Inflammation is a buzzword that often has a negative connotation. But what does it mean, really, and how does this translate into health implications?
When educating patients about inflammation, I always take a neutral stance. This is because inflammation is essentially the immune system; it is the reason for the redness and pain that accompany a paper cut; it is a healing mechanism. But the true issues arise when this inflammation is chronic and ongoing.
Picture this: You’re being asked to work for 36 consecutive hours without a break or a nap. Of course, your performance would be compromised, and so, too would your attention to detail, resulting in some undesirable outcomes.
While most providers discuss inflammation through the lens of health and illness, these “undesirable outcomes” aren’t seen with the naked eye because they’re physiological mechanisms unfolding underneath the surface, literally. But there is one exception: your outward appearance.
What Is Inflammaging?
Inflammaging is a term often used to describe the accelerated aging process that occurs due to chronic inflammatory processes already occurring throughout the body. This is why two individuals may be the same age but appear decades apart; one keeps a low inflammatory load, while the other may be battling chronic illness.
Despite the growing awareness of holistic health, society continues to prioritize outward appearances. In 2022 alone, over 9.2 million Botox procedures were performed globally, a 26.1% increase from the previous year. We tend to value or prioritize the things we can see; however, this is where we find ourselves at an impasse with our physiology.
The body allocates nutrients and resources to our internal organs and systems first, leaving whatever is left over to the external: skin, hair, and nails.
How to Recognize Inflammaging
I believe in getting to know yourself and your baselines. This way, when something is “off,” you can identify it without hesitation. Because your outside appearance isn’t high on the priority list of survival, many of these signs can be identified just by looking in the mirror! Aren’t you lucky?
- Dull, dry, or uneven skin tone
- Accelerated fine lines and wrinkles
- Loss of skin elasticity or sagging
- Thinning or slowed hair growth
- Delayed wound healing
- Persistent under-eye circles or hollowness
Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s best to determine the cause so we can help slow and/or reverse it.
What Causes Inflammaging?
The saying, “you are what you eat,” reworded to say, “you are what you absorb,” provides a solid basis as to how this all unfolds; it begins with your overall health, because true health
radiates outward.
Common lifestyle habits that facilitate inflammaging include:
- Smoking
- Regular alcohol consumption
- Frequent exposure to stressors
- Consuming processed foods
- Poor sleep
And My Favorite, Digestion
This link may be the most profound! Certainly, there is a relationship between nutrient absorption and skin health, but more significantly, the skin and gut share a similar embryonic origin during early fetal development! This means that because the cells are so similar, what affects one is likely to affect the other.
Combat Inflammaging Naturally
Firstly, I like to identify easy targets. In the case of smoking and alcohol consumption, limiting or omitting altogether is a great place to start. Not only will this help aesthetically, but your overall health will thank you, too.
Next, identify stressors and work through ways to manage them. We live in a largely stressful world, and once we try to stop avoiding stress altogether, but rather do our best to mitigate it, we will eliminate a stressor right there! Deep breaths during times of increased stress, cultivating a daily practice around mindfulness, or even carving out time to listen to a meditation for a few minutes a day. Each of these grounds us back in reality, and that humility is very helpful in mitigating systemic inflammation.
Processed foods are loaded with ingredients that are not particularly conducive to human health, but rather, convenience and shelf stability. The longer something can live on a shelf, the less likely it is that it has any business ending up inside your body.
Long story short: Your lifestyle choices are completely reflective back to you and on full display for others to see; what do you want to show them?
Dr. Lyndsey Maher is a naturopathic physician and co-director of Soleil Acupuncture and Naturopathic Wellness in Hamden, CT. With specialties in acupuncture, hormone health, and holistic aesthetics, she combines evidence-based therapies with individualized care to help patients optimize their health from the inside out. She is passionate about empowering patients to take an active role in their healing journey, blending the best of science and natural medicine.
Connect with her at: www.soleilholistic.com or 203.871.3262.
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