By Julia Craven
Inflammation has been a hot health topic for years. On TikTok, it explains everything from brain fog to fatigue to bloating and weight gain. In the wellness world, it starts a conversation that usually ends in a pitch for a supplement or detox regimen. It appears, vague and looming, in casual conversations. But what is inflammation? And how do we know when it’s something to be concerned about?
This piece is for anyone who’s ever Googled “chronic inflammation symptoms” at 2 a.m. and closed the tab more confused than before. I spoke to two experts — Dr. Karen Adams, a clinical professor at Stanford and menopause specialist, and Dr. Camille Vaughan, a geriatrician at Emory — to get grounded, evidence-based answers about what inflammation is, how it shows up during menopause, and what we can (and can’t) do about it.
What exactly is inflammation, and why does it matter?
Inflammation is our natural defense system at work. “It’s your body’s response to an illness, injury, or invader like a bacteria, virus, or toxic chemical,” explains Dr. Karen Adams, the director of the Stanford Program in Menopause and Healthy Aging. “It’s a normal, critical process for healing.” This type of inflammation is called acute inflammation. It’s short-term and helpful in fighting off threats and repairing tissue.
Concerns arise with chronic inflammation, when the body continues sending inflammatory signals without an immediate threat. Over time, this can damage healthy tissue and contribute to disease. “A good example of something that is a chronic inflammatory condition is rheumatoid arthritis,” Adams says, “where inflammatory cells and substances start attacking the joint tissue.”
Why is “inflammation” suddenly everywhere?
Inflammation has become a buzzword, often reduced to a catch-all explanation for fatigue, pain, brain fog, and more. Dr. Camille Vaughan, the division director for Geriatrics and Gerontology at Emory Medical School, acknowledges the confusion. Inflammation “is kind of thrown out there and is more broad, [but it is] a hallmark of some of the features that happen as our bodies age.”
This happens when people conflate serious inflammatory conditions — like Crohn’s disease or lupus — with the lower-grade, systemic inflammation that can accompany aging or hormonal changes. “The treatment of inflammatory chronic conditions is not what we’re talking about when we’re talking about the general processes, particularly around aging,” Vaughan says.
How is inflammation connected to menopause and perimenopause?
The transition into menopause is a time of profound biological change, and inflammation does play a role. “Estrogen is highly, highly anti-inflammatory,” says Adams. “When we go through our menopausal transition and our estrogen levels decline, inflammation can increase in all kinds of different places in the body.”
This can account for common midlife maladies such as joint stiffness, dry eye, and skin issues like eczema. Musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, which can manifest as joint pain, loss of muscle mass, and lowered bone density, will affect about 70 percent of women who go through menopause. (It is very responsive to estrogen treatment, however, says Dr. Adams.)
Dr. Vaughan echoes that this phase of life overlaps with ordinary aging processes, making it difficult to tease out the exact cause. “The intersection of aging, which is also associated with some inflammation, and menopause, which may have some temporary effects, makes dissecting what’s aging and what’s menopause a little difficult.”
What are the risks of chronic inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is linked to a wide range of health issues, including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cognitive decline.
“If you have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, Type 2 diabetes — then you should definitely be paying attention to managing those chronic conditions,” Adams says. “And as part of that treatment, try to eat an anti-inflammatory diet and minimize the things that would trigger inflammation in your body.”
There’s also increasing interest in how inflammation affects brain health. “If we have chronic inflammation, it can lead to this thing called leaky gut,” she said. “Bacteria can enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain.” Over time, that may impact the protective blood-brain barrier and increase risk for conditions like dementia or Parkinson’s disease.
Can you test for inflammation?
There’s no simple yes-no blood test to determine if you’re inflamed. In medical practice, inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) are sometimes used as clues. Still, they’re not definitive and are usually ordered for specific diagnostic reasons.
“It’s a symptom-driven diagnosis,” Adams says. “It’s really about what you are experiencing and what’s happening in your body.”
Is inflammation always harmful? Should I try to eliminate it altogether?
Not at all. Inflammation is necessary for us to live and to heal from illness. It’s also unavoidable, especially for those of us who live in an industrialized nation. Some inflammatory responses are considered normal in aging, like inflammaging, the chronic, low-grade inflammation that happens as we age. Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and stress also play a role, an aspect that has become a more prominent consideration in inflammation as of late. A recent study on inflammaging found that diet, lifestyle, and environment may influence inflammation more than aging itself.
Can supplements cure inflammation?
The short answer is no. While some supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids and green tea polyphenols, have shown promise in clinical studies, there are concerns about the quality of supplements on the market. The Food and Drug Administration classifies supplements as food products rather than drugs, which means the agency isn’t obligated to verify their contents. As long as the claims on the label aren’t blatantly false or outrageous, companies can pretty much say whatever they want.
Overuse of trendy anti-inflammatory supplements can even be dangerous. “You really should not be popping every pill that claims to decrease inflammation,” says Adams. “That’s not how you approach chronic inflammation in the body.” Both Adams and Vaughan stress that lifestyle changes, especially dietary ones, are far more effective and sustainable.
What are evidence-backed ways to reduce chronic inflammation?
The good news is that the most effective strategies are simple, science-backed, and accessible:
- Diet: “Diet is probably the single most important factor that impacts inflammation in our bodies,” says Adams. Specifically, she recommends the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil. “Beans and greens are what people should eat,” she says.
- Exercise: Regular movement helps regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. Low-impact activities like walking, stretching, and yoga are excellent, especially for those with joint discomfort.
- Sleep and stress: Poor sleep and chronic stress can increase inflammation. Vaughan encourages midlife women to think seriously about sleep hygiene and stress management.
- Limit alcohol, smoking, and processed foods: “Trans fat, fried foods, refined carbohydrates, red meat — especially cured meats — all contribute to inflammation,” Adams says. Cutting back is more effective than adding supplements to one’s diet.
So, should I worry about inflammation?
If you’re healthy, don’t panic, but don’t ignore any new symptoms either. “If you are healthy… you still should pay attention to inflammation,” Adams says. “But that means following exercise guidelines, eating a whole food, plant-heavy diet, and minimizing alcohol and smoking.”
Ultimately, inflammation is both friend and foe. Understanding the difference between helpful immune responses and harmful chronic inflammation can help us to focus less on fads and more on habits that support long-term health.