FIRST EDITION
INFLAMMAGING: ARE YOU ACCELERATING THE AGING PROCESS? FÁTIMA MAGALHÃES Longevity Ambassador
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rowing older, many of us will develop low-grade chronic inflammations that cause disease and damage throughout our body. Because this low-level inflammation typically accompanies aging, scientists have nicknamed it ‘inflammaging’ – and it is thought to be the cause of age-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Let me take you through how chronic inflammaging accelerates the effects of aging and shortens lives. Inflammation is a natural and necessary response to any harmful stimuli and is, therefore, an important component of the immune system. It is what enables our body to respond to injury, infection or illness. The problem is that it’s a double-edged sword, when the immune system fails to turn off the inflammation response, it leads to the low-level chronic inflammation now known as inflammaging.
In many cases, I believe this is due to the world we live in today, with various stresses to the body and mind triggering the chronic and systemic inflammation that provokes various age-related diseases.This does mean there is some good news in that because many chronic diseases share a common inflammatory basis, their risk can be prevented - and even reversed. The low grade, persistent inflammation that leads to tissue damage and degeneration is often caused by poor lifestyle choices. Processed foods contain additives, sugars, conservatives and chemicals, and when consumed regularly, the body becomes chronically inflamed, developing the risk of disease and accelerating the aging process. Other factors can include stress, environmental chemicals, sleep deprivation, and lack of exercise – all of which contribute to increased inflammation and a compromised immune system.
THE LOW GRADE, PERSISTENT INFLAMMATION THAT LEADS TO TISSUE DAMAGE AND DEGENERATION IS OFTEN CAUSED BY POOR LIFESTYLE CHOICES. “
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