The fast-growing link between gut health and modern lifestyle disorders took center stage at an interactive seminar titled “The Longevity Blueprint – Gut Health and Inflammageing”, jointly organised by the Celiac Society of India and the Illness to Wellness Foundation.

 

Experts at the event highlighted that disturbances in gut integrity may be driving rising anxiety levels, premature ageing, metabolic disorders like diabetes, and a surge in fatty liver disease among young adults.

 

The session delved into emerging medical insights, including that 80% of immunity lies in the gut, chronic stress disrupts nutrient absorption, gluten sensitivities are on the rise, the liver is the first organ affected by a compromised gut, and everyday movement impacts ageing more than exercise alone. 

 

The seminar aimed to raise public awareness about inflammageing—chronic, low-grade inflammation that silently damages the body and accelerates ageing.

 

Dr Arjun Dang, CEO & Partner at Dr Dang’s Lab, opened the session by stressing the importance of recognising early inflammatory signals before disease manifests.

 

Dr Ishi Khosla, Clinical Nutritionist and Founder of the Celiac Society of India, explained the critical role of nutrient absorption in health. 

 

She said, “Gut repair is not just about eating the right foods—it is about ensuring that nutrients are truly absorbed. You are not what you eat; you are what you absorb. This is why people who follow seemingly healthy diets often remain fatigued, anxious or nutrient-deficient. Even the belief that non-vegetarians have better B12 levels no longer holds true; many of them show severe deficiencies today. 

 

"With rapid lifestyle and environmental changes, gluten sensitivity is rising sharply. Our immunity, mood, hormones and metabolism—all of it—ultimately connects back to the gut.”

 

Dr Prasun Chatterjee, Chief of Geriatric Medicine at Artemis Hospital, linked gut health to immunity and ageing. “Nearly eighty percent of our immune system resides in the gut. During COVID, the world spoke about boosting immunity, but very few understood that true immune strength depends on gut integrity. 

 

"Gut inflammation weakens muscle strength, disturbs metabolism and accelerates biological ageing. The gut–muscle axis is well established now—an inflamed gut leads to fatigue, frailty and reduced resilience. Protecting the gut is the foundation of long-term health,” he said.

 

Dr Priti Nanda Sibal, Functional Medicine Expert and President of IAFM, highlighted stress and nutrient absorption as drivers of metabolic decline. 

 

“Diabetes is not a disease—it is a nutritional and metabolic imbalance driven by chronic stress. When the body is constantly stressed, it cannot absorb nutrients efficiently, and poor absorption leads to low energy and insulin resistance. Snoring, for instance, is one of the earliest and most overlooked signs of metabolic dysfunction. 

 

"Even meal timing plays a crucial role in longevity. When your eating pattern is out of sync with your body’s natural rhythm, inflammation increases. To reverse early metabolic decline, nutrition and stress must be addressed together,” she explained.

 

On liver health, Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin, Chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation at Medanta, warned, “The liver is the CEO of the body—it manages detoxification, metabolism, nutrient processing and immune regulation. 

 

"An unhealthy gut becomes an immediate burden on the liver, which is why fatty liver disease is now appearing in younger age groups. A well-functioning gut reduces toxin load, improves metabolic health and strengthens the liver’s regenerative capacity. To protect the liver, we must begin by healing the gut.”

 

Dr Ashutosh Shukla, Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Max Hospital, stressed the cardiovascular benefits of a healthy gut. 

 

"Cardiovascular ageing can now be detected much earlier through biomarkers that measure inflammation, metabolic stress and endothelial health. These indicators reveal risk long before symptoms appear. Longevity is built through prevention, not reaction. A healthy gut reduces systemic inflammation, which directly benefits heart health and slows cardiovascular ageing."

 

Adding a public health perspective, Seema Puri, Retired Professor at the University of Delhi, said, “There are two kinds of ageing—pathological ageing driven by inflammation, poor diet and lifestyle choices, and physiological ageing, which is slower and healthier. The Greek prayer ‘I want to die young but live long’ captures this idea perfectly.

 

"Longevity is shaped more by consistent daily movement and mindful eating than by strenuous exercise alone. Even simple habits—walking more, reducing stress, improving gut health—can drastically influence how we age.”