Dietary Management as a Strategy for Reducing Inflammaging in Aging Population

Abstract

As more people live into older age, researchers have started to focus on chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation—called inflammaging—as a key biological factor behind cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and frailty in later life. Franceschi et al. (2000) describe inflammaging as a progressive, chronic, low-grade pro-inflammatory state that becomes more pronounced with age, driven by multiple interacting mechanisms including senescent cell accumulation and SASP signaling, mitochondrial dysfunction and the release of DAMPs, gut microbiome shifts, and failures in immune regulation. This literature review examines how dietary patterns influence inflammaging through measurable biomarkers such as hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α. Evidence indicates that pro-inflammatory dietary components including saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and high–glycemic index carbohydrates tend to elevate these markers, while omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, MUFAs, flavonoids, carotenoids, and magnesium are associated with reductions in them. A two-year Mediterranean diet intervention reported significant decreases in hs-CRP, IL-6, IL-7, and IL-18 compared to a control diet, suggesting that changing dietary patterns can causally lower inflammatory biomarkers. Taken together, these studies suggest that using anti-inflammatory dietary patterns is a realistic and practical strategy to help manage inflammaging and support healthier aging in older adults.