What if scientists could study the body of someone who had lived to 117 and remained remarkably healthy?
That is exactly what happened with Maria Branyas Morera.
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Before her death in 2024, Branyas agreed to let researchers study biological samples from her body in the hope that her unusual longevity might teach scientists something about healthy aging.
The resulting research gave scientists a fascinating picture of extreme aging.
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And while one food received plenty of attention, the real story was much more complicated.
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Who Was Maria Branyas?
Maria Branyas Morera was a Spanish-American woman who lived to 117 years and 168 days.
She became the world’s oldest verified living person before her death in August 2024.
Researchers were particularly interested in her because she had reached an extraordinary age without developing many of the serious age-related diseases commonly associated with very old age.
Her case gave scientists a rare opportunity to examine what was happening inside the body of a supercentenarian.
The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, used a broad “multiomics” approach, examining several biological systems rather than focusing on just one.
Her Longevity Wasn’t Just About One Food
This is probably the most important point to understand.
Online discussions about Branyas quickly focused on one of her favorite foods: yogurt.
She reportedly ate yogurt every day, including several servings of plain yogurt.
But scientists did not conclude that yogurt was responsible for her reaching 117.
Her longevity appeared to involve a combination of genetic characteristics, a healthy lifestyle, metabolism, immune function and gut microbiome.
In other words, there was no single “longevity food” hiding in her refrigerator.
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So Why Did Yogurt Get So Much Attention?
Yogurt is an interesting food because it can provide several nutrients important for older adults.
Depending on the type, yogurt can provide:
Protein
Calcium
B vitamins
Zinc
Potassium
Live cultures
Research has suggested that yogurt can be a useful part of a nutritious diet for older adults, particularly because it is relatively easy to eat and can provide important nutrients. However, much of the evidence connecting yogurt consumption with long-term health is observational, meaning it cannot prove that yogurt itself causes longer life.
That distinction matters.
Someone who regularly eats yogurt may also have other healthy habits.
They may eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, smoke less, or follow an overall healthier diet.
So it can be difficult to separate the effect of one food from the rest of a person’s lifestyle.
Her Gut Microbiome Was Particularly Interesting
One of the more fascinating findings involved Branyas’s gut microbiome.
Researchers found characteristics in her intestinal bacteria that appeared unusually favorable for someone of her age, including a high abundance of bacteria from the Bifidobacterium group.
The gut microbiome is the enormous community of microorganisms living in the digestive tract.
Scientists are increasingly studying how these microorganisms interact with digestion, metabolism and the immune system.
But again, scientists cannot simply look at Branyas’s microbiome and say, “This is why she lived to 117.”
Her case is one individual, not a controlled experiment involving thousands of people.
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Her Genetics May Have Been Extremely Important
The researchers also found genetic characteristics that may have helped protect Branyas from some diseases associated with aging.
Some genetic variants identified in her were considered potentially relevant to longevity and protection against age-related disease.
This is important because genetics can influence how people age.
Some individuals may naturally have biological advantages that help protect them from certain diseases.
But genes are not the whole story.
Researchers studying Branyas found an unusual combination: she showed some biological signs of very advanced aging while simultaneously displaying characteristics associated with healthy aging.
That contrast was one of the most intriguing aspects of the study.
She Still Had Signs of Aging
It would be easy to imagine that someone who lived to 117 must have had a body that simply “aged slowly.”
That isn’t what researchers found.
Branyas had some markers associated with advanced biological aging, including very short telomeres and changes in immune cells.
Telomeres are protective structures at the ends of chromosomes, and they generally become shorter as cells divide and people age.
Yet despite these signs of extreme age, Branyas did not experience many of the serious diseases scientists might expect.
That is part of what made her case so scientifically interesting.
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Her Lifestyle Was Remarkably Ordinary
