Inflammaging. What causes it and how to avoid it?

Inflammaging is a term that combines 2 words. Inflammation and aging. And it refers to the connection between both processes that cause aging.

Inflammaging is a mild but persistent chronic inflammation. That it lacks visible symptoms, but that it produces systemic effects in the organism. Among the effects of chronic inflammation is the acceleration of all the aging processes of the skin. Claudio Franceschi, a researcher on the mechanisms of aging at the University of Bologna. He carried out a series of studies on the evolution of immune mechanisms and stress in invertebrates and mammals.

The numerous studies devoted to the theory of inflammaging have opened a new perspective on aging. Being closely related to chronic disease. This type of inflammation represents a defense function that the body temporarily activates to combat situations where it feels in danger. These situations can be caused by external pathogens or traumatic events.

However, when, for different reasons, inflammation persists, the consequences for the tissues begin to be relevant. The inflammation comes with obvious clinical symptoms and manifestations such as redness, pain, thickening of the facial skin. Inflammaging can cause significant damage to cells and tissues. Therefore, it is considered a risk factor for many chronic diseases.

This chronic inflammation appears to be a progressive deterioration of the physiological response that the body activates when it must eliminate its cellular waste. When a cell is stressed or dies after too many nutrients, heat, or radiation, molecules that are generally protected in isolated behaviors are released. And so a defensive reaction is activated.

This defense functioning is present in young people and adults. But with the passage of time, it becomes pathological and transforms into a chronic and persistent inflammatory state. Studies carried out on the elderly show that people who live longer have high levels of molecules that enhance chronic inflammation. But at the same time, also of molecules that fight it.

Among the strategies to prevent inflammation are physical activity, the reduction of calories in food, and the consumption of antioxidants.