How to live beyond 100: Longevity lessons from the world's oldest woman who lived to 117

Who doesn't want to live a healthy and long life? But there are many obstacles on the road to wellness that could cut short life's journey. Maria Branyas Morera, US-born supercentenarian passed away in Spain last August. She was officially the world's oldest-living person at 117 years and 168 days at the time of her death.
Her long and healthy life was studied by a team of from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Spain that conducted an analysis on what worked for her from her genes, microbiome to metabolism and discovered some interesting findings. The report which is yet to be peer-reviewed gives a peek into the cellular machinery of the supercentenarian and some of the findings may also help one in living a long life, especially beyond 100.
A supercentenarian is someone who reaches the age of 110 or surpasses it.
Here are some of the longevity lessons to learn from the supercentenarian:
One of the most important factors that help people live beyond 100 is following an active lifestyle with enough opportunities to socialize. Researchers found that Maria Branyas led a mentally, socially, and physically active lifestyle. She also spent quality time with family and friends. These are some important factors that keep dementia at bay.

Maria followed the Mediterranean diet which cuts heart disease, diabetes, and brain health conditions risk. Mediterranean diet usually includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, olive oil, dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts.

The supercentenarian loved to eat yoghurt which could also be the secret of her healthy microbiome. Her microbiota, which refers to the bacteria in people’s guts mirrored that of an infant, according to the researchers. They think her diet choices helped to promote healthy gut bacteria, which worked wonders for her overall gut health.
"Microorganisms are critical in determining not only the metabolite composition of our body, but also inflammation, intestinal permeability, cognition, and bone and muscle health," write the researchers in their published paper.
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions in the body's cells that change food into energy. Maria's metabolism was found to be highly efficient which led to lower levels of 'bad' cholesterol and higher levels of 'good' cholesterol. It also helped her reduce inflammation.

It was also found that Maria's genes helped her possess a stronger immune system, which provided her protection against heart disease, and a reduction in the risk of cancer.
To determine how Maria managed to collect so many birthdays, a team led by researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Spain conducted a comprehensive analysis on everything from her genes to her proteins to her microbiome to her metabolism.
The study examined DNA methylation, a chemical marker influencing gene expression and reflecting biological age. Researchers found that, across all algorithms, the supercentenarian’s biological age was significantly younger than her chronological age in all three analyzed tissues.
"Remarkably, all the distinct algorithms of age based on DNA methylation yielded the same result," write the researchers.
Born in San Francisco on 4 March 1907, Maria also spent time in Texas and New Orleans. Her family returned to Spain in 1915 amid first world war and settled in Catalonia.
She made news after contracting Covid in 2020, however, she was asymptomatic and recovered easily.