Health Hotline Magazine | June 2026

Want to Age Well?

By Lindsay Wilson Reduce Inflammation!

You’ve heard of inflammation, but have you heard of “inflammaging?” The term was first coined in 2000 and is defined as “chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation that increases with age, even in the absence of overt infection or disease.” It is a side e ect of modern-day life that a ects the health of the whole body, particularly immune function and disease susceptibility (it is well-established that chronic inflammation is an underlying factor in the development of a number of chronic and degenerative diseases). The good news is that there are many tools at our disposal to help minimize the inflammation and its negative e ects. Inflammaging, Unique to Modern Society One of the more interesting recent studies to look at inflammaging was published in 2025, called “Nonuniversality of inflammaging across human populations.” In short, the study found that inflammaging is shaped by our environments and lifestyles, and that compared to people living in industrialized nations, indigenous populations experience little to no inflammaging. The researchers wrote, “Inflammaging … appears to be largely a byproduct of industrialized lifestyles, with major variations across environments and populations.” What is an industrialized lifestyle? One that is marked by high levels of stress, poor diets, including way too many ultra-processed foods, low levels of physical activity, and an almost constant exposure to toxins, from microplastics to pesticides. But the news isn’t all bad; lead author of the study, Alan Cohen, PhD, said that “Inflammaging may not be a direct product of aging, but rather a response to industrialized conditions … it’s

promising, because it means we can intervene and change things.” Tame the Flame with an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Why do our bodies gradually become more inflamed as we grow older? Lots of factors come into play, most are modifiable—genetic susceptibility, obesity, dysbiosis and increased gut permeability, cumulative oxidative stress, immune cell dysregulation, and even chronic infections can all increase inflammation. And then there are the outside factors, such as a poor diet and exposure to toxins. This chronic, low-grade inflammation is a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, dementia, and even frailty (loss of muscle mass, strength, and mobility). But just as there are many processes that drive inflammation, there are also many tactics to reduce it!

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