

It's no secret that stress can take a toll on your health. However, you may not realize that stress can directly contribute to chronic inflammation. When you're stressed, your body produces cortisol, a hormone that, in small amounts, can help regulate inflammation. However, when stress becomes chronic, cortisol levels stay elevated, which throws your body's natural inflammatory response out of whack.

To control stress and inflammation, make time for activities that help you unwind. Whether practicing mindfulness, journaling, walking, or picking up a hobby, managing your stress levels can go a long way toward improving your long-term health.

Chiropractic care: An ally in reducing inflammation

You may be wondering where chiropractic care fits into this picture. While chiropractic adjustment isn't a direct treatment for inflammation, it offers several benefits that may reduce the impact of chronic inflammation on your body.

Regular adjustments may help:

Reduce pain: Chiropractic care can alleviate discomfort and stiffness by improving your spine's alignment and reducing muscle tension.
Improve mobility: If inflammation is causing joint pain or stiffness, adjustments can help restore your range of motion and make it easier to stay active.
Ease stress: A well-functioning nervous system can help regulate your body's stress response, lowering cortisol levels and controlling inflammation.
Boost blood flow: Adjustments can enhance circulation, which improves oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues and helps reduce inflammation naturally.

Chiropractic care helps support your body's ability to function at its best, which is why it could be part of a holistic approach to managing inflammation and aging.

Lifestyle changes to keep inflammation in check

There are many things you can do to reduce inflammation as you age. Here's a quick checklist:

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet: Incorporate plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, such as fatty fish, olive oil, and fruits and vegetables, into your daily meals.
Stay active: Aim for at least thirty minutes of exercise daily. Regular physical activity helps reduce inflammation and supports overall health.
Manage stress: Take time to relax and unwind each day.
Avoid alcohol and smoking: Both are major contributors to inflammation and should be minimized or eliminated.
Get enough sleep: Aim for at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night.

Making these lifestyle changes and committing to routine chiropractic adjustments can dramatically reduce inflammation and support healthy aging.

The road ahead: What's your plan?

Now that you understand how inflammation affects aging, it's time to take action. You don't have to accept chronic inflammation as a part of aging. Instead, you can manage it through diet, stress relief, and regular chiropractic care.

We're here to support your health journey. Whether you're looking for ways to stay active, improve your mobility, or alleviate pain, we're ready to help you develop a treatment plan that suits your lifestyle and helps you age with grace and vitality.

Works Cited

"Inflammation: A unifying theory of disease?" Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/inflammation-a-unifying-theory-of-disease

"The Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan." Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801

"Managing chronic inflammation through diet." American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2022/08/24/managing-chronic-inflammation-through-diet

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