Have you heard of  ‘inflammageing’?

This is the ungainly name that scientists have given to the systematic low-grade inflammation that develops in our bodies as we age.

This chronic inflammation gets into our blood and tissues, damaging our organs over time.

It’s a serious risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and other chronic diseases.

Why does this happen?

Because as we age, our cells become more dysfunctional, including our immune cells.

It’s the not-quite-right immune cells that prompt this chronic inflammation and also suffer from inflammation.

As a new study in Nature puts it: “At the same time, chronic inflammation accelerates the senescence (dysfunction) of immune cells, resulting in weakened immune function and an inability to clear senescent (dysfunctional) cells and inflammatory factors, which creates a vicious cycle of inflammation and senescence.

“Persistently elevated inflammation levels in organs such as the bone marrow, liver, and lungs cannot be eliminated in time, leading to organ damage and ageing-related diseases.”

Good news?

“Elimination of inflammation could be a potential strategy for anti-ageing,” conclude the study authors from Zhejiang University, Haining, China.

Great. But how?

Diet more than drugs may be the key

Science is building a case that an anti-inflammatory diet dampens levels of systemic inflammation in the body.

The Mediterranean diet and DASH diets are examples of anti-inflammatory eating. 

Diets heavy in saturated fats, poor-quality sugars and carbs, and trans-fats – and ultra-processed foods more broadly – are known to cause inflammation.

A recent study – from the Ageing Research Centre at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm – posited that dampening inflammation might slow “the progression of neurodegenerative damage and vascular injury in the brain”.

If this was truly the case, then it would be “less likely for an individual to experience cognitive impairment and, eventually, dementia”.

The researchers tested this idea with a large group of people aged 60 or over.

The participants all had at least one cardiometabolic disease – such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease (including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure), or stroke. 

“Chronic low-grade inflammation is a key feature of cardiometabolic diseases, implicated in the development of dementia,” the researchers pointed out.

Participants followed an anti-inflammatory diet, or a pro-inflammatory diet.

Over a 12 -year follow-up, the study concluded hat people with cardiometabolic diseases, who were on an anti-inflammatory diet, had a 31 per cent lower risk for dementia compared with those on a pro-inflammatory diet.

MRI scans of the brain found that participants on an anti-inflammatory diet had larger grey matter volume (bigger brain mass) and a lower burden of white matter lesions than those who ate more pro-inflammatory foods.

Previous, separate studies found that a pro-inflammatory diet was associated with smaller total brain volume, and “that older adults with the highest inflammatory diet scores were three times more likely to develop incident dementia than those with the lowest scores.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation

Lauren Ball is Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, the
The University of Queensland. Dr Emily Burch is dietitian, researcher and lecturer at Southern Cross University.

Last year they co-authored a terrific explainer at The Conversation about the signs and symptoms of chronic systemic inflammation. The piece describes the kinds of food that are anti-inflammatory.

The signs and symptoms of chronic inflammation may be present from several months to years.
They include:

• Persistent pain
• Chronic fatigue or insomnia
• Joint stiffness
• Skin problems
• Elevated blood markers, such as C-reactive protein
• Gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation, diarrhoea and acid reflux
• Depression, anxiety and mood disorders
• Unintended weight gain or loss
• Frequent colds or flu.

Anti-inflammatory foods

Anti-inflammatory diets are typically:

• High in antioxidants. These compounds help the body fight free radicals or unstable atoms that in high quantities are linked to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. The best way to consume antioxidants is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Research shows frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables can be just as good as fresh
• High in ‘healthy’, unsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats and omega-3-fatty acids are found in fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna), seeds, nuts, and plant-based oils (olive oil and flaxseed oil)
• High in fibre and prebiotics. Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and leafy greens are good sources of fibre. Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in our intestines and can come from onions, leeks, asparagus, garlic, bananas, lentils and legumes
• Low in processed foods. These contain refined carbohydrates (pastries, pies, sugar-sweetened beverages, deep-fried foods and processed meats).

As you age, keep in mind, you become more prone to disease.

This is because your immune system is also on the wane: It’s both hurting and helping you, and needs all the help it can get.

Try to eat for a healthier and happier experience of later life.