Neurological inflammation describes inflammatory processes happening in the brain and spinal cord. It involves immune cells like microglia and astrocytes that can activate in response to diverse triggers—from infections and autoimmune activity to head injury, metabolic stress, obesity, and chronic stress. When this neuroinflammatory state persists, it can contribute to fatigue, headaches, cognitive fog, mood changes, and sleep disruption, and may be linked to the development or progression of neurodegenerative diseases and mood disorders. Because the brain sits behind the blood-brain barrier, even low-grade systemic inflammation can influence brain health over time. Understanding these factors empowers you to adopt science-backed approaches to protect your brain starting today. A range of factors can raise the risk of neurological inflammation, including diet, sleep, physical activity, and gut health. Diets high in refined sugars and ultra-processed foods, long-term stress, lack of sleep, sedentary behavior, smoking, and excessive alcohol use all tend to promote systemic inflammation that can spill over into the nervous system. Emerging research highlights the gut–brain axis: the gut microbiome shapes inflammatory signaling through microbial metabolites and immune interactions, which can influence microglial activity in the brain. Practical tools exist to map this connection and translate it into action. For example, InnerBuddies offers a white-label Gut Health Operating System for companies and consumers, featuring a Gut Microbiome Health Index (0–100) developed under an exclusive IP deal with EAFIT University in Colombia, plus a catalog of the top 40 bacteria with comparative abundances, and categories of bacterial metabolic functions labeled as positive or negative. The platform also provides Target Group analyses—such as Healthy Aging or Endurance Sport—and personalized nutrition and probiotic guidance that align with your unique gut microbiome profile. Learn more about these capabilities with the InnerBuddies microbiome test. If you’re aiming to reduce neurological inflammation, you don’t have to guess. Scientific guidance points to several lifestyle pillars: adopt an anti-inflammatory eating pattern rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fatty fish; ensure adequate sleep and regular physical activity; manage stress through mindfulness or relaxation techniques; avoid smoking and limit alcohol to moderation. Supporting your gut health can amplify these benefits, since a diverse, well-functioning microbiome tends to correlate with lower inflammatory signaling. InnerBuddies helps translate this science into personalized actions through its extensive data tools. By comparing 3-day food diaries with stool analyses, the platform crafts individualized nutrition advice and recommends probiotic and prebiotic options tailored to your gut microbiome. You can explore ongoing support with the InnerBuddies gut health membership, which guides you over time as your microbiome shifts. For those ready to take the next step, InnerBuddies also offers a direct consumer path to gut health testing and ongoing support, while offering scalable solutions for partners. A company or clinician can leverage the InnerBuddies B2B partner program to deploy a modular solution that powers their own gut microbiome testing products. If you’re exploring consumer options, you can start with the InnerBuddies microbiome test to generate a personalized health index, compare your microbiome against a healthy cohort, and receive customized nutrition and probiotic guidance. Together, these tools help you translate the science of neurological inflammation into actionable steps you can take today to protect your brain.