Evaluation of AppleX™ Apple Extract on Anti-Inflammatory and Healthy Aging Effects

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if AppleX™ Apple Extract can help lower systemic inflammation in adults aged 45-70 with signs of low-grade inflammation. It will also look at the extract's effects on fatigue, joint comfort, and biological aging metrics. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does taking AppleX™ Apple Extract daily lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, a key marker of inflammation in the blood? * Does AppleX™ Apple Extract improve participant-reported fatigue and joint comfort? * Does the extract slow down biological or epigenetic aging metrics compared to a placebo? Researchers will compare AppleX™ Apple Extract to a placebo (a look-alike capsule that contains no active ingredients) to see if the apple extract has a measurable anti-inflammatory and healthy aging effect.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 45-70 years at time of enrollment * Meets questionnaire-based inflammatory enrichment criteria (at least 2 of 5 risk factors, per Section 4.2) * Non-smoker (no tobacco or nicotine use within 6 months of enrollment) * Willing and able to maintain stable diet, exercise habits, and supplement use throughout the 24-week study period * No major medication changes planned during the study period * Willing to perform home-based DBS collections at T0, T12, and T24 * Access to a smartphone or computer to complete eConsent and online questionnaires * Able to provide informed consent via the Alethios eConsent platform Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of prescription anti-inflammatory medications including NSAIDs (regular use ≥3x/week), corticosteroids, or DMARDs * Diagnosis of an autoimmune or inflammatory disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, IBD, multiple sclerosis) * Active or unstable cardiovascular disease requiring medication changes during the study period * History of cancer within the past 5 years (except non-melanoma skin cancer) * Regular use of supplemental fisetin, quercetin, or resveratrol within 30 days of enrollment * Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study * Known allergy to apple or apple-derived products * Body mass index (BMI) \>40 kg/m²