117-Year-Old Long-Lived Grandmother's Secret Revealed... Rejuvenated by 'This Gene' for 17 Years

Barcelona University Study Finds Link to Microbiome (Gut Microbial Ecosystem)

The world's oldest person, who passed away last August at the age of 117, was found to have possessed 'longevity genes.'

According to foreign media including The Sun on the 22nd (local time), research results revealed that Maria Branyas Morera had 'good genes' that allowed her to live younger than her actual age. Morera was known as the oldest living person in the world for over a year and attributed her longevity secrets to 'avoiding harmful people,' 'luck,' and 'good genes.'

The secret to longevity of Maria Branyas Morera, who was the world's oldest person until she passed away at the age of 117 last August, has been revealed. The Mirror

As a result, Morera inherited genes that made her appear 17 years younger than her actual age and enabled her to act accordingly younger, and she was found to have a microbiome similar to that of infants. The research team led by Manel Esteller, a genetics professor at the University of Barcelona, studied Morera's microbiome (gut microbial ecosystem) and DNA. The team analyzed that these genes were one of the reasons she could live healthily for a long time.

Because of this, Morera maintained a clear mind almost until the end of her life. The diseases she experienced in old age were mostly limited to joint pain and hearing loss.

Professor Esteller said in an interview with local media before Morera's death, "Morera remarkably remembers an event from when she was only 4 years old, and she has no cardiovascular diseases commonly found in the elderly," adding, "There are several family members over 90 years old, so genetic factors are definitely involved."

Branyas was known to follow a Mediterranean diet that included three yogurts daily and avoided drinking and smoking. She also enjoyed walking and spent a lot of time with her loved ones, including family. The researchers concluded that these activities helped prevent her mental and physical decline.

Guinness World Records SNS Capture

Prioritizing a stress-free life, Morera lived in a nursing home in the town of Olot in the Catalonia region from the age of 92, and it is reported that she played the piano, read the newspaper, and exercised every morning until she was 105 years old.

The research team noted that the results of this study on Morera's DNA and other factors have significance in showing that aging and disease do not necessarily go hand in hand under certain conditions. They also expressed hope that this research would be useful to those developing drugs and treatments related to aging and diseases.

Branyas was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, USA, to parents from Spain and Mexico. Having lived through historical upheavals, she contracted COVID-19 in 2020 but recovered relatively easily.

She passed away on August 19 last year at the age of 117 in the nursing home in the town of Olot in northeastern Spain, where she had spent the last 20 years of her life.