Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays and our series on the Hallmarks of aging. Today, we are going to go through episode eight and we're going to dive deeper into chronic inflammation. This is a persistent, low grade inflammatory states that contributes to various age related diseases, and the list is pretty shocking. Basically, cardiovascular diseases like athrosclerosis, heart failure, stroke, a bunch of diabetic complications like chronic renal failure. Diabetes itself is partly inflammatory. Then we have chronic inflammatory disorders like editable bald disease, psoriasis and things like that. We have bone, muscular and skeletal diseases that have a large inflammatory components, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy. We then have a range of cancers that are known to be anti inflammatory, such as lung, kidney, gastric, colon, pancreatic and lymphoma cancers. And then we have metabolic disorders such as fatty liver disease, heart disease. I did talk about type two diabetes, but also chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea all have an inflammatory component and then there are neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and Parkinson's disease as well as AIS. So as you can see, the list of chronic diseases that are driven by a chronic inflammatory state is pretty shocking. And understanding the underlying mechanisms and then implementing effective lifestyle interventions we know from the research can significantly mitigate chronic inflammation. So let's explore some of these strategies so before just to go a little bit deeper into it. So, chronic inflammation is this prolonged systemic inflammation that silently damages ourselves and our tissues and.

Hey, everybody, welcome to another edition of Wisdom Wednesdays and our series on the Hallmarks of aging. Today, we are going to go through episode eight and we're going to dive deeper into chronic inflammation. This is a persistent, low grade inflammatory states that contributes to various age related diseases, and the list is pretty shocking. Basically, cardiovascular diseases like athrosclerosis, heart failure, stroke, a bunch of diabetic complications like chronic renal failure. Diabetes itself is partly inflammatory. Then we have chronic inflammatory disorders like editable bald disease, psoriasis and things like that. We have bone, muscular and skeletal diseases that have a large inflammatory components, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy. We then have a range of cancers that are known to be anti inflammatory, such as lung, kidney, gastric, colon, pancreatic and lymphoma cancers. And then we have metabolic disorders such as fatty liver disease, heart disease. I did talk about type two diabetes, but also chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea all have an inflammatory component and then there are neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and Parkinson's disease as well as AIS. So as you can see, the list of chronic diseases that are driven by a chronic inflammatory state is pretty shocking. And understanding the underlying mechanisms and then implementing effective lifestyle interventions we know from the research can significantly mitigate chronic inflammation. So let's explore some of these strategies so before just to go a little bit deeper into it. So, chronic inflammation is this prolonged systemic inflammation that silently damages ourselves and our tissues and.

Our organs over time.

Our organs over time.

So unlike acute inflammation, which is short term protective response to injury or infection or even from doing physical training, when you particularly doing resistance training or long duration aerobic stuff runs those sorts of things, you get inflammation, but that then triggers the remodeling of our muscle helps us become bigger, faster, stronger. So this acute inflammation is really really important. It's when that acute inflammation turns chronic and it persists that it then contributes to the development of all of those diseases that I talked about, and we know that factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins and now the research on micro and nanoplastic exposure, all of this contributes to a persistent inflammatory state. So let's talk about what we can do again. First, cab off, the rank is exercise, and we know that engaging in regular physical activity is one of the most effective strategies to combat chronic inflammation full stop. We know that when people are sedentary it drives in inflammatory state, but during exercise, our contracting skeletal muscle releases cytokins. These are messenger molecules known as myokinds. Now, if you're a regular listener to this podcast, you've heard me talk about myokinds before. I call them magical myokinds. And amongst a whole hepe of stuff that they do, one of the things they do is they exert anti inflammatory effects both locally within them muscle and systemically throughout the body. This is for me, one of the big frontiers in medicine is understanding now that myokines get outside of our muscles and they have signaling effects on all of our organs. And one of the key functions of maokines is that they're anti inflammatory. So there are two particular marakins that have been identified.

So unlike acute inflammation, which is short term protective response to injury or infection or even from doing physical training, when you particularly doing resistance training or long duration aerobic stuff runs those sorts of things, you get inflammation, but that then triggers the remodeling of our muscle helps us become bigger, faster, stronger. So this acute inflammation is really really important. It's when that acute inflammation turns chronic and it persists that it then contributes to the development of all of those diseases that I talked about, and we know that factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins and now the research on micro and nanoplastic exposure, all of this contributes to a persistent inflammatory state. So let's talk about what we can do again. First, cab off, the rank is exercise, and we know that engaging in regular physical activity is one of the most effective strategies to combat chronic inflammation full stop. We know that when people are sedentary it drives in inflammatory state, but during exercise, our contracting skeletal muscle releases cytokins. These are messenger molecules known as myokinds. Now, if you're a regular listener to this podcast, you've heard me talk about myokinds before. I call them magical myokinds. And amongst a whole hepe of stuff that they do, one of the things they do is they exert anti inflammatory effects both locally within them muscle and systemically throughout the body. This is for me, one of the big frontiers in medicine is understanding now that myokines get outside of our muscles and they have signaling effects on all of our organs. And one of the key functions of maokines is that they're anti inflammatory. So there are two particular marakins that have been identified.

One is interlooking six.

One is interlooking six.

Some of you, if you've got a bit of a medical background, may have heard of Interlooking six as a pro inflammatory cidokine, and it is. However, it also functions as a miokine with anti inflammatory properties when it's released during exercise, right, so it's kind of got two sides to it, and it then when it's released from exercise, it helps regulate metabolic processes and inhibits the production of pro inflammatory side of kins such as tumor necrosis factor alpha TNF alpha. And then the other on another couple actually of anti inflammatory madakinds interlook in ten and interlook in one receptor antagonist. And these made kinds further contribute to the anti inflammatory effects of exercise by suppressing pro inflammatory pathways. And so we know that regular exercise is really key for your long term health, and a big component of it is because it reduces our systemic inflammation and then lowers the risk of chronic disease. And there's been too many studies to mention that show that regular exercise actually reduces inflammation and improves our health outcomes.

Some of you, if you've got a bit of a medical background, may have heard of Interlooking six as a pro inflammatory cidokine, and it is. However, it also functions as a miokine with anti inflammatory properties when it's released during exercise, right, so it's kind of got two sides to it, and it then when it's released from exercise, it helps regulate metabolic processes and inhibits the production of pro inflammatory side of kins such as tumor necrosis factor alpha TNF alpha. And then the other on another couple actually of anti inflammatory madakinds interlook in ten and interlook in one receptor antagonist. And these made kinds further contribute to the anti inflammatory effects of exercise by suppressing pro inflammatory pathways. And so we know that regular exercise is really key for your long term health, and a big component of it is because it reduces our systemic inflammation and then lowers the risk of chronic disease. And there's been too many studies to mention that show that regular exercise actually reduces inflammation and improves our health outcomes.

Now let's talk about some other stuff.

Now let's talk about some other stuff.

Probably the next big factor is nutrition and having balanced nutrition and particularly an anti inflammatory diet that is low HI you'll have heard me talk about before, low human interference, basically real food. It's basically incorporating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, unprocessed whole grains, things like nuts, seeds that are rich in antioxidants and fiber. And also we know from an anti inflammatory perspective, healthy fats are really really critical. Probably the most importance of mega three fatty acids from fatty fish, but also you can get them from flax seeds and walnuts, and they're known for their anti inflammatory properties. And also things like extra virgin olive oil is anti inflammatory. And then the other side of the ledger when it comes to nutrition, is really minimizing your intake of ultra processed foods that not only are high in sugars and unrefined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, but they also have a number of compounds in them that we know are really really quite nasty and they increase inflammation. Things like the additives that are in them, the emulsifiers, the artificial sweeteners, and the flavors that actually disrupt our microbial balance and promote inflammatory pathways. And I have talked before about a comprehensive umbrella review that showed that greater exposure to ultra processed foods is associated with a higher risk of a ridiculous amount of chronic diseases. And I will link to that study for anybody who hasn't seen it, because it is mind blowing the effects of this. So we have that we talked about an anti inflammatory diet, and there was a systematic review that was done that showed the datary interventions, particularly ones that had high amounts of fish, extra virgin olive oil, fruits, nuts, veggies, legomes. So those fruits, lots, veggies, leagomes, they contribute to overall fiber intake, which we know is anti inflammatory. But also things like yogurt and keffer and even coffee and tea can reduce inflammation and positively influence that got microbiome, thereby mitigating these chronic inflammatory diseases. And studying Frontiers in Nutrition in July twenty twenty three found that increased anti inflammatory food intake was associated with improved physical characteristics, reduce stress, decrease pain in patients with chronic pain, and often chronic pain is inflammatory. Now let's talk about some supplements that have been well established to be anti inflammatory. I think the standout here is a Mega three fatty assets. They act on a particular anti inflammatory pathway, and we know that supplementing amiga threes can help reduce inflammation and support both heart and brain health. And I've talked about this before. People who have an Amiga three index, which you can get tested. If you have an Amiga three index of greater than eight, they live five years longer than people within a Mega three index of less than five. So Omega three fatty acids are hugely important, and the next nutrient would be magnesium.

Probably the next big factor is nutrition and having balanced nutrition and particularly an anti inflammatory diet that is low HI you'll have heard me talk about before, low human interference, basically real food. It's basically incorporating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, unprocessed whole grains, things like nuts, seeds that are rich in antioxidants and fiber. And also we know from an anti inflammatory perspective, healthy fats are really really critical. Probably the most importance of mega three fatty acids from fatty fish, but also you can get them from flax seeds and walnuts, and they're known for their anti inflammatory properties. And also things like extra virgin olive oil is anti inflammatory. And then the other side of the ledger when it comes to nutrition, is really minimizing your intake of ultra processed foods that not only are high in sugars and unrefined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats, but they also have a number of compounds in them that we know are really really quite nasty and they increase inflammation. Things like the additives that are in them, the emulsifiers, the artificial sweeteners, and the flavors that actually disrupt our microbial balance and promote inflammatory pathways. And I have talked before about a comprehensive umbrella review that showed that greater exposure to ultra processed foods is associated with a higher risk of a ridiculous amount of chronic diseases. And I will link to that study for anybody who hasn't seen it, because it is mind blowing the effects of this. So we have that we talked about an anti inflammatory diet, and there was a systematic review that was done that showed the datary interventions, particularly ones that had high amounts of fish, extra virgin olive oil, fruits, nuts, veggies, legomes. So those fruits, lots, veggies, leagomes, they contribute to overall fiber intake, which we know is anti inflammatory. But also things like yogurt and keffer and even coffee and tea can reduce inflammation and positively influence that got microbiome, thereby mitigating these chronic inflammatory diseases. And studying Frontiers in Nutrition in July twenty twenty three found that increased anti inflammatory food intake was associated with improved physical characteristics, reduce stress, decrease pain in patients with chronic pain, and often chronic pain is inflammatory. Now let's talk about some supplements that have been well established to be anti inflammatory. I think the standout here is a Mega three fatty assets. They act on a particular anti inflammatory pathway, and we know that supplementing amiga threes can help reduce inflammation and support both heart and brain health. And I've talked about this before. People who have an Amiga three index, which you can get tested. If you have an Amiga three index of greater than eight, they live five years longer than people within a Mega three index of less than five. So Omega three fatty acids are hugely important, and the next nutrient would be magnesium.

It actually plays a role in over three.

It actually plays a role in over three.

Hundred enzymatic reactions and can help to manage the stress response in the body and reduce inflammation. And vitamin D is also important just because it has such an impact on hormones as well. It should actually be called a hormone rather than a vitamin. And in vinamin C is a powerful antioxid supports immune function and may help to combat inflammation, and then there are a number of spices and things like turmeric and ginger, but also garlic as well. It's not a spice, but it has anti inflammatory pathways. So there are a number of different plants and plant compounds that are anti inflammatory. And basically the take on here is about eating real food and not this ultra process crap that we tend to find in supermarkets. The next thing is around stress management, so particularly if you have a fur bit of stress in your life, trying to get that under control, because we know that chronic stress elevates cortisol and cordisole when released and significant amounts over time is very pro inflammatory. So arrange of stress reduction techniques exercises is brilliant for stress reduction, but also mindfuless meditation, yoga, deep breathing.

Hundred enzymatic reactions and can help to manage the stress response in the body and reduce inflammation. And vitamin D is also important just because it has such an impact on hormones as well. It should actually be called a hormone rather than a vitamin. And in vinamin C is a powerful antioxid supports immune function and may help to combat inflammation, and then there are a number of spices and things like turmeric and ginger, but also garlic as well. It's not a spice, but it has anti inflammatory pathways. So there are a number of different plants and plant compounds that are anti inflammatory. And basically the take on here is about eating real food and not this ultra process crap that we tend to find in supermarkets. The next thing is around stress management, so particularly if you have a fur bit of stress in your life, trying to get that under control, because we know that chronic stress elevates cortisol and cordisole when released and significant amounts over time is very pro inflammatory. So arrange of stress reduction techniques exercises is brilliant for stress reduction, but also mindfuless meditation, yoga, deep breathing.

Exercises, and having hobbies what the.

Exercises, and having hobbies what the.

Japanese called icky guy rather than just spending your spare time with your head buried in the screen, doing something that is engaging can also help to manage stress effectively. But also on the other side of the ledger, it's trying to minimize the inputs from that, which I know is not always practical, but we know then that The next thing that has a massive impact is sleep. Adequate sleep is essential for regulating inflammatory processes, and the research shows that having those seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night helps to support overall health and reduce inflammation. And those who have six hours are less sleep per night definitely have a big spike in their levels of inflammation.

Japanese called icky guy rather than just spending your spare time with your head buried in the screen, doing something that is engaging can also help to manage stress effectively. But also on the other side of the ledger, it's trying to minimize the inputs from that, which I know is not always practical, but we know then that The next thing that has a massive impact is sleep. Adequate sleep is essential for regulating inflammatory processes, and the research shows that having those seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night helps to support overall health and reduce inflammation. And those who have six hours are less sleep per night definitely have a big spike in their levels of inflammation.

And it's just.

And it's just.

Because of so much stuff is actually going on under the hood whenever you're a sleep There are so many biological restorative processes that are happening during sleep, and it's really clerical. And I've talked about sleep hygiene before, but the major things would be regular go to bed and regular waketime to ensure that you have a regular circadian rhythm, making sure that you're avoiding screens and bright lights within the thirteen minutes of going to bed, making sure you don't have television's, laptops and certainly mobile phones in the bedroom. The bedroom is supposed to be where you go to sleep, and if you're lucky, you get a bit of oofty macgoofty.

Because of so much stuff is actually going on under the hood whenever you're a sleep There are so many biological restorative processes that are happening during sleep, and it's really clerical. And I've talked about sleep hygiene before, but the major things would be regular go to bed and regular waketime to ensure that you have a regular circadian rhythm, making sure that you're avoiding screens and bright lights within the thirteen minutes of going to bed, making sure you don't have television's, laptops and certainly mobile phones in the bedroom. The bedroom is supposed to be where you go to sleep, and if you're lucky, you get a bit of oofty macgoofty.

Every now and then.

Every now and then.

But it's also about having that regular routine. Having that wind down routine before you go to bed is really key. And if you're somebody who's who's brain gets kind of full of stuff, having what's called a dump pad, well you just as part of your wind down routine for half an hour because you're not on bloody screens, you just write down all the stuff that is in your mind, and that gives you cognitive closure and can be really really effective. So in closing chronic inflammation A really is the silent killer, and it's a bit contributor to many age related diseases, but we know we can manage it through lifestyle choices. And you will have noticed a consistent theme with some of the other hallmarks of aging that regular exercise is really important. Having a good diet, especially for this one, rich and anti inflammatory foods, but also managing stress and having quality sleep really is key for managing that inflammation and reducing your chronic disease risk. So that's it for this week, folks, Catch you next time.

But it's also about having that regular routine. Having that wind down routine before you go to bed is really key. And if you're somebody who's who's brain gets kind of full of stuff, having what's called a dump pad, well you just as part of your wind down routine for half an hour because you're not on bloody screens, you just write down all the stuff that is in your mind, and that gives you cognitive closure and can be really really effective. So in closing chronic inflammation A really is the silent killer, and it's a bit contributor to many age related diseases, but we know we can manage it through lifestyle choices. And you will have noticed a consistent theme with some of the other hallmarks of aging that regular exercise is really important. Having a good diet, especially for this one, rich and anti inflammatory foods, but also managing stress and having quality sleep really is key for managing that inflammation and reducing your chronic disease risk. So that's it for this week, folks, Catch you next time.