World’s oldest person Maria Branyas’ top 5 longevity tips for a longer, healthier life

Maria Branyas Morera, who is considered the world's oldest person, lived 117 years and 168 days. She died last year, Aug. 2024, and is the oldest known person. In the study ‘The multiomics blueprint of the individual with the most extreme lifespan’ recently published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, some key factors behind the longevity of this US-born Spanish woman are discussed. Here are some habits that helped her live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life.

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What you eat has a significant impact on your health. Morera, who was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, USA, to Spanish parents, adhered to a healthy diet. She followed a balanced Mediterranean diet, the world’s healthiest diet! Yes, that’s right. The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and olive oil, which have proven to be beneficial for heart, brain, and overall health. This diet includes moderate amounts of fish and poultry, low-fat dairy, and limited amounts of red meat, sweets, and processed foods.

Morera lived in the countryside. She had an active lifestyle. That doesn’t mean she went to the gym every single day. She was rather focused on moving more. Movement was part of her daily routine. She used to walk for an hour a day. Walking is the simplest form of exercise that is tied to improved overall health and longevity. A 2024 study has found that walking is the secret to a longer life. The researchers at Griffith University found that people in the most active quarter in the US community had a 73% lower risk of death than their least active counterparts.

Morera enjoyed yogurt. In fact, she was so fond of it, that she used to eat three servings of yogurt a day. No, she didn’t add any sugar or other sweeteners to it. Just good old yogurt. Yogurt contains Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, known to improve gut health, which is linked to healthy aging and long lifespan. Yes, the supercentenarian’s trick to healthy aging and long life was simple, plain yogurt!

Eating high amounts of yogurt is associated with reduced body weight and type-2 diabetes incidence, and diminished body fat and insulin resistance. "We believe that it is likely that a beneficial effect of yogurt ingestion via modulation of the gut ecosystem could have contributed to her well-being and advanced age," the researchers of the new study said.

Living in the countryside, Morera had an active social life. She thoroughly enjoyed spending quality time with her family and friends. She was fond of dogs and used to play with her pets. Reading books, growing a garden, and playing piano were part of her life. A 2023 study of more than 28,000 Chinese people found that socializing was linked to a longer lifespan. They found that socialising nearly every day seems to be the most beneficial for a long life. They found that time to death was delayed by 42% in those who socialised occasionally, by 48% in those who did at least monthly, by 110% in those who did so at least weekly, and by 87% in those who did so nearly every day, compared with those who said they never socialised.

The supercentenarian never smoked in her life. She never drank alcohol. Yes, that’s right. Alcohol consumption and smoking are linked to chronic illness, including the increased risk of certain types of cancer. Morera didn’t like any of it, which has significantly contributed to her long lifespan.