Anti-Aging Medicine

by

Ronald Klatz, MD, DO, and Robert Goldman, MD, PhD, DO, FAASP

American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; www.worldhealth.net)

Literature Review: Inflammation as a Mechanism of Aging

The body’s inflammatory response is a double-edged sword. While it serves as an important defense mechanism against infection, inflammation is also implicated in a number of chronic diseases. Recently, Swedish researchers identified a class of enzymes, known as caspases, that factor in the inflammatory process associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. In a laboratory model, Bertrand Joseph and colleagues from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) found that caspases 3, 7, and 8 activate microglial cells, which in turn triggers an inflammatory reaction. The team also examined cell samples from deceased Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, and discovered a higher incidence of activated caspases in their microglial cells. The researchers developed a way to block caspases, thereby preventing the activation of the microglia and consequently the inflammation they cause, concluding: “inhibition of these caspases could be neuroprotective by targeting the microglia.”

Chronic inflammation is suspected to be an overexpression or lack of control of the body’s normal protective mechanisms, and the condition has been linked to a range of conditions associated with heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes, and arthritis. A properly functioning inflammatory response may be a key factor in confirming important health benefits. In this column, we present recent study findings that suggest nutritional and lifestyle approaches that may help to curb an overactive, chronic inflammatory response.

Burguillos MA, Deierborg T, Kavanagh E, et al. Caspase signaling controls microglia activation and neurotoxicity. Nature. 9 March 2011.

Citrus Compounds Help

Reduce Inflammation

Citrus flavonoids may lower one’s markers of inflammation, particularly interleukin-18 (IL-18). Rikard Landberg and colleagues from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden) found that women with the highest intakes of total flavonoids, which includes various subclasses such as flavones, flavonols, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, and polymeric flavonoids, had an 8% lower level of the pro-inflammatory compound interleukin-18 (IL-18) compared with women with the lowest intake. In addition, women with the highest average intakes of flavonol had 4% lower levels of soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), compared with women with the lowest average intakes.

Landberg R, Sun Q, Rimm EB, et al. Selected dietary flavonoids are associated with markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in U.S. women. J Nutr. February 16, 2011;141(4):618–625.

Strawberry Compound Decreases Inflammation

Britt Burton-Freeman and colleagues from Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois, US) studied 24 obese men and women who were fed a high-carbohydrate, moderate-fat meal, which is known to produce inflammatory and insulin responses after eating, and given either a strawberry beverage or a placebo beverage. Among those who drank the strawberry beverage, the researchers observed a 25% lower level of IL-6, a marker of inflammation, six hours after consumption, compared with people receiving the placebo drink. In addition, levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), another key inflammatory marker, were 13% lower following consumption of the strawberry beverage, compared with consumption of the placebo beverage. Further analysis showed that blood levels of two strawberry compounds, pelargonidin sulfate and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside, significantly increased following ingestion of the strawberry beverage at the same time as eating the test meal, as compared with placebo. Writing, “The strawberry beverage significantly attenuated the postprandial inflammatory response as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and IL-6 induced by the [high-carbohydrate, moderate-fat meal],” and that “it was also associated with a reduction in postprandial insulin response,” the team concludes: “these data provide evidence for favourable effects of strawberry antioxidants on postprandial inflammation and insulin sensitivity.”

Edirisinghe I, Banaszewski K, Cappozzo J, et al. Strawberry anthocyanin and its association with postprandial inflammation and insulin. Br J Nutrition. May 16, 2011.

Exercise Helps to Prevent Brain Changes Due to Inflammation

Regular exercise may help prevent inflammation-related brain damage characteristic in Alzheimer’s disease. Jean Harry and colleagues from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (North Carolina, US) used an experimental model of brain damage, in which mice are exposed to a chemical that destroys the hippocampus, an area of the brain which controls learning and memory. The team observed that mice that were exercised regularly prior to exposure produced interleukin-6 in the brain, which dampened the harmful inflammatory response to this damage and prevented the loss of function that is usually observed. This research helps to elucidate how exercise could be used to affect the path of many human conditions, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, as a chemical model of neuronal damage was used, it also raises the possibility that exercise could protect against the potentially harmful effects of environmental toxins.

Funk JA, Gohlke J, Kraft AD, et al. Voluntary exercise protects hippocampal neurons from trimethyltin injury: Possible role of interleukin-6 to modulate tumor necrosis factor receptor-mediated neurotoxicity. Brain Behav Immun. August 2011;25(6):1063–1077.

Ginger Slashes Inflammation

By reducing inflammation, ginger may help to reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Suzanna M. Zick from the University of Michigan Medical Center (Michigan, US) completed a study involving 30 men and women, who consumed either a supplement containing 2 g of ginger extract (equivalent to 20 g of raw ginger root), or a placebo, daily for 28 days. The researchers found that certain markers of inflammation, known as eicosanoids, were reduced by 28% among the subjects who consumed the ginger supplement. The team reports, “Ginger has the potential to decrease eicosanoid levels … [and] also seemed to be tolerable and safe.”

Zick SM, Turgeon DK, Vareed SK, et al. Phase II study of the effects of ginger root extract on eicosanoids in colon mucosa in people at normal risk for colorectal cancer. Cancer Prev Res. October 11, 2011.

Omega-3s Lower Markers of Inflammation

Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, decrease with increased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Jyrki Virtanen and colleagues from the University of Eastern Finland analyzed blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) – a marker of inflammation, in Finnish men, aged 42 to 60 years. Results showed that omega-3 levels increased, CRP levels decreased. Specifically, docosapentanoic acid (DPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) increased significantly, whereas no change in levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were observed. The study authors conclude, “Serum [omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids] and especially the long-chain [omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids] concentration, a marker of fish or fish oil consumption, were inversely associated with serum [C-reactive protein] in men.”

Reinders I, Virtanen JK, Brouwer IA, Tuomainen T-P. Association of serum n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with C-reactive protein in men. Eur J Clin Nutr. 23 November 2011.

An overactive or chronic inflammatory response may be considered an insidious mechanism of aging. Emerging science suggests that certain nutrients and lifestyle choices may serve as important anti-inflammatory management approaches.

To stay updated on the latest breakthroughs in natural, nontoxic approaches to curb inflammation, visit the World Health Network (www.worldhealth.net), the official educational website of the A4M and your one-stop resource for authoritative anti-aging information. Be sure to sign up for the free Longevity Magazine e-journal, your weekly health newsletter featuring wellness, prevention, and biotech advancements in longevity.