Stress, Inflammation & “Inflammaging”: How to Break the Cycle

We all know stress is bad but most people underestimate just how deeply stress and inflammation shape the aging process. Scientists now talk about “inflammaging” the chronic, low-grade inflammation that accelerates cellular decline.

Everyday drivers of inflammaging:

• Poor sleep: One bad night raises inflammatory markers like CRP. Chronic insomnia ages you faster than almost anything else.

• Diet: Processed foods, seed oils, and sugar fuel inflammation and glycation.

• Environment: Polluted air, mold exposure, heavy metals — all sources of oxidative stress.

• Psychological stress: Constant emails, deadlines, social media notifications keep cortisol elevated.

Visible signs of inflammaging:

• Puffy face or skin inflammation

• Joint pain, stiffness, slow recovery

• Frequent infections or low immunity

• Mental fatigue and brain fog

How to break the cycle:

• Nutrition: Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet rich in omega-3s, polyphenols (like olive oil, blueberries, green tea).

• Movement: Low-intensity daily activity reduces systemic inflammation more than most medications.

• Sauna: Proven to lower inflammation markers.

• Mind-body practices: Meditation, breathwork, grounding reduce cortisol and calm the nervous system.

• Peptides like BPC-157 and Thymosin Alpha-1:

Show regenerative and anti-inflammatory effects in early studies.

If you want to stay young, learn to calm the fire inside. Lowering chronic inflammation is one of the most powerful longevity tools we have.

These compounds are sold strictly for research purposes only.

They are not FDA-approved and nothing in this article constitutes medical advice.