Introduction
If you’ve been doing some research on ageing and how to reverse it to slow it down, you may have come across a trending word—inflammaging! This word gives the gist that ageing is directly associated with inflammation. Ample research states that chronic inflammation due to various factors can accelerate ageing.
How?
In this blog, we provide an extensive overview of inflammation, how it affects different parts of the body, its association with ageing, and how functional medicine at Medi-Gyn can help you reduce it and age gracefully!
Inflammation & Ageing: What is their link?
Inflammation is the body’s normal response to injuries, invaders (like bacteria, viruses, fungi), and other harmful substances. It is a way the body fights these invaders and helps you get better. However, in many cases, inflammation can occur without an invader or injury, which may give rise to many chronic diseases.
Depending upon the duration of inflammation, it can be of two types:
- Acute: This type of inflammation is sudden and temporary
- Chronic: This type of inflammation is usually long-term and can go on for months or even years
How does inflammation occur?
When an invader or harmful substance enters the body or you get injured, the immune system sends its first line of defenders– the inflammatory cells and cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).
The inflammatory cells begin to repair injured tissue and trap any germs and toxins. This action results in Inflammation, which is often characterised by pain, swelling, and discolouration. Normal inflammation usually causes mild pain or discomfort only.
Did you know inflammation can affect body parts you cannot see? An example of this is ageing!
Ageing is characterised by chronic systemic inflammation, which can give rise to:
- Cellular slowdown (senescence) and cell death
- Immunosenescence
- Organ dysfunction
- Age-related diseases
Chronic inflammation accelerates the senescence of immune cells, weakening the immune system. This affects the body’s ability to eliminate inflammatory factors that can create a vicious cycle of inflammation and ageing.
Persistently elevated levels of inflammatory factors can impact the bone marrow, liver, and lungs long-term.
How does inflammation affect various parts of the body?
Here’s how chronic inflammation affects the body and accelerates the process of ageing.
- Skin
Chronic inflammation can hastens the breakdown of collagen and elastin– the two proteins that are required to maintain skin elasticity and firmness. This results in the early appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin.
Excessive sun exposure, pollution and consumption of inflammatory foods like sugar can further exacerbate skin ageing.
- Energy levels
If you suffer from persistent tiredness, fatigue, or lack of energy, it may be due to chronic inflammation in the body. Inflammatory molecules, like cytokines, are known to disrupt energy production in the body cells, leading to exhaustion. The presence of other chronic medical conditions further reduces energy levels.
- Musculoskeletal system
Many people who complain of stiffness in their joints or muscles frequently may be experiencing the effects of chronic inflammation. Inflammation in the joints, as seen in arthritis, can cause pain and stiffness, limiting mobility. Muscle tissues can also become inflamed due to overuse, injury, or chronic autoimmune conditions like fibromyalgia.
- Metabolism
Did you know chronic inflammation also affects your body’s metabolism? It can result in insulin resistance, making it harder to process glucose and store fat efficiently. It can also interfere with hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which regulate hunger and satiety. Therefore, chronic inflammation can make it challenging to maintain optimal weight.
- Gut Health
The gut is often the major centre of inflammation, as it is home to trillions of microbes that influence immune responses. Therefore, an inflammation in the gut lining can lead to issues like bloating, diarrhoea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), also called “leaky gut.”
How does functional medicine combat inflammation?
Functional medicine is a holistic approach to treatments that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of health concerns. It is a comprehensive treatment approach that takes into account one’s individual lifestyle, genetics, environment, and overall health and medical conditions.
There are several reasons why functional medicine is popular today:
- It is based on root-cause analysis
- Offers personalised solutions tailored to individual needs
- Has a holistic approach to treating chronic conditions
- Provides patient-centric and science-based treatments
- Educates and empowers the patient to improve their health and overall quality of life
Top functional therapies to help you age gracefully
Medi-Gyn offers a wide range of functional medicine treatments, such as peptide therapy, peptide bioregulators, nutrition and supplements, and hormone balancing.
- Anti-inflammatory diet: To keep inflammation under control, include foods that fight inflammation.
- Omega-3-rich foods: Salmon, chia seeds, walnuts
- Antioxidant powerhouses: Blueberries, spinach, turmeric, and green tea
You must also avoid processed foods, sugar, refined carbs, and trans fats, which may trigger inflammation.
- Peptide Therapy: Peptides are short chains of amino acids that signal your body to heal and regenerate on a cellular level. This therapy improves skin elasticity, reduces wrinkles, boosts energy levels and promotes muscle recovery. It also supports fat metabolism and aids in weight management.
- Hormone Balancing: Hormonal imbalances can lead to chronic inflammation, especially in men and women in their mid-life.
Hormonal balancing therapies are recommended to help improve mood, energy, and libido, support bone density and muscle strength and stabilise weight. They also reduce hot flashes and night sweats.
- Lifestyle Tweaks: Chronic stress, poor hydration, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy diet are some lifestyle habits that can result in chronic inflammation.
Here are some lifestyle tweaks to help reduce chronic inflammation and slow down ageing:
- Stress management: Chronic stress leads to inflammation and accelerates ageing. Practices like mindfulness, yoga, and meditation can help.
- Adequate hydration: Proper hydration combats dryness, supports joint health, and promotes skin vitality. Electrolyte balance is crucial in hot climates.
- Exercise: Regular, moderate activity like strength training or pilates boosts circulation, improves bone density, and supports muscle tone.
Following these tips and habits can keep your inflammation under control, allowing you to age gracefully and at your own pace.
Fight inflammation to slow down ageing!
While you think ageing is the culprit that is stealing your youthful grace, you may have chronic inflammation to blame. Chronic inflammation accelerates ageing by encouraging collagen breakdown, disrupting energy production and negatively affecting metabolism and hormonal balance.
However, all is not lost! Adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle—through diet, peptide therapy, hormone balancing, and mindful living—can slow down these effects, promoting youthful skin, sustained energy, and overall vitality.
Want to know more about functional medicine and reverse the clock of ageing? Reach out to our experts at Medi-Gyn– where we believe ageing isn’t just about your genetics but also about your lifestyle and more!
