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Recent estimates indicate that the world population aged 65 and over will more than double over the next thirty years, to 1.5 billion people. There is increasing evidence that the gut microbiome changes with age, with a decline in diversity linked to vulnerability in later life. But we still don’t know much about why some people achieve extremely long lives.
In one recent studyan international team of scientists led by the Cancer Epigenetics group at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona found clues to a longer, healthier life in Maria Branyas Morera, who was the world’s oldest person before she died last year at 117.
Branyas was born in San Francisco in 1907, then moved to Catalonia in 1915 and recovered from the Covid pandemic at the age of 113. A year before she died, Branyas was living in the small town of Olot, in the Catalonia region of Spain, and invited researchers to conduct an in-depth study of her unique genetics, metabolism and gut microbiome to understand why she remained healthy as she aged.
Scientists conducted the deepest analysis to date by collecting saliva, blood, urine and fecal samples using a multi-omics approach. This advanced technology helps examine a person’s cells and molecules in detail. They then compared Branyas’ genes, blood profiles and gut microbiome with those of other women living in the same region. This allows changes due to aging to be distinguished from changes due to poor health.
They discovered that although her body showed signs of aging, a number of biological factors protected her from the diseases that commonly affect the elderly. Scientists found that the protective caps at the ends of her chromosomes (called telomeres) were exceptionally short, which may have protected her from cancer by limiting the number of times cells could divide.
Moreover, her DNA analysis showed gene variants that protected her against cardiovascular disease and dementia. Branyas also had high levels of “good” cholesterol and low levels of “bad” cholesterol and body inflammation, which may have reduced her risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, obesity and heart attack. When they looked at genes that were turned on and off, the researchers found that Branyas had a biological age that was younger than her chronological age.
The researchers thought Branyas’ lack of inflammation could be explained by her younger gut microbiome. She had a gut microbiome with unusually high levels of Bifidobacterium. It is a health-promoting bacteria that declines as we age, helping us fight inflammation, protecting the intestinal barrier and breaking down dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids. These effects help maintain immune and metabolic health and lower the pH of the intestines, keeping pathogens at bay. The fact that she ate three yogurts a day for the past decades of her life may help explain her high yogurt content Bifidobacterium. This could contribute to a healthy longer lifespan, the researchers said discussed.
Although Branyas’ parents gave her a good genetic makeup, she did many things right that could help explain her long life. She was not overweight, followed a Mediterranean diet that was heavily plant-based and provides the right nutrients (prebiotic fiber and polyphenols) to nourish intestinal microorganisms, did not smoke or drink, exercised regularly, read books and had a good social life with friends and family.
Scientists have come to understand how the gut microbiome interacts with the brain, immune system, cardiovascular system and digestive tract to improve the changes associated with aging and achieve extraordinary longevity. For example, previous findings showed that semi-supercentenarians (i.e. people who live 105-109 years) showed an enrichment in health-related gut bacteria, such as Akkermansia, BifidobacteriumAnd Christensenellaceaethat may be involved in extreme aging.
Overall, these findings show that being old doesn’t mean you’re sick. While we can’t choose our parents, and there is no single ingredient for exceptionally long life, this research reveals many things we can do to age better, and our lifestyle and diet are central to the fountain of youth. Although the conclusions are based on one individual, given that people living beyond 110 years of age are rare, these findings provide valuable insights into both genetic and lifestyle factors associated with longevity.
References:
Santos-Pujol E, Noguera-Castells A, Casado-Pelaez M, et al. The multiomics blueprint of the individual with the most extreme lifespan. Cell representative Med. 2025; 6(10):102368. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102368.
Kadyan S, Park G, Singh TP, et al. Microbiome-based therapies for healthier aging and longevity. Genome Med. 2025; 17(1):75. doi:10.1186/s13073-025-01493-x.
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