For ZEM, nutrition is a foundation of Mediterranean Longevity. Our approach begins at Finca Althaya, our own organically cultivated estate, which supplies seasonal ingredients to Salvia Restaurant. Guided by an individual nutritional assessment, meals are tailored to individual health needs, with an emphasis on Mediterranean foods and an anti-inflammatory eating pattern. From the way we grow our produce to the way we prepare each meal, nutrition becomes a considered and personal part of caring for long-term health.
Short answer
What is chronic inflammation, and how does it relate to inflammaging?
Chronic inflammation is a persistent inflammatory response that can last for months or years and, over time, contribute to tissue damage and disease. Inflammaging describes the low-grade, chronic inflammation associated with ageing, linked to changes in immune function and the accumulation of cellular damage. The terms are related, but chronic inflammation can occur at any age and has many possible causes.
What does pro-inflammatory mean?
Pro-inflammatory means promoting or increasing inflammation in the body. The term can describe substances, biological signals or exposures that stimulate an inflammatory response. This is part of the body’s normal defence against infection and injury. The concern arises when that response becomes excessive or persists over time, potentially damaging healthy tissues.
In nutrition, a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern describes a way of eating associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers. This may include frequent consumption of processed meats, sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates, alongside a low intake of fibre-rich plant foods. The emphasis is on the overall pattern maintained over time: an occasional food or a single meal does not define your inflammatory health.
What are some effective anti-inflammatory foods and lifestyle tips?
A Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in vegetables, fruit, pulses, whole grains, nuts, extra virgin olive oil and oily fish can help reduce chronic low-grade inflammation. Useful choices include leafy greens, berries, lentils, chickpeas, walnuts and sardines. Together, these foods provide fibre, unsaturated fats and plant compounds that support metabolic health and help regulate inflammatory processes. Simple changes might include oats with berries for breakfast, adding chickpeas to a salad or replacing processed meat with fish or pulses. Variety and consistency matter more than any single “superfood”.
Make these food choices easier to maintain by planning for the days when time is limited. Keep useful staples available, such as tinned pulses, unsalted nuts and whole grains, and prepare portions in advance when convenient. Build variety into your weekly meals by alternating vegetables, protein sources and side dishes. An anti-inflammatory eating pattern can accommodate enjoyment, cultural preferences and meals with others; it does not require a rigid menu or expensive specialist products.
Can anti-inflammatory oils help reduce inflammation?
Some dietary oils, particularly extra virgin olive oil, may help reduce certain inflammatory markers when included in a balanced eating pattern. Extra virgin olive oil provides monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, plant compounds studied for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. A study conducted in Spain as part of the PREDIMED trial found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil reduced several inflammatory markers in adults at high cardiovascular risk. These findings support the dietary approach as a whole; they do not isolate the effect of the oil alone.
In everyday meals, extra virgin olive oil can replace butter or other sources of saturated fat in dressings and cooking, alongside vegetables, pulses, whole grains and fish. Its value lies in how it fits into your usual diet, rather than simply adding more oil. ‘Anti-inflammatory oil’ is a descriptive term, not a medical treatment category, and no oil alone is an established treatment for inflammaging.
“Extra virgin olive oil is a cornerstone of Mediterranean nutrition and one of the main sources of unsaturated fats in our personalised meals at ZEM. It provides monounsaturated fats and naturally occurring polyphenols.
The amount we recommend depends on each person’s nutritional needs, goals, energy requirements and digestive tolerance. Personalisation means considering how olive oil fits into the overall diet, alongside the other ingredients that make up each meal.
At home, we recommend choosing extra virgin olive oil for both dressings and cooking. Store it away from light and heat to help preserve its quality. It can be a simple, enjoyable part of a balanced diet, bringing flavour to vegetables, pulses and other everyday foods.”
– Violeta Kushkyan, ZEM Nutrtionist
Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines
According to the US National Cancer Institute, cytokines are proteins produced by immune and other cells that help regulate the immune response. They act as messengers: some promote inflammation, while others help limit it. These functions allow the body to respond to infection or injury while controlling the intensity of that response.
One example is interleukin-10 (IL-10), a cytokine with an established anti-inflammatory role. Experimental research published in Nature has explored how it limits inflammatory activity by influencing metabolic processes within immune cells. This helps explain how the body regulates inflammation; it does not establish that a particular food, supplement or nutritional programme produces the same effects in people. Cytokines work within a complex network, and their effects depend on the cells and circumstances involved.
Are there effective treatments to reduce inflammaging?
Several interventions can help reduce chronic low-grade inflammation, although there is no single established treatment that reverses inflammaging. The most useful approach is to identify and address the factors contributing to it. Regular physical activity, a Mediterranean eating pattern and reducing excess body fat where appropriate can improve some inflammatory markers and support metabolic health. A clinical assessment can also identify underlying conditions that require treatment, helping turn a broad concern about inflammation into specific priorities for care.
Treatments that target the biology of ageing are also being investigated. These include senolytics, which aim to remove senescent cells that can release inflammatory signals. Their use for inflammaging remains experimental, with further human studies needed to establish lasting benefits and safety. For now, care is best focused on interventions with demonstrated health benefits, tailored to the individual, rather than lowering an inflammatory marker in isolation.
ZEM integrates anti-inflammatory, preventive and personalised nutrition into its health programmes, combining nutritional guidance with medical assessment and care tailored to each person’s needs. The Detox and Weight Management Programmes place particular emphasis on nutrition and the culinary experience, with personalised meals shaped around individual health goals.
Can lifestyle changes help reduce inflammaging?
Lifestyle changes can help reduce factors that contribute to inflammaging and support everyday wellbeing. Regular movement, a Mediterranean eating pattern, sufficient sleep and avoiding smoking provide a useful foundation. However, inflammaging has no distinctive set of symptoms: tiredness, aches or difficulty concentrating can have many causes and should not automatically be attributed to age-related inflammation.
The practical aim is to build habits you can sustain: break up long periods of sitting, keep regular sleeping hours and make time for balanced meals and recovery. These changes may improve how you feel, but feeling better alone does not demonstrate that inflammation has decreased. Persistent or worsening symptoms deserve a clinical assessment to identify their cause and guide appropriate care.
Can inflammation cause diabetes?
Chronic low-grade inflammation can contribute to insulin resistance, a process involved in the development of type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance means that the body’s cells respond less effectively to insulin, making blood glucose harder to regulate. However, inflammation is one part of a complex picture involving genetic susceptibility, body fat distribution and other metabolic and lifestyle factors. Having inflammation does not automatically mean that someone will develop diabetes.
What this means for your health requires an individual medical assessment. A healthcare professional can review your personal and family history, existing conditions and relevant blood tests, such as fasting glucose or HbA1c, to assess your blood sugar regulation. An inflammatory marker alone cannot diagnose diabetes or determine your personal risk. Any decisions about further testing, prevention or treatment should be made with a qualified professional who understands your circumstances.
Understanding inflammation with ZEM
Nutrition is one of the foundations of the ZEM philosophy, with an emphasis on personalised preventive care and an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean eating pattern. Our nutritionists and culinary team work closely throughout each guest’s stay, adapting menus to individual health needs, preferences and nutritional assessments. Seasonal produce from Finca Althaya meets the contemporary cuisine of Chef Javier Díaz Esterri at Salvia Restaurant, bringing culinary creativity together with clinical nutritional guidance.
Each meal becomes an opportunity to enjoy flavour, understand the choices on your plate and discover how eating well can fit into everyday life. Pleasure, variety and learning are central to an experience designed to feel nourishing and enjoyable, with any necessary dietary adaptations thoughtfully integrated.
Explore ZEM’s approach to nutrition
Discover the ZEM Weight Management nutritional plan.
Sources and references
- Harvard Health Publishing (2026). Quick-start guide to an anti-inflammation diet. Harvard Medical School.
- Franceschi, C., et al. (2025). Toward precision interventions and metrics of inflammaging. Nature Aging, 5, 1441–1454.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) (2025). Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes.
- York, A. G., et al. (2024). IL-10 constrains sphingolipid metabolism to limit inflammation. Nature, 627, 628–635.
- Godman, H. (2024). Fighting inflammation with food. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School.
- Baechle, J. J., et al. (2023). Chronic inflammation and the hallmarks of aging. Molecular Metabolism, 74, 101755.
- Furman, D., et al. (2019). Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nature Medicine, 25, 1822–1832.
- Casas, R., et al. (2014). The effects of the Mediterranean diet on biomarkers of vascular wall inflammation and plaque vulnerability in subjects with high risk for cardiovascular disease. A randomized trial. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e100084.
- National Cancer Institute (NCI) (n.d.). Cytokine. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.
