This Spanish Woman Lived to 117. Scientists May Have Discovered Why

Euronews ^ | 25/09/2025 | Gabriela Galvin

[nickcarraway]

Researchers said the supercentenarian’s longevity shows how old age and disease can ‘become decoupled’ at times. Maria Branyas was the oldest person in the world when she died at 117 in Spain last year – but a look at her genome suggests that her biological age may have been much younger.

Health experts and the public alike have long been fascinated with supercentenarians – those who live to at least 110 – and what their longevity reveals about the keys to ageing well.

Before she died in August 2024, Branyas agreed to help a group of Spanish scientists find out.

When she was 116, they collected samples of her blood, saliva, urine, and stool to analyse her genetics and microbiome and compare the results with bigger groups of similarly aged people.

Branyas had biomarkers of very old age, including shortened telomeres – which indicate cellular ageing – as well as a type of B cell known to accumulate with age and clonal hematopoiesis, another age-related condition.

However, she also had low inflammation levels, “rejuvenated” gut health, and a youthful epigenome, or changes to how genes are expressed without affecting our actual DNA.

Branyas, who the researchers called “one exceptional individual,” also had unusual variations in her genetic code that appeared to protect against common health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration, which is linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

The findings offer “a fresh look at human ageing biology, suggesting biomarkers for healthy ageing, and potential strategies to increase life expectancy,” according to the researchers, who published their findings in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

While Branyas’s genetics seem to have played a major role in her longevity, the researchers also tried to identify which of her lifestyle habits may have helped.

The supercentenarian ate about three yoghurts per day, they said, which they said may have contributed to her gut health and body weight. She mainly stuck to a Mediterranean diet, kept good sleep habits, stayed physically active, and had good mental health overall.

Branyas also had an active social life and had regular hobbies such as reading, playing the piano, and tending her garden – in other words, a well-rounded life.

“All these findings illustrate how ageing and disease can, under certain conditions, become decoupled,” the researchers said, “challenging the common perception that they are inextricably linked”.

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TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: aging; badluck; elderly; health; spain

[VAFreedom]

wow, i don’t expect to live 55 more years..... i’ll surely need another liver and kidney for sure.

[jroehl]

And she had a shot of whiskey and smoked a cigarette every night. lol

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

25 years ago back when I was even more nuts than I am today LOL, I drove a Yellow cab in New York city for about 8 years and all the time I would pick elderly Jews and ask them how old they were “Oh I’m 100” “I’m 97” on and on.

One time this woman hailed me by herself on 3rd avenue, she had black hair and looked to be in her 60s or 70s and she seemed very smart, she was a retired school teacher and was telling me about US history, NYC history, and she asked me “How old do you think I am” and I said 66 maybe 70...She said “I’m 104” and I said “Get the hell outta here” LOL! and she insisted she was, told me the year she was born in the 1800s, told me she became a grandmother during WW2. I ended up believing her and later on found out there’s a whole Jewish community in Manhattan of super elderly, unreal, something with their genetics.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

The oldest human being that ever lived was a French woman did just that, drank and smoked every night.

Here she is, Jeanne Calment, the female Keith Richards, who lived till she was 122

[Secret Agent Man]

I don’t want to live forever in the current fallen world.

I don’t have a deathwish but the world gets worse as time passes.

I will look forward to living forever with God in the new heaven and new earth (restored).

[fruser1]

The French chick that made it to 122 was a smoker.

[fidelis]

The oldest human being that ever lived was a French woman did just that, drank and smoked every night....who lived till she was 122.

Methuselah, at 969 years old, had her beat by 847 years. No report on whether he drank or smoke, though.

[frank ballenger]

RE: The supercentenarian ate about three yoghurts per day, they said, which they said may have contributed to her gut health and body weight.

1977 Dannon Yogurt ad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXzVDvWMIuI

[SkyDancer]

Vodka in her coffee in the morning?

[Bullish]

I bet she still looked like Hell.

[Bullish]

Yeah, and they vote for democrats even long after they’re dead.

[Whatever Works]

I agree with you.

[EasySt]

“I don’t have a deathwish but the world gets worse as time passes.”

~~~~~~~

Naw, it’ actually getting better, in part because we are FINALLY learning just how bad things have gotten.

This means we can finally do something about it.

;-)

~Easy

[NoLibZone]

“While Branyas’s genetics seem to have played a major role in her longevity, the researchers also tried to identify which of her lifestyle habits may have helped.”

[Veto!]

The world may be going to hell in a hand basket, but I’m not. I love my life, have a few good friends, a terrific cat, and live in a nice senior community with mostly nice people. Only problem is that I’m outliving a lot of people I like, so have to make some new friends.

[Peter ODonnell]

Yeah, if you do the math, Methuselah died in the year of the great flood but there’s nothing in Genesis to describe why that was the case. Maybe he freaked out at the weather forecast.