The Inflammaging Field Guide

A whole-body look at the low-grade inflammation that builds with age, and how specific, standardized ingredients support a healthy inflammatory response over a dog's lifetime.

Begin briefing

The Silent Clock

Researchers use the word “inflammaging” for the slow, low-grade rise in inflammatory signaling that comes with age. It was described in people first,40 and the evidence in dogs is growing.

This is a chronic, sterile, low-grade inflammation that simmers beneath the surface of a dog's physiology.41,42

In healthy dogs, blood IL-6, one inflammatory marker, was lower in young dogs but already similar in adult, senior and geriatric dogs.23

The Fragmented Approach

Most owners end up with a cabinet full of separate products, a joint chew here, a probiotic there, a skin-and-coat supplement somewhere else. Each one works in isolation. None of them work together.

Longevity & Vitality takes a different approach: a daily serving sized to your dog's weight, built around three connected pillars: immune support (Turkey Tail and EpiCor®), a healthy inflammatory response (Curcuvet® and Quercefit® phytosomes) and gut support (Fibalance®). The idea is simple: support the whole system at once, not one thing at a time.

Carbohydrate Load ~1% vs 18–57%2,31
Ancestral: ~1%
Dry foods: up to 57%
Omega-6:3 Ratio ~2:1 to 3:1 vs 5:1 to 17:12,4
Wild prey: ~2:1 to 3:1
12 dog foods: 5:1 to 17:1, others higher

A related finding: in 92 healthy Labrador Retrievers, higher body condition went with higher blood IL-6 and MCP-1.24

Plate IAncestral and industrial diets, to scale

The Mismatch Hypothesis

Commercial dog foods differ in several ways from the diet of the dog's closest free-living ancestor, which researchers suggest may pose physiological and metabolic challenges.2

Dogs descend from grey wolves.1,3 Wild wolves eat a protein-rich diet that is about 1% carbohydrate by energy.2 Dogs did adapt to some starch during domestication, including extra copies of the amylase gene AMY2B, though the number varies from dog to dog.32 Yet in a study of 36 dry dog foods, carbohydrate supplied 18–57% of metabolizable energy.31

“This constant metabolic friction creates systemic heat. We call this inflammation.”

Redefining Aging: The Invisible Corrosion

To understand the goal, it helps to understand the biology. Inflammaging is shaped by four physiological drivers that act like a “silent background radiation.”

The 4 Drivers of Inflammaging

Select a driver to explore the biology.

Chronic, low-grade ‘false alarm’ state. The fire that smolders but never dies out.41

Inflammaging Sterile InflammationSterileInflammationImmunosenescenceImmunosenescenceOxidative StressOxidativeStressBarrier BreachBarrierBreach
Plate IIThe 4 Drivers of Inflammaging

The Sub-Clinical Gap

The tricky thing about inflammaging is how quiet it is. By the time the classic signs of aging show up, the process has often been building for years. Reactive supplements come late because they address what is already visible rather than supporting the body earlier.

The Foundation-First Idea

Giving glucosamine to a stiff joint is like delivering lumber to a worksite before the ground is level. The raw material matters, but the foundation matters first. The goal is to support the body's own signaling balance, not just hand it building blocks.

One Symptom, One Product

For decades, the industry has run on a “one symptom, one product” philosophy. It leaves owners managing a whole shelf of disconnected jars, and it creates three real problems.

  1. Antagonistic Interactions

    Without a unified formulation strategy, ingredients can compete for absorption. In human studies, high iron doses given in solution reduced zinc uptake; the effect was generally not seen when both came in a meal.8

  2. Missing Cofactors

    A probiotic (bacteria) sold on its own leaves out the fiber that gut bacteria ferment. The fragmented model sells the bacteria but forgets the fuel.

  3. Compliance Fatigue

    Managing multiple jars, scoops, and pills creates “dosing fatigue.” Doses get missed, and the daily routine breaks down.

Beta-glucans (1,3/1,6) Dectin-1 Immune cell membrane
Plate IIIBeta-glucans at the Dectin-1 receptor

Context-Dependent Immune Modulation

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) is rich in beta-glucans. In lab research, including studies of human immune cells and mice, beta-glucans from other sources are studied for “trained immunity”: innate immune cells can respond more readily to later challenges.9,10 The outcome depends on context.25

In lab studies on mouse immune cells, Turkey Tail beta-glucans increased phagocytosis through a route linked to the Dectin-1 receptor, part of the immune system's everyday surveillance.34

  • Standardization: at least 40% beta-glucans.
  • Dosing: 600 mg of Turkey Tail extract per chew.

Built on Standardization

Sourcing & Quality

Quality starts before the extract. Our Turkey Tail is a fruiting-body extract, not mycelium, dual-extracted with both hot water and ethanol to capture the full range of beta-glucans.

  • Fruiting body only
  • Dual-extracted: hot water and ethanol
  • Standardized to ≥40% beta-glucans
  • Third-party tested for purity

The Delivery Mechanism

Intestinal lumen (water layer) Mucosal barrier Bloodstream Curcumin powder Blocked by mucosal barrier Phytosome Absorbed
~1% Oral bioavailability in rats11
Rapid Excretion
Plate IVIntestinal lumen, mucosal barrier and bloodstream

Working Upstream: the NF-κB Pathway

Most everyday approaches act downstream. Curcumin is studied for its activity further upstream, at a signaling pathway called NF-κB, a central regulator of the body's inflammatory response.

Curcuvet® (curcumin phytosome) binds curcumin to phospholipids so more of it can be absorbed.12

Generic botanical powders are hydrophobic and poorly absorbed across the gut wall (“The Dust Problem”). Phytosome technology wraps the active ingredient in phospholipids, mimicking the cell membrane for passive diffusion.

The “Dust” Paradox

On its own, standard turmeric is poorly absorbed. Curcuvet® wraps curcumin in phospholipids (a phytosome) for up to 29x greater absorption than standard curcumin extract.12

Quercetin: The Metabolic Shield

In the Longevity & Vitality formula, Quercefit® quercetin is not just another ingredient; it is chosen to work alongside curcumin. It has two roles:

Histamine Balance

In human studies and lab models, quercetin is studied for its role in supporting a normal, balanced histamine response.13,14 A benefit from eating quercetin has not been shown in dogs. In Beagles, only about 4% of an oral dose of plain quercetin reached the bloodstream,26 which is the problem a phospholipid form is designed to address. In a supplier-funded, single-dose study of 12 adults, 500 mg of the quercetin phospholipid form, which is about 40% quercetin, gave up to about 20 times the peak blood quercetin of 500 mg of plain quercetin.37

Metabolic Sparing

Curcumin is cleared quickly by the liver. In mouse liver samples, quercetin inhibited curcumin glucuronidation, one of the routes that clears curcumin; in live mice it raised average curcumin levels at one hour, but not significantly.28 This has not been tested in dogs.

Bloodstream Liver sulfotransferases Curcumin Quercetin

In human liver samples, quercetin inhibited the sulfation enzyme SULT1A1, one route the body uses to clear polyphenols.27 Whether this changes curcumin levels in dogs has not been tested.

Plate VMechanism: Metabolic Shielding
BrainVagus nerveGut microbiome
Plate VIGut, vagus nerve and brain

The Foundation of Resilience

The gut and its microbiome work with the immune system and communicate with the brain, partly through the vagus nerve.44 Supporting this axis is central to supporting healthy aging.

Postbiotic Era (EpiCor®)

We moved beyond fragile probiotics. EpiCor® is a postbiotic dried yeast fermentate studied for its role in supporting immune function. In an unpublished study of adult Beagles, serum IgA rose from baseline, and human studies have looked at salivary IgA.15,16

Prebiotic Fiber (Fibalance®)

Fibalance® (PHGG) is a low-FODMAP prebiotic fiber. In lab cultures of dog stool, PHGG fermented readily, giving the largest gas output of the fiber-rich foods tested and shifting short-chain fatty acid output toward propionate.18 In a small study of healthy Beagles, PHGG at 1 g a day was linked to higher fecal propionate.35 In human trials, PHGG has been studied for stool form.36

The Gut-Brain Link

In a manufacturer-run, 60-day owner survey of 348 healthy adult dogs, dogs given EpiCor® were rated by their owners as less anxious than placebo dogs (P=0.02), and stool analysis showed more butyrate-producing bacteria by day 30.17 It is a conference abstract and did not test a gut-brain route. In lab studies, short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, made when gut bacteria ferment fiber, are linked to the integrity of the brain's protective barrier.19,20 In a small human study, partially hydrolyzed guar gum was followed by more butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut,30 and human studies of it have looked at sleep and mood.21,22

How It Works Inside the Cell

The formula is designed to support the body across three biological stages tied to the drivers of inflammaging.

NucleusNF-κBCurcumin

Genomic Support

Curcumin is studied for its activity at the NF-κB pathway, part of how the body regulates its inflammatory signaling. In aged mice, dietary curcumin lowered liver genes linked to cellular senescence and reduced NF-κB activation.38 In a separate study of aged mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet, curcumin raised occludin, a protein that helps seal the gut lining, and lowered IL-1β in the small intestine.39

Plate VIIInside the cell
AmplificationMicrobiome Train & Sustain Gut-Joint Gut-Oral Turkey TailEpiCor®Fibalance®Curcuvet®Quercefit®
Plate VIIIMolecular Synergy: the formula's components work in concert, not isolation

How the Pillars Work Together

Longevity & Vitality does not look at the joint, the gut, and the immune system as isolated silos. It supports the dog as a unified network.

Train & Sustain (Immunological)

Turkey Tail extract is included for immune support, and EpiCor® is a postbiotic studied for immune function. They are combined in one chew by design.

Gut-Joint Support (Structural)

Fibalance® feeds the gut bacteria that ferment fiber, and Curcuvet® supports joint comfort and a healthy inflammatory response. Each has its own role in the formula.

Gut-Oral Support (Microbiome)

In the same owner survey, dogs given EpiCor® had 211% greater odds of being rated as having less breath odor than placebo dogs (P=0.007).17 Breath odor has several sources, including oral bacteria; the study rated it by owner report and did not test why ratings improved.

1 + 1 = 3

A closed-loop biological system.

CurcuminBalances Signaling QuercetinExtends Window Beta-GlucansTrains Immunity
Plate IXThe entourage loop

Longevity & Vitality is not a collection of individual supplements. It is a deliberately built system where each component supports the others. This “entourage effect” is the design idea, and lab research on some of these ingredients points the same way.

Amplification

In lab-aged human blood-vessel cells under high-glucose stress, a blend of curcumin, quercetin and polydatin lowered inflammatory signals, and its effect on IL-1β and IL-8 gene expression was greater than the single compounds combined.29

Two Immune Ingredients

Turkey Tail beta-glucans and EpiCor® are each studied on their own and are combined in one chew by formulation design.

Fiber Foundation

Fibalance® is the formula's fermentable fiber, chosen to feed the gut bacteria that make short-chain fatty acids. We found no study of how it interacts with the other ingredients.

The Ritual

The Countertop Anchor

Longevity & Vitality is built for a simple daily ritual: just one serving, once a day, with love.

This simplicity is intentional. No complex dosing schedules. No multiple products. No forgotten afternoon supplements. Just one small daily habit that supports your dog's long-term health.

“The Habit Stack”

Morning meal plus Longevity & Vitality. A simple daily habit that takes about 10 seconds.

Ingredients and Amounts (Per Chew)

Ingredient Per Chew Role
Turkey Tail extract 600 mg Immune support. Standardized to ≥40% beta-glucans.
Curcuvet® (curcumin phytosome) 75 mg Supports a healthy inflammatory response. Phytosome for improved absorption.
Quercefit® (quercetin phytosome) 40 mg Supports a normal histamine response. Works alongside curcumin.
Fibalance® (PHGG) 275 mg Low-FODMAP prebiotic fiber. Supports digestive balance.
EpiCor® postbiotic 50 mg A postbiotic dried yeast fermentate, studied in humans for immune function and digestive balance.16,47

Amounts reflect the current Longevity & Vitality formula. Individual response may vary. Consult your veterinarian for specific recommendations.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and is not a substitute for veterinary care.

Intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.

References

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  39. Lamichhane G, Olawale F, Liu J, et al. Curcumin mitigates gut dysbiosis and enhances gut barrier function to alleviate metabolic dysfunction in obese, aged mice. Biology (Basel). 2024;13(12):955.
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  47. Pinheiro I, Robinson L, Verhelst A, et al. A yeast fermentate improves gastrointestinal discomfort and constipation by modulation of the gut microbiome: results from a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):441.

References describe general biological mechanisms and background on the ingredients discussed. They are not claims about Longevity & Vitality, and some findings derive from non-canine or preclinical models.