HEALTH Women's Health April 20, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock the Secret to Reversing ‘Inflammaging’ and Slashing Your Heart and Brain Disease Risk—Doctors Don’t Want You to Know This!

Ever wonder why some aches and pains just don’t quit no matter how much rest or care you give them? Well, it might be time to meet your new arch-nemesis: inflammaging. Yep, it’s a real thing—and no, it’s not just a fancy word for getting older. Unlike the helpful, short-lived inflammation that swoops in when you stub your toe or catch a cold, inflammaging sneaks in quietly and sticks around, slowly damaging your immune system, heart, and even your brain over time. Think of it like a slow-burning ember that keeps your body in a low-grade flare-up, increasing risks of everything from type 2 diabetes to bone loss. The good news? Science is on our side, showing that with a few savvy lifestyle tweaks, you can actually dial down inflammaging and feel years younger—and who wouldn’t want that? Ready to dive into how to naturally switch off this sneaky troublemaker? LEARN MORE

The key to improving your health: curbing the chronic, low-grade inflammation called “inflammaging.” What is inflammaging, exactly? Unlike the acute inflammatory response that helps us recover from injuries and infections, ongoing inflammation damages the body’s immune, circulatory and nervous systems in the long term. In fact, low-grade, chronic inflammation has been shown to increase the risk of several health conditions, from osteoarthritis to heart disease. Fortunately, research in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences suggests that taming inflammaging cuts the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, bone loss and more.

How to reverse inflammaging naturally

You can curb your risk of this type of accelerated aging and feel years younger by making a few easy lifestyle changes that reduce inflammation in your body. Here’s how to get started:

Consider CoQ10

Made naturally by the body, a nutrient called coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) acts on cellular pathways that control inflammation. The problem is that CoQ10 production can wane over time. The simple fix: Taking 100 mg of CoQ10 three times daily. A report in Antioxidants & Redox Signaling reveals that doing so lifts your levels to decrease chronic inflammation in 40 days. To maximize the inflammaging-taming benefits, choose a supplement that contains ubiquinol, a readily absorbed CoQ10 form. (Discover more CoQ10 benefits for women.)

Take up gardening

Spending time planting colorful flowers or sowing seeds could lower inflammation, suggests a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The beneficial bacteria in soil produce a compound called geosmin that’s been reported to help soothe the stress that contributes to inflammaging. More good news: Research published in HortScience found that participants who gardened for about 50 minutes twice a week for seven weeks experienced long-lasting anti-inflammatory benefits.

Hit snooze

Permission to sleep in. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that not getting enough sleep spikes C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of low-grade inflammation, leaving your body inflamed. The effects of sleep were so potent that researchers found a single day of sleep deprivation caused CRP to climb by 23 percent, while 10 days of restricted sleep (only getting about four hours a night) more than quadrupled levels of the inflammatory marker. Sleep helps the body dial down its stress response to tame inflammation. (Check out our top tips for better sleep.)

Savor dark chocolate

Calling all chocolate lovers: A study in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found that participants who enjoyed 30 grams of dark chocolate every day for eight weeks as part of a balanced diet had lower levels of inflammatory markers than those who didn’t. Researchers say beneficial compounds in cocoa called polyphenols have antioxidant properties that lessen inflammation.

Bonus: About two ounces of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate contains roughly 6 grams of fiber. That’s important, since an observational study published in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that high-fiber diets help ward off rising inflammation levels.

Add legumes to your menu

Legumes such as lentils, black beans and chickpeas are a satisfying way to foil inflammaging. According to a European Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, enjoying four servings weekly can curb chronic inflammation in as little as three weeks. Plus, research in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found that people who upped their intake of legumes reduced their levels of a key inflammaging marker. Credit goes to compounds such as peptides, polyphenols and saponins in legumes, all of which have anti-inflammatory effects.

Need an easy way to sneak more veggies into your diet? Try Veggies Made Great Fudge Brownie Bites made with chickpea puree for dessert, or snack on The Only Bean Crunchy Roasted Edamame Beans in fun flavors like ranch or buffalo.

Enlist a dynamic duo

Glucosamine and chondroitin don’t just ease arthritic knees—they may reduce inflammation body-wide. Research in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found that people taking the duo had 23 percent lower levels of CRP. Bonus: In the same study, those who had been taking the supplements for at least a year were up to 65 percent less likely to die from heart disease or stroke.

Apply moisturizer

In a report published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, people who applied about half a teaspoon of a cream containing natural fats to their skin twice daily experienced drops in immune-system proteins that amp up inflammaging within 30 days. The strategy boosts the skin’s ability to shield against irritants, allergens, bacteria and fungi that contribute to chronic inflammation known as inflammaging. One option: Atopalm MLE Cream.

Try the Mediterranean diet

Quick: What fruits, veggies and nuts do you love most? Whether it’s kiwis, hummus or almonds, eating more plants may help tame inflammation. Research in Nutrition Reviews found that a Mediterranean diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods reduced levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), which signals inflammation in the body. And it can be as simple as loading up on more vegetables at mealtimes, eating fish in place of processed meats or pairing fresh fruit with healthy fats like Once Again Almond Butter.

Bonus: The health perks may be especially meaningful in midlife and beyond. Research in the New England Journal of Medicine found those ages 55 to 80 at high risk of serious heart problems who began following an anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style diet rich in plants, nuts and olive oil lowered their risk of major cardiovascular events by up to 31 percent.

Sip a Bloody Mary mocktail

Sounds too tasty to be true, but drinking tomato juice can drive down chronic inflammation in 20 days. So say authors of a British Journal of Nutrition study, who found the benefits in those who sipped 12 ounces of the juice each day. Lycopene, a compound found in tomatoes and tomato products, keeps proteins that trigger inflammation from binding to cells. Plus, lycopene inhibits the action of enzymes that can increase inflammation in the body.

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.