"Inflammaging" — the slow, low-grade inflammation that rises with age even in healthy people — doesn't feel like anything day to day. But it quietly accelerates cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and nearly every other hallmark of aging.
A cut, an infection, a hard workout — your immune system's short, sharp inflammatory response is how the body detects damage and repairs it. This isn't the problem.
Low-grade, persistent inflammation that never fully resolves — driven by aging immune cells, visceral fat, gut permeability, and cellular senescence — is a slow-burning process with no clear injury to point to.
Researchers coined this term for the chronic, low-grade inflammatory state that rises steadily with age even in people with no diagnosed disease — and that itself accelerates most other hallmarks of aging.
The immune system itself ages — surveillance and repair functions decline while certain inflammatory signaling pathways become chronically overactive.
Cells that stop dividing but don't die ("zombie cells") accumulate with age and actively secrete inflammatory signals — the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).
Fat stored around organs doesn't just store energy — it actively secretes inflammatory cytokines, functioning almost like an endocrine gland working against you.
Age-related changes to the gut lining can let bacterial fragments leak into circulation, triggering a low-grade immune response that runs continuously in the background.
Diets rich in vegetables, fiber, and omega-3s and low in ultra-processed food and added sugar consistently associate with lower inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) across large population studies.
Exercise has a paradoxical effect: it causes acute, short-term inflammation but lowers chronic baseline inflammation over time — one of the most consistent anti-inflammaging levers available.
Poor or insufficient sleep reliably raises inflammatory markers within days. Sleep is one of the most direct, fastest-acting inflammation levers people tend to underrate.
Sustained psychological stress keeps cortisol and inflammatory signaling elevated; practices that reliably lower perceived stress (not any one specific technique) show consistent benefit.
Gum disease and gut dysbiosis are both linked to elevated systemic inflammation — often-overlooked, low-cost places to intervene.
| Compound | What it does | Human evidence | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) | Precursor to specialized pro-resolving mediators that actively help inflammation resolve, not just suppress it. | Among the best-evidenced anti-inflammatory supplements available; robust cardiovascular and inflammatory-marker data. 1–2 g/day combined EPA+DHA. | Grade A |
| Curcumin | Turmeric-derived compound with broad anti-inflammatory signaling effects in cell and animal studies. | Human trials show real but modest effects on inflammatory markers; poor natural bioavailability means formulation matters a lot. | Grade B |
| Vitamin D | Modulates immune cell signaling; deficiency is associated with higher inflammatory markers. | Correcting an actual deficiency shows clear benefit; supplementing when already sufficient shows little additional effect. | Grade B |
| Resveratrol | Polyphenol studied for effects on inflammatory and longevity-associated signaling pathways (sirtuins). | Strong preclinical story; human trial results have been inconsistent and often underwhelming at achievable doses. | Grade C |
| Spermidine | Naturally occurring polyamine that induces autophagy, which helps clear damaged, inflammation-promoting cellular material. | Promising early human and observational data; still an active, unsettled area of research. | Grade C |
Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use any compound. Peptides discussed are investigational research compounds, not approved medicines. Evidence grades reflect the general state of published human research and will change as new data arrive. Talk to a qualified clinician before making any changes to your training, diet, supplements, or medications — especially if you have a medical condition or take prescription drugs.