Meat and inflammaging are linked in studies through four routes. Meat raises C-reactive protein. Its carnitine raises TMAO. It delivers advanced glycation end products (more when grilled or fried). And it loads the body with saturated fat. Our position stays the same: red meat and fish are good food.
What happens when you mix inflammation with aging? You get ‘Inflammaging.’ Inflammaging is chronic, low-grade inflammation that comes with aging. It usually involves several organs. It is marked by a complex balance between inflammatory responses. Inflammaging is behind the negative changes that come with aging. So inflammation can serve as a pointer for anti-aging strategies. Meat contains a number of compounds that studies say play a significant role in inflammation. Here are four compounds found in meat that studies call significant in this process. But first, let’s set the limits of what inflammation is and is not.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is a natural response the body uses to fight infections and other threats. It can be acute (short-term) or chronic. Acute inflammation usually comes with swelling, tenderness, heat, and redness. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can easily go unnoticed. Acute inflammation can protect our health. Chronic inflammation is a different story altogether.
Many diseases are triggered when inflammatory pathways stay switched on for a long time. They include diseases such as diabetes, obesity, asthma, celiac disease, acne, rheumatoid arthritis, and even atherosclerosis (hardening) of the heart arteries. That is why it is important to take steps to prevent chronic inflammation.
How Is Inflammation Tested?
Lab tests can find inflammation by detecting inflammatory markers in the blood. A blood test called CRP (C Reactive Protein) is one of the common tests for inflammation.
Most of our immune defenses are in the gut. They are shaped by the food we eat and by gut microbiota (the gut’s bacteria). Foods can be either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory.
Meat and Inflammaging
Studies have tied eating meat to the inflammation process. Here are the four reasons they give. We read them with our own position in mind: red meat and fish are good food, and refined grains and industrial seed oils are what harm our patients.
1. Meat consumption elevates levels of C-Reactive Protein
C-reactive protein is found in the liver, and it is an inflammatory marker. Measuring it is one of the standard tests for chronic inflammation. Studies have shown that eating meat is linked to high levels of C Reactive Protein. This is also associated with high risk for heart disease and cancer.
2. Meat consumption causes an increase in TMAO
TMAO, short for trimethylamine oxide, is a molecule linked to cardiovascular disease and to inflammation as well. The body makes it from dietary carnitine found in meats. Our own bodies also make this compound.
When we eat carnitine, the liver breaks it down into TMAO. Studies have shown that vegans and vegetarians make less TMAO from carnitine than people who eat red meat. Taken at face value, this means that eating meat regularly may raise one’s risk for inflammation and heart disease.
3. Meat Produces Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
AGEs are reactive molecules made when carbohydrates react with proteins and fats. This process is called the Maillard reaction. AGEs have been linked to inflammation and chronic metabolic diseases. Diets rich in AGEs include meat, poultry, and cheese. Dry heat cooking, such as grilling and frying, raises the AGEs in these foods even more. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and low-fat milk products are the lowest sources of dietary AGEs.
4. Saturated Fat
Meats are a rich source of saturated fats. Studies have shown that a single meal high in saturated fat can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress (cell damage from harmful oxygen molecules). It has also been shown to raise blood triglyceride levels right away. That in turn causes more oxidative stress and inflammation, making it a vicious cycle. Saturated fats have also been associated with a host of other health conditions that may be harmful.
What About White Meat?
Most of the negative health effects blamed on meat have been linked to eating red meat. So most studies have also zeroed in on red meat. For a long time, white meat got the green light. However, some controversy has been brewing recently challenging the widespread belief that white meat is entirely safe. The study, done by Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California, concluded that the negative effects of both types of meat were identical. The lead researcher, Dr. Ronald Krauss, had this to say:
“When we planned this study, we expected red meat to have a more adverse effect on blood cholesterol levels than white meat, but we were surprised that this was not the case — their effects on cholesterol are identical when saturated fat levels are equivalent.”
Red meats generally have more saturated fats than white meats. That is why white meats are seen as safer. But given the factors above, white meat could have significant potential when it comes to inflammation. With the new evidence coming in, white meat could pose a similar heart disease risk as well. Our advice does not change: red meat and fish are good food.
Frequently asked questions
What is inflammaging?
Inflammaging is chronic, low-grade inflammation that comes with aging. The word joins inflammation and aging. It usually involves several organs at once. It reflects a complex balance between inflammatory responses in the body. Inflammaging is behind many of the negative changes people go through as they age. That is why inflammation is a useful pointer for anti-aging strategies.
How do I know if I have inflammaging?
Chronic inflammation often goes unnoticed, because it lacks the swelling, heat, redness and tenderness of an acute flare. The way to find it is a lab test for inflammatory markers. The most common is a blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a marker found in the liver and one of the standard tests for chronic inflammation.
What is the difference between acute and chronic inflammation?
Acute inflammation is the body fighting an infection or another threat, and it shows: swelling, tenderness, heat and redness. It protects your health. Chronic inflammation is a different story. It runs quietly in the background and is easy to miss. When inflammatory pathways stay switched on for a long time, they trigger disease.
What diseases are linked to chronic inflammation?
Chronic activation of inflammatory pathways triggers many diseases. These include diabetes, obesity, asthma, celiac disease, acne, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis of the heart arteries. That list is the reason to take steps to prevent chronic inflammation. Food is a big part of it, because most of the immune defenses sit in the gut and respond to what you eat.
Related reading
References
1. NCBI (2014): Associations between red meat intake and biomarkers of inflammation and glucose metabolism in women. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24284436
2. NCBI (2016): Advanced Glycation End Products, Inflammation, and Chronic Metabolic Diseases: Links in a Chain? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25259686
3. NCBI (2013): Intestinal microbiota metabolism of L-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23563705
4. NCBI (2017): Magnitude and Timing of the Postprandial Inflammatory Response to a High-Fat Meal in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28298267
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
Interventional pain physician, addiction medicine specialist and obesity medicine diplomate.
Licensed in Missouri and Illinois.
Last reviewed June 18, 2026
