Inflammaging is the term researchers use for the chronic, low-grade inflammation that can build up as we age.1 Unlike the swelling around a sprained ankle, it often develops silently, with no obvious pain. Over time, it can contribute to the conditions that shape how well we live, and how well we age.
World Menopause Day 2026 is focused on chronic pain in midlife,2 and that focus is long overdue. Women deserve to have their pain taken seriously, investigated and treated. It also opens up a quieter conversation about what may be happening beneath the surface before anything hurts, and about what helps the body return to balance once its protective work is done.
Key takeaways
- Inflammaging is persistent, low-grade inflammation associated with aging. It can be present without any pain.
- Chronic inflammation contributes to conditions including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, but it is one factor in a complex picture, not the single cause of disease.
- Menopause brings hormonal, metabolic and body-composition changes that interact with inflammation, although patterns differ from one woman to the next.
- Turmeric, ginger and rose hip each combine a long history of traditional use with growing laboratory and human research on inflammatory pathways.
- Food, movement, sleep, connection and good medical care remain the foundations of healthy aging.
What is inflammaging?
Inflammation is essential to our survival. When we pick up an infection or injure a tissue, the immune system mobilizes. Inflammatory signals coordinate the response: defend, clean up, repair. Ideally, that response then switches off.
With inflammaging, it doesn’t fully switch off. A low level of inflammatory activity persists in the background.
That matters because chronic inflammation contributes to the development and progression of several major diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.3 It is one piece of a complex puzzle, rather than the single root cause of all disease.
Is chronic inflammation the same as chronic pain?
No, and the distinction is important. Persistent pain and persistent inflammation are not interchangeable. Inflammation can exist without pain, and pain can have causes that have nothing to do with inflammation.
So inflammaging isn’t something we can diagnose from an achy knee or a week of exhaustion. It is a reason to understand our changing biology, and the everyday conditions that biology is working in.
Inflammaging and menopause: why midlife matters
Our immune systems change as we age. They can become less efficient at clearing damaged cells, and some of those cells stop dividing but stay in our tissues, releasing signals that can fuel inflammation. These are known as senescent cells.4
The menopause transition adds another layer. Estrogen helps regulate immune activity, and hormonal changes interact with shifts in sleep, metabolism and body composition. Research has also documented an increase in visceral fat, the fat stored around the abdominal organs, during the transition. This tissue can contribute to inflammatory signaling.5
Then there is everything else happening in midlife. Broken sleep. Demanding jobs. Caregiving for children, parents or both. Less time to move, cook well or recover.
These influences overlap, which is why looking at a single hormone, symptom or supplement rarely tells the whole story.
Not every woman follows the same path
A 2025 analysis from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) found distinct patterns of inflammation through menopause. In some groups, inflammation rose around the final menstrual period; in others, it stayed stable or even declined.6
I find that hopeful. Midlife is a valuable time to pay attention, because our future health is still being shaped.
What traditional medicine adds to inflammation research
One of my favorite parts of researching plants is coming across a scientific paper that sends me back to generational wisdom: traditional practices that have survived because they work.
Someone cultivated that plant. Prepared that root. Passed on its value long before anyone could measure an inflammatory marker in a lab.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses the concept of “heat” to describe certain patterns of imbalance, and practitioners consider those patterns in the context of the whole person, including diet, stress and daily habits. There are parallels with the questions modern scientists ask about inflammation, but the two languages don’t translate word for word. Traditional “heat” is not the same thing as a lab result.7
Ginger is a good example. In Chinese medicine, it is considered warming and has long been used for particular patterns of digestive discomfort, nausea and illness associated with “cold.” Meanwhile, modern researchers are studying how its compounds affect digestion and inflammatory activity.8,9 A warming plant with anti-inflammatory potential makes more sense once we accept that these traditions describe the body through different frameworks.
What excites me is the growing level of detail. We can now isolate the compounds in a root or fruit, watch how they interact with cells, and test whether those effects lead to meaningful changes in people. Generations of use give us observations worth investigating. Science helps us establish which effects hold up, in whom, at what dose and in which preparation.
The point where inherited knowledge becomes a question we can test, and where research gives us new reasons to value something familiar, is where this work gets interesting.
Turmeric, ginger and rose hip: what the research shows
Across MPOWDER’s formulations, turmeric, ginger and rose hip tell three compelling research stories. Each connects a long history of practical use with modern investigation into how plants interact with our biology.
Turmeric and curcumin
Turmeric has a long history in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. In Chinese herbal practice, the rhizome is known as Jiang Huang and is traditionally used to move qi and blood and to relieve pain, including menstrual, abdominal and shoulder pain.10 These descriptions come from a traditional medical system, but the focus on pain and movement is a compelling starting point for modern research.
Turmeric contains curcuminoids, the best known of which is curcumin. In laboratory studies, curcumin can influence NF-κB, a molecular switch involved in turning on inflammatory responses. Scientists are now exploring how those effects might translate to human health.11
There are findings in people, too. In a randomized controlled trial, 117 adults with metabolic syndrome took curcuminoids combined with piperine (the active compound in black pepper) or a placebo for eight weeks. The curcuminoid group saw a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker of inflammation, compared with placebo.12
What interests me is the link between the traditional focus on discomfort and our emerging understanding of inflammatory signaling. We are moving beyond noticing that a plant may help, toward understanding some of the biology behind why.
Ginger: gingerols, shogaols and inflammation
In traditional Chinese medicine, fresh ginger is called Sheng Jiang. It has long been used to warm the digestive system, ease certain types of nausea and vomiting, and address particular cough and cold patterns. Dried ginger has its own distinct role, with a stronger warming character.8 In other words, preparation matters, a principle modern botanical research takes seriously as well.
Ginger’s pungent compounds are called gingerols and shogaols. Researchers study these compounds and their metabolites for their effects on inflammatory signaling, and lab experiments with a gingerol metabolite have shown reduced NF-κB activation and lower production of an enzyme involved in inflammatory responses.9 That gives us a biological explanation to explore alongside ginger’s familiar digestive uses.
In a small, 12-week randomized trial of 70 adults with type 2 diabetes, ginger supplementation lowered CRP and another inflammatory mediator, PGE₂, compared with placebo.13
This is part of what makes botanical science so fascinating to me: a root used in food and medicine for generations contains compounds that interact with systems we are still learning to understand.
Rose hip (Rosa canina) and joint comfort
Rose hip brings the conversation back to physical comfort and the life we want to enjoy.
Its story comes mainly from European herbal traditions. Rosa canina, the dog rose, has been used as a nourishing food and herbal preparation, valued as a source of vitamin C and traditionally used for colds and inflammatory complaints.14
Modern research has taken that interest in a more specific direction: joint comfort and immune cell activity. Scientists have isolated a galactolipid, a type of fat-containing plant compound, from rose hip. In lab experiments, it reduced the migration of human neutrophils, the immune cells that travel to sites of injury or infection and take part in inflammation.15 That offers a possible explanation for some of the findings in joint research.
In a randomized crossover trial of 94 people with hip or knee osteoarthritis, a specific rose hip seed-and-shell powder improved pain compared with placebo, and measures of stiffness and disability also improved after three months.16
It’s the everyday implications that hold my attention. Greater comfort can mean more freedom to move, take part and enjoy life, and those outcomes belong firmly in our conversation about joyspan.
How to read the evidence
Together, these plants show why botanical research feels so full of possibility. We have traditional observations, laboratory findings that help explain potential mechanisms, and human trials that are beginning to show where benefits may lie.
Each layer of evidence adds something different. Lab results help us understand what is possible; human studies tell us more about what happens in practice. The next questions are which preparations work best, for whom, and whether their effects translate into lasting benefits as we age.
Supporting your body through midlife
At MPOWDER, we look at the whole person. Sometimes the most useful first question is how we are processing stress. Sometimes it is what is disrupting sleep, whether we are getting the nutrients we need, or which symptoms need medical attention.
Botanicals sit within that bigger picture. Food, movement, rest, connection and appropriate healthcare are the foundations.
This is where healthspan meets joyspan. More healthy years matter. So does the capacity to enjoy them: moving comfortably, sleeping well, feeling engaged, and having energy for the people and experiences that make life feel like our own.
Frequently asked questions
What is inflammaging?
Inflammaging is chronic, low-grade inflammation that can develop with age. Unlike the acute inflammation that follows an injury or infection, it persists in the background and often causes no obvious symptoms.1
Does menopause increase inflammation?
It can, but not for everyone. Falling estrogen, changes in sleep and metabolism, and an increase in visceral fat can all influence inflammatory signaling.5 However, the SWAN study found that inflammation rose around the final menstrual period in some women and stayed stable or declined in others.6
Can turmeric, ginger or rose hip help with inflammation?
Each has been studied in people. Specific preparations of curcuminoids and ginger have lowered inflammatory markers such as CRP in small trials, and a rose hip seed-and-shell powder improved osteoarthritis pain compared with placebo.12,13,16 These findings relate to the preparations and populations studied and do not show that these plants prevent disease or slow aging.
Is turmeric safe to take as a supplement?
Botanical supplements can interact with medications, and some turmeric and curcumin supplements have been associated with rare cases of liver injury.17 Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, especially if you take medication or have a health condition.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Traditional uses and laboratory findings do not necessarily establish benefits in people. Findings relate to the preparations and populations studied, rather than establishing that MPOWDER products treat inflammation or prevent disease. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist before making changes, especially if you take medication or have a health condition. Botanical supplements can interact with medications; some turmeric and curcumin supplements have been associated with rare liver injury.17
References
- National Institute on Aging. Inflammaging: Mechanisms, Markers, and Intervention Strategies.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/workshops/inflammaging-mechanisms-markers-and-intervention-strategies
- International Menopause Society. World Menopause Day 2026: Chronic Pain at Midlife.
https://www.imsociety.org/education/world-menopause-day-2026/
- Furman and colleagues. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nature Medicine, 2019.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0
- National Institute on Aging. Does cellular senescence hold secrets for healthier aging?
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/does-cellular-senescence-hold-secrets-healthier-aging
- Abdominal Visceral Adipose Tissue Over the Menopause Transition and Carotid Atherosclerosis: The SWAN Heart Study.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8141004/
- El Khoudary and colleagues. The Relation Between Systemic Inflammation and the Menopause Transition: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation. 2025.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40123296/
- UCLA Health. Chinese nutrition guidance to combat inflammation.
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/chinese-nutrition-guidance-combat-inflammation
- Hong Kong Baptist University. Ginger: traditional uses of fresh and dried preparations.
https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00510&lang=eng
- Gingerol metabolite and a synthetic analogue Capsarol inhibit macrophage NF-kappaB-mediated iNOS gene expression and enzyme activity. 2006.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16732525/
- Hong Kong Baptist University. Chinese medicinal material entry: Jiang Huang, turmeric rhizome.
https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mmid/detail.php?lang=eng&pid=B00005
- Singh and Aggarwal. Activation of transcription factor NF-kappa B is suppressed by curcumin. 1995.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7559628/
- Panahi and colleagues. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcuminoid-piperine combination in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A randomized controlled trial and an updated meta-analysis. 2015.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25618800/
- Arablou and colleagues. The effect of ginger consumption on glycemic status, lipid profile and some inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. 2014.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24490949/
- Phytochemical composition and in vitro pharmacological activity of two rose hip (Rosa canina L.) preparations. Includes background on European traditional uses.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S094471130800127X
- An antiinflammatory galactolipid from rose hip (Rosa canina) that inhibits chemotaxis of human peripheral blood neutrophils in vitro. 2003.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12880322/
- Winther and colleagues. A powder made from seeds and shells of a rose-hip subspecies (Rosa canina) reduces symptoms of knee and hip osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. 2005.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16195164/
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety.
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric
Inflammaging and menopause: understanding chronic inflammation in midlife
Inflammaging is the term researchers use for the chronic, low-grade inflammation that can build up as we age.1 Unlike the swelling around a sprained ankle, it often develops silently, with no obvious pain. Over time, it can contribute to the conditions that shape how well we live, and how well we age.
World Menopause Day 2026 is focused on chronic pain in midlife,2 and that focus is long overdue. Women deserve to have their pain taken seriously, investigated and treated. It also opens up a quieter conversation about what may be happening beneath the surface before anything hurts, and about what helps the body return to balance once its protective work is done.
Key takeaways
What is inflammaging?
Inflammation is essential to our survival. When we pick up an infection or injure a tissue, the immune system mobilizes. Inflammatory signals coordinate the response: defend, clean up, repair. Ideally, that response then switches off.
With inflammaging, it doesn’t fully switch off. A low level of inflammatory activity persists in the background.
That matters because chronic inflammation contributes to the development and progression of several major diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.3 It is one piece of a complex puzzle, rather than the single root cause of all disease.
Is chronic inflammation the same as chronic pain?
No, and the distinction is important. Persistent pain and persistent inflammation are not interchangeable. Inflammation can exist without pain, and pain can have causes that have nothing to do with inflammation.
So inflammaging isn’t something we can diagnose from an achy knee or a week of exhaustion. It is a reason to understand our changing biology, and the everyday conditions that biology is working in.
Inflammaging and menopause: why midlife matters
Our immune systems change as we age. They can become less efficient at clearing damaged cells, and some of those cells stop dividing but stay in our tissues, releasing signals that can fuel inflammation. These are known as senescent cells.4
The menopause transition adds another layer. Estrogen helps regulate immune activity, and hormonal changes interact with shifts in sleep, metabolism and body composition. Research has also documented an increase in visceral fat, the fat stored around the abdominal organs, during the transition. This tissue can contribute to inflammatory signaling.5
Then there is everything else happening in midlife. Broken sleep. Demanding jobs. Caregiving for children, parents or both. Less time to move, cook well or recover.
These influences overlap, which is why looking at a single hormone, symptom or supplement rarely tells the whole story.
Not every woman follows the same path
A 2025 analysis from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) found distinct patterns of inflammation through menopause. In some groups, inflammation rose around the final menstrual period; in others, it stayed stable or even declined.6
I find that hopeful. Midlife is a valuable time to pay attention, because our future health is still being shaped.
What traditional medicine adds to inflammation research
One of my favorite parts of researching plants is coming across a scientific paper that sends me back to generational wisdom: traditional practices that have survived because they work.
Someone cultivated that plant. Prepared that root. Passed on its value long before anyone could measure an inflammatory marker in a lab.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses the concept of “heat” to describe certain patterns of imbalance, and practitioners consider those patterns in the context of the whole person, including diet, stress and daily habits. There are parallels with the questions modern scientists ask about inflammation, but the two languages don’t translate word for word. Traditional “heat” is not the same thing as a lab result.7
Ginger is a good example. In Chinese medicine, it is considered warming and has long been used for particular patterns of digestive discomfort, nausea and illness associated with “cold.” Meanwhile, modern researchers are studying how its compounds affect digestion and inflammatory activity.8,9 A warming plant with anti-inflammatory potential makes more sense once we accept that these traditions describe the body through different frameworks.
What excites me is the growing level of detail. We can now isolate the compounds in a root or fruit, watch how they interact with cells, and test whether those effects lead to meaningful changes in people. Generations of use give us observations worth investigating. Science helps us establish which effects hold up, in whom, at what dose and in which preparation.
The point where inherited knowledge becomes a question we can test, and where research gives us new reasons to value something familiar, is where this work gets interesting.
Turmeric, ginger and rose hip: what the research shows
Across MPOWDER’s formulations, turmeric, ginger and rose hip tell three compelling research stories. Each connects a long history of practical use with modern investigation into how plants interact with our biology.
Turmeric and curcumin
Turmeric has a long history in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. In Chinese herbal practice, the rhizome is known as Jiang Huang and is traditionally used to move qi and blood and to relieve pain, including menstrual, abdominal and shoulder pain.10 These descriptions come from a traditional medical system, but the focus on pain and movement is a compelling starting point for modern research.
Turmeric contains curcuminoids, the best known of which is curcumin. In laboratory studies, curcumin can influence NF-κB, a molecular switch involved in turning on inflammatory responses. Scientists are now exploring how those effects might translate to human health.11
There are findings in people, too. In a randomized controlled trial, 117 adults with metabolic syndrome took curcuminoids combined with piperine (the active compound in black pepper) or a placebo for eight weeks. The curcuminoid group saw a reduction in C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker of inflammation, compared with placebo.12
What interests me is the link between the traditional focus on discomfort and our emerging understanding of inflammatory signaling. We are moving beyond noticing that a plant may help, toward understanding some of the biology behind why.
Ginger: gingerols, shogaols and inflammation
In traditional Chinese medicine, fresh ginger is called Sheng Jiang. It has long been used to warm the digestive system, ease certain types of nausea and vomiting, and address particular cough and cold patterns. Dried ginger has its own distinct role, with a stronger warming character.8 In other words, preparation matters, a principle modern botanical research takes seriously as well.
Ginger’s pungent compounds are called gingerols and shogaols. Researchers study these compounds and their metabolites for their effects on inflammatory signaling, and lab experiments with a gingerol metabolite have shown reduced NF-κB activation and lower production of an enzyme involved in inflammatory responses.9 That gives us a biological explanation to explore alongside ginger’s familiar digestive uses.
In a small, 12-week randomized trial of 70 adults with type 2 diabetes, ginger supplementation lowered CRP and another inflammatory mediator, PGE₂, compared with placebo.13
This is part of what makes botanical science so fascinating to me: a root used in food and medicine for generations contains compounds that interact with systems we are still learning to understand.
Rose hip (Rosa canina) and joint comfort
Rose hip brings the conversation back to physical comfort and the life we want to enjoy.
Its story comes mainly from European herbal traditions. Rosa canina, the dog rose, has been used as a nourishing food and herbal preparation, valued as a source of vitamin C and traditionally used for colds and inflammatory complaints.14
Modern research has taken that interest in a more specific direction: joint comfort and immune cell activity. Scientists have isolated a galactolipid, a type of fat-containing plant compound, from rose hip. In lab experiments, it reduced the migration of human neutrophils, the immune cells that travel to sites of injury or infection and take part in inflammation.15 That offers a possible explanation for some of the findings in joint research.
In a randomized crossover trial of 94 people with hip or knee osteoarthritis, a specific rose hip seed-and-shell powder improved pain compared with placebo, and measures of stiffness and disability also improved after three months.16
It’s the everyday implications that hold my attention. Greater comfort can mean more freedom to move, take part and enjoy life, and those outcomes belong firmly in our conversation about joyspan.
How to read the evidence
Together, these plants show why botanical research feels so full of possibility. We have traditional observations, laboratory findings that help explain potential mechanisms, and human trials that are beginning to show where benefits may lie.
Each layer of evidence adds something different. Lab results help us understand what is possible; human studies tell us more about what happens in practice. The next questions are which preparations work best, for whom, and whether their effects translate into lasting benefits as we age.
Supporting your body through midlife
At MPOWDER, we look at the whole person. Sometimes the most useful first question is how we are processing stress. Sometimes it is what is disrupting sleep, whether we are getting the nutrients we need, or which symptoms need medical attention.
Botanicals sit within that bigger picture. Food, movement, rest, connection and appropriate healthcare are the foundations.
This is where healthspan meets joyspan. More healthy years matter. So does the capacity to enjoy them: moving comfortably, sleeping well, feeling engaged, and having energy for the people and experiences that make life feel like our own.
Frequently asked questions
What is inflammaging?
Inflammaging is chronic, low-grade inflammation that can develop with age. Unlike the acute inflammation that follows an injury or infection, it persists in the background and often causes no obvious symptoms.1
Does menopause increase inflammation?
It can, but not for everyone. Falling estrogen, changes in sleep and metabolism, and an increase in visceral fat can all influence inflammatory signaling.5 However, the SWAN study found that inflammation rose around the final menstrual period in some women and stayed stable or declined in others.6
Can turmeric, ginger or rose hip help with inflammation?
Each has been studied in people. Specific preparations of curcuminoids and ginger have lowered inflammatory markers such as CRP in small trials, and a rose hip seed-and-shell powder improved osteoarthritis pain compared with placebo.12,13,16 These findings relate to the preparations and populations studied and do not show that these plants prevent disease or slow aging.
Is turmeric safe to take as a supplement?
Botanical supplements can interact with medications, and some turmeric and curcumin supplements have been associated with rare cases of liver injury.17 Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, especially if you take medication or have a health condition.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Traditional uses and laboratory findings do not necessarily establish benefits in people. Findings relate to the preparations and populations studied, rather than establishing that MPOWDER products treat inflammation or prevent disease. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist before making changes, especially if you take medication or have a health condition. Botanical supplements can interact with medications; some turmeric and curcumin supplements have been associated with rare liver injury.17
References
https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dab/workshops/inflammaging-mechanisms-markers-and-intervention-strategies
https://www.imsociety.org/education/world-menopause-day-2026/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0675-0
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/does-cellular-senescence-hold-secrets-healthier-aging
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8141004/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40123296/
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/chinese-nutrition-guidance-combat-inflammation
https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00510&lang=eng
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16732525/
https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mmid/detail.php?lang=eng&pid=B00005
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7559628/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25618800/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24490949/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S094471130800127X
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12880322/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16195164/
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric