Highlighting the growing connection between gut health and modern lifestyle disorders, the Celiac Society of India and the Illness to Wellness Foundation jointly organised an interactive seminar titled “The Longevity Blueprint – Gut Health and Inflammageing.” During the session, experts stressed that impaired gut integrity may be a key driver behind rising anxiety, premature ageing, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and the increasing prevalence of fatty liver disease among younger adults.
Understanding Inflammageing and the Gut Connection
The seminar unpacked several emerging medical insights, including the fact that nearly 80 percent of immunity resides in the gut, chronic stress disrupts nutrient absorption, gluten sensitivities are increasing, the liver is often the first organ affected when gut health deteriorates, and daily movement influences ageing more profoundly than exercise alone. Together, these discussions introduced the concept of inflammageing—a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation that silently damages the body and accelerates the ageing process.
Early Detection of Inflammation Is Critical
Opening the session, Dr. Arjun Dang, CEO and Partner at Dr. Dang’s Lab, highlighted the growing concern around inflammageing. He emphasised the need to identify early inflammatory signals before they progress into overt disease, underscoring prevention as a cornerstone of longevity.
Nutrient Absorption: The Foundation of Health
Building on this theme, Dr. Ishi Khosla, Clinical Nutritionist and Founder of the Celiac Society of India, focused on the importance of nutrient absorption. She explained that gut repair goes beyond eating the right foods; it requires ensuring that the body actually absorbs essential nutrients.
She noted that many people following seemingly healthy diets still experience fatigue, anxiety, and nutrient deficiencies. Even common assumptions, such as non-vegetarians having adequate vitamin B12 levels, no longer hold true. With rapid lifestyle and environmental changes, she pointed out that gluten sensitivity is rising sharply. According to her, immunity, mood, hormones, and metabolism all trace back to gut health.
Gut Integrity Shapes Immunity and Ageing
Adding a geriatric medicine perspective, Dr. Prasun Chatterjee, Chief of Geriatric Medicine at Artemis Hospital, highlighted the direct link between gut integrity, immunity, and ageing. He explained that the majority of the immune system resides in the gut, yet this connection often remains overlooked.
As per the press release, he further noted that gut inflammation weakens muscle strength, disrupts metabolism, and accelerates biological ageing. Referring to the well-established gut–muscle axis, he explained that an inflamed gut leads to fatigue, frailty, and reduced resilience. Protecting gut health, he said, forms the foundation of long-term well-being.
Stress, Metabolism, and Early Disease Onset
Shifting focus to metabolic health, Dr. Priti Nanda Sibal, Functional Medicine Expert and President of the Indian Association of Functional Medicine (IAFM), explained how chronic stress and poor nutrient absorption are driving early metabolic decline.
She described diabetes as a nutritional and metabolic imbalance rather than a standalone disease, largely driven by prolonged stress. Chronic stress, she explained, prevents efficient nutrient absorption, leading to low energy levels and insulin resistance. She also highlighted snoring as one of the earliest yet most overlooked indicators of metabolic dysfunction. Additionally, she stressed that meal timing plays a crucial role in reducing inflammation and supporting longevity.
Liver Health Begins in the Gut
Addressing liver health, Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin, Chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation at Medanta, explained how gut inflammation places a direct burden on the liver. He described the liver as the body’s central regulator of detoxification, metabolism, nutrient processing, and immune balance.
According to him, an unhealthy gut increases toxin load, which explains the rising incidence of fatty liver disease in younger populations. He emphasised that healing the gut improves metabolic health and strengthens the liver’s regenerative capacity.
Gut Inflammation and Cardiovascular Ageing
From a cardiovascular perspective, Dr. Ashutosh Shukla, Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Max Hospital, highlighted the value of early detection. He explained that modern biomarkers can identify cardiovascular ageing much earlier by measuring inflammation, metabolic stress, and endothelial health.
These markers, he said, reveal risk long before symptoms appear. A healthy gut, he added, reduces systemic inflammation, directly benefiting heart health and slowing cardiovascular ageing.
Lifestyle Choices Shape the Ageing Process
Bringing a public health lens to the discussion, Dr. Seema Puri, Retired Professor at the University of Delhi, spoke about how daily habits influence ageing. She distinguished between pathological ageing, driven by inflammation and poor lifestyle choices, and physiological ageing, which progresses more slowly and healthily.
She noted that longevity depends more on consistent daily movement, mindful eating, and stress reduction than on intense exercise routines. Simple habits such as walking regularly and improving gut health, she said, can significantly shape how individuals age.
A Call to Prioritise Gut Health for Longevity
The session concluded with active audience participation, with questions ranging from gut repair and anxiety to fatty liver disease, nutrient deficiencies, and optimal meal timing. The seminar closed with a collective call to place gut health at the centre of disease prevention, lifestyle management, and healthy ageing strategies.