Scientists discovered something surprising: chimpanzees living in natural conditions don’t show the same aging-related inflammation that humans do. Researchers compared inflammation markers in wild and sanctuary chimpanzees to lab chimpanzees and found that chimpanzees with active lifestyles and natural diets had much lower inflammation levels. This suggests that getting older doesn’t automatically mean your body becomes inflamed—instead, our modern lifestyle might be the real culprit. The findings hint that humans could reduce age-related inflammation by living more like our ancestors did.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether getting older automatically causes inflammation in the body, by comparing inflammation markers in chimpanzees living different lifestyles
- Who participated: 123 chimpanzees total: 73 living in African sanctuaries (ages 11-39) and 50 living wild in Uganda (ages 10-57), with multiple health measurements taken over time
- Key finding: Chimpanzees living naturally had 2-10 times lower inflammation markers than lab chimpanzees, and aging didn’t cause the chronic inflammation in wild populations that scientists expected to see
- What it means for you: Aging itself may not cause inflammation in your body—your lifestyle choices around diet and activity level might matter more. This suggests that staying active and eating whole foods could help prevent age-related inflammation, though more human research is needed to confirm this.
The Research Details
Researchers collected blood and urine samples from chimpanzees in three different living situations: wild chimpanzees in Uganda’s Kibale National Park, chimpanzees in African sanctuaries with semi-natural conditions, and chimpanzees in laboratory settings. They measured several markers of inflammation and cellular damage in these samples. The wild and sanctuary chimpanzees lived more naturally with regular physical activity and unprocessed diets, while lab chimpanzees had sedentary lifestyles and processed foods. By comparing these groups, the scientists could see how different lifestyles affected aging and inflammation.
The study tracked these chimpanzees over time, collecting 1,849 measurements from wild populations and 156 health checks from sanctuary populations. This long-term approach allowed researchers to see how inflammation changed as the animals aged. The team then compared their findings to published data from laboratory chimpanzees to understand how captive conditions affect the aging process.
This research design is powerful because it uses our closest living relatives to understand human aging. Since chimpanzees share 98% of our DNA, what happens in their bodies can teach us about our own biology. By studying animals in natural conditions rather than just lab settings, the researchers could see what aging looks like when it’s not complicated by modern human environments.
Most previous studies on aging and inflammation used chimpanzees in laboratories, which have very different lifestyles from wild chimpanzees and humans in traditional societies. Lab animals are sedentary and eat processed foods, which might artificially increase inflammation. By studying chimpanzees in more natural settings, this research shows what aging actually looks like without modern environmental stressors. This helps scientists understand whether inflammation during aging is natural or caused by how we live today.
This study is reliable because it used multiple sources of data (wild populations, sanctuaries, and published lab data) and tracked many individual animals over time. The large sample size of 1,849 measurements from wild populations provides strong evidence. The researchers measured several different inflammation markers rather than just one, which gives a more complete picture. However, the study is observational rather than experimental, meaning researchers observed what naturally happens rather than testing a specific intervention. The findings suggest patterns but don’t prove cause-and-effect relationships.
What the Results Show
The most striking finding was that sanctuary chimpanzees had dramatically lower inflammation levels than laboratory chimpanzees—about 2 to 10 times lower for key inflammation markers called CRP and IL6. This huge difference suggests that living conditions matter enormously for inflammation levels.
When researchers looked at wild chimpanzees, they found something unexpected: these animals didn’t show the chronic inflammation that scientists predicted would naturally occur with aging. One marker of chronic inflammation (suPAR) did increase slightly with age in wild populations, but the increase was modest and much smaller than what’s typically seen in aging humans.
The sanctuary chimpanzees showed higher levels of acute immune activity (neopterin) and lipid peroxidation (isoprostanes) compared to wild populations, suggesting they faced more immediate immune challenges. However, markers of chronic, long-term inflammation didn’t differ between sanctuary and wild groups. This pattern suggests that temporary immune responses are different from the persistent inflammation that damages bodies over time.
DNA damage markers (OHdG) were similar between wild and sanctuary chimpanzees, indicating that living in a sanctuary didn’t cause additional cellular damage compared to the wild. This finding is important because it shows that sanctuary conditions, while not perfectly wild, still protect against the chronic inflammation seen in laboratory settings.
The research revealed that the type of inflammation matters. Acute inflammation—the body’s immediate response to challenges—appeared higher in sanctuary animals, possibly because they faced more infections or environmental stressors than lab animals. However, chronic inflammation—the persistent, low-level inflammation that damages bodies over decades—was not elevated in sanctuary or wild populations. This distinction is crucial because chronic inflammation is what drives aging-related diseases in humans. The study also showed that different living conditions created different inflammation profiles, suggesting that environment shapes how our immune systems age.
Recent human studies have shown that people who exercise regularly and eat whole foods have lower chronic inflammation than sedentary people eating processed foods. This new chimpanzee research aligns with those findings, suggesting that the pattern holds across primate species. Previous research on captive primates suggested that inflammation naturally increases with age, but this study challenges that idea by showing wild animals don’t follow that pattern. The findings support the emerging scientific consensus that chronic inflammation is not an inevitable part of aging but rather a consequence of modern lifestyles mismatched to our evolutionary biology.
The study compared different groups of chimpanzees rather than randomly assigning them to different lifestyles, so researchers can’t definitively prove that lifestyle causes the inflammation differences. The sanctuary chimpanzees still lived in somewhat artificial conditions, so they may not perfectly represent wild conditions. The study measured inflammation markers in urine and blood, which are good indicators but don’t capture everything happening in the body. The age ranges differed between groups (wild chimpanzees lived longer and were older on average), which could affect comparisons. Finally, while chimpanzees are our closest relatives, they’re still different from humans, so these findings need confirmation in human studies before making strong recommendations.
The Bottom Line
Based on this research, maintaining high physical activity and eating whole, unprocessed foods appears to reduce chronic inflammation as you age. These lifestyle factors seem more important than aging itself in determining inflammation levels. However, this is observational evidence from chimpanzees, not direct proof in humans, so treat these as promising suggestions rather than guaranteed solutions. Confidence level: Moderate—the findings are compelling but need human studies to confirm.
Anyone interested in healthy aging should pay attention to these findings, especially people concerned about age-related diseases linked to inflammation like heart disease, arthritis, and cognitive decline. People who are sedentary or eat many processed foods might benefit most from lifestyle changes. However, people with specific medical conditions should consult their doctors before making major changes. The findings are less relevant for people already maintaining active lifestyles and whole-food diets.
Reducing chronic inflammation through lifestyle changes typically takes weeks to months to show measurable results in blood markers, though you might feel benefits like more energy within days or weeks. Significant reductions in inflammation-related disease risk likely take months to years of consistent healthy habits. Don’t expect overnight changes, but consistent effort should produce measurable improvements.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track daily physical activity minutes and log meals to identify processed food intake. Set a goal of 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly and aim to reduce processed food servings. Monitor energy levels and recovery time from exercise as practical indicators of inflammation status.
- Use the app to schedule daily movement breaks (even 10-minute walks), set reminders to eat whole foods, and log meals to increase awareness of processed food consumption. Create a weekly activity plan that includes both cardio and strength training to match the active lifestyle pattern shown to reduce inflammation.
- Track weekly activity totals, food quality scores, and subjective measures like energy level and joint stiffness. Every 3 months, reassess overall wellness and adjust activity or diet based on progress. Consider periodic blood work (with doctor approval) to measure actual inflammation markers like CRP if available.
This research describes patterns in chimpanzee populations and should not be interpreted as medical advice for treating or preventing disease in humans. While the findings suggest lifestyle factors influence inflammation, individual results vary based on genetics, existing health conditions, and other factors. Anyone concerned about inflammation or age-related diseases should consult with a healthcare provider before making significant lifestyle changes or starting new exercise programs. This study is observational and cannot prove cause-and-effect relationships. Always seek professional medical guidance for personalized health recommendations.