The inflammatory response and its impact on aging and diseases

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The inflammatory response is a mechanism for the body to react to foreign entities and infections.
Acute inflammation typically lasts for three to seven days.
Age-associated inflammation is sustained over time and can lead to the development of diseases of aging.
High levels of systemic chronic inflammation increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, and cancer.

Ian Sample talks to Dr David Furman, an expert on inflammation and ageing at Stanford University. He explains how chronic inflammation is affecting our health and how lifestyle choices can help us fight it. This episode has been updated from an earlier version which stated that dairy is a cause of inflammation. Current scientific evidence suggests dairy has a negligible to marginally positive impact on inflammation in humans.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod