Whether it’s upgrading our diets, choosing healthier habits, or committing to moving more, we’re constantly on the hunt for ways to feel better and in some cases live longer – and scientists think they’ve come up with the blueprint.
Maria Branyas Morera, an American-Catalan woman who died last year at the grand age of 117 was the world’s oldest woman, and researchers delved into her lifestyle and health to come up with the answers to how she managed to live so long.
Although she credits her long life to “luck and good genetics” and to “avoiding toxic people”, she surpassed the average lifespan in Catalonia by 30 years, so there was almost certainly other factors at play.
While more people are making it to 110, living to 117 is incredibly rare.
The research study analysed Morea’s genes, microbiome, and the lifestyle she lived to draw their conclusions, and they found that it was her gut health that resembled a child’s.
Maria Branyas Morera
Her optimal health also meant that her body’s cells were functioning as though she were 17 years younger.
More specifically, her body was extremely good at methylation, which is a chemical modification of DNA and other molecules that may be retained as cells divide to make more cells.
“DNA methylation is probably the most studied epigenetic mark in cell biology and disease, being also disrupted as we age,” the study noted.
“Overall, these data suggest that one of the reasons that our supercentenarian reached such a world record age was that her cells ‘felt’ or ‘behaved’ as younger cells, with a biological age of a centenarian.”
So, what can we take from this?
Morera’s gut was rich in Bifidobacterium, a type of bacteria known for its anti-inflammatory properties. “Microorganisms are critical in determining not only the metabolite composition of our body, but also inflammation, intestinal permeability, cognition, and bone and muscle health,” researchers explained.
Gut health study of world’s oldest person reveals lifestyle secret to longevity
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Morera herself says that she steered clear of alcohol and smoking, and regularly ate fruits and vegetables – along with her signature three yoghurts per day – following a very similar diet to that of the Mediterranean diet.
She also made sure to take daily walks.
Sounds simple enough, right?
“The picture that emerges from our study shows that extremely advanced age and poor health are not intrinsically linked,” the study concluded.
So, if you want to reach 117, it could well be time to delete Deliveroo, stop doom scrolling, and get outside.
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