Maria_Branyas_Morera; photo courtesy of Xavier Dengra

Scientists study a 117-year-old woman to find clues to longevity

ByDawn Allcot

By now, scientists (and most people) understand that you may be able to stay healthy and potentially extend your life by staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.

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Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest person before she died at 117 years old in 2024, seemed to follow the blueprint for a long life. Good genetics likely also played a role, according to researchers.

Scientists studied Branyas Morera’s biology through blood samples and other tests. The team, headed by Manel Esteller, a physician at the University of Barcelona, published their findings in Cell Reports Medicine this fall.

 Some key takeaways? Variants in her genes helped protect against common signs of aging like dementia, heart disease and diabetes.

“She had cells that seemed younger than her age,” Manel Esteller told The New York Times. Branyas Morera “won a genetic library,” wrote The New York Times in the subhead of the article.

The (possible) link between yogurt and longevity

She also had the gut microbiome of a younger person, according to the study, as reported by SmithsonianMag.com.

The research showed that Branyas Morera had a multitude of healthy bacteria in her gut, potentially boosted by yogurt consumption; she reportedly ate three servings a day. These microbes likely helped prevent chronic inflammation, which contributes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases and other issues that may be more prevalent later in life.

Before you rush out and stock up on Siggi’s, remember that results vary. Daily yogurt consumption may have helped Branyas Morera, especially if it was a habit she found enjoyable, but it’s not the holy grail of longevity research.

Also, these findings focus on one woman and fail to take into account other family members with similar genetics and long lives.

If not yogurt, then what can you do to stay young?

Genetics accounts for roughly 25% of our chances for a long life, according to a Harvard Medical School article. That leaves us with a lot of room to boost our lifespan with healthy choices.

Other factors that can contribute to a longer lifespan – and, more importantly – a longer health-span (the number of healthy years), according to multiple studies reported by Harvard Medical School, include:

·       A Mediterranean diet free of highly processed foods

·       Exercise (roughly 150 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise)

·       Socialization

·       Hydration

·       Sleep (7 to 9 hours per night for most people)

The link between optimism and long life

In addition to taking practical steps to improve your health in later years, several studies indicate that a positive outlook may also contribute to a longer life. One study of 150,000 women ages 50 to 79 of diverse ethnic backgrounds revealed that the most optimistic women lived more than four years longer than the least optimistic. More women in the optimistic group also lived past 90, according to a report published by the National Institute on Aging.

The research tested the hypothesis that optimistic people live longer because they make healthier choices. If you are optimistic, you’ll be more likely to make positive lifestyle choices, believing those choices can extend and improve your life.

However, the study showed that factors like diet, exercise, body mass index, smoking history, and alcohol consumption only accounted for 25% of the connection between longevity and optimism. That seems to suggest other factors are involved.

Conclusion

If only the secrets to a long life were as simple as “be happy and eat yogurt.” As researchers dive deeper into preserving health-span, more tools will become available for the 50+ set to improve our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.

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Dawn Allcot has more than three decades of experience as a magazine editor, trade journalist, and content marketing writer specializing in finance, tech, travel, marketing and insurance. She’s thrilled to contribute to Nifty50+, where she covers the topics that keep GenX up at night, from budgeting and retirement planning to multigenerational travel and finding peace in the chaos of midlife. Dawn’s work is widely published on top personal finance and other sites including GOBankingRates, CardCritics, CNET, The Street, and The Daily Navigator. It’s often syndicated at MSN, Yahoo! Finance, Nasdaq and other top sites. Find Dawn on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnallcot/.

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