Oldest woman in world. What María Branyas ate

From January 2023 to August 2024, María Branyas Morera held the title of the oldest person in the world. Born in 1907 in San Francisco, she lived 117 years in health that many younger people could envy. Scientists decided to study the phenomenon of her longevity. Analysis of her genome, gut microbiome, and metabolism revealed fascinating mechanisms that allowed her organism to resist the relentless passage of time.

Genetic Predispositions to Longevity

María Branyas’s genome concealed remarkable secrets. Scientists compared her DNA with genetic material from seventy-five other women from the Iberian Peninsula. The differences were striking and pointed to a unique combination of favorable genetic variants.

In her genome, researchers discovered variants linked to longevity previously observed in completely different species. Dogs, nematodes, fruit flies – all these organisms shared certain genetic patterns with Branyas that favored long life. This suggested the universality of mechanisms controlling the pace of aging.

Equally significant was what was not in her DNA. Morera did not possess gene variants increasing the risk of cancer. She also lacked predispositions to Alzheimer’s disease or metabolic disorders. This was genetic armor protecting against the most common plagues of old age.

Particularly favorable proved to be her set of genes related to lipid metabolism. The variants she possessed protected against elevated blood fat levels. This explained her exceptional lipid profile, one of the best ever described in medical literature.

Microbiome of Youth

Study of Branyas’s gut microbiome brought a surprising discovery. Her bacterial flora resembled the profile of a much younger person. This was extraordinary considering that the microbiome typically undergoes degeneration with age.

Particularly high was the level of bacteria from the Actinobacteriota group. In this category, probiotic Bifidobacterium dominated. Usually their quantity drops dramatically after the age of eighty. In Branyas, it remained at a level characteristic of middle-aged people.

These bacteria play a key role in controlling inflammatory states. Chronic, low-level inflammation is one of the main mechanisms of aging. Branyas’s organism apparently could effectively inhibit it thanks to favorable gut flora.

Scientists speculate that her diet may have supported the growth of precisely these bacteria. The connection between what we eat and microbiome composition is increasingly well documented. In Branyas’s case, the correlation seemed particularly strong.

Lifestyle as Foundation of Longevity

Morera followed the Mediterranean diet throughout her life. This was not a trend or conscious health choice, but a natural way of eating in Catalonia. She consumed large amounts of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and olive oil.

One of the most characteristic elements of her diet was natural yogurt. Branyas consumed three portions daily, always without added sugar. She maintained this habit for decades. Yogurt provided probiotics supporting a healthy gut microbiome.

She never smoked cigarettes or drank alcohol. In her era, these choices were not obvious. Cigarettes became a mass consumer product in the twentieth century. Branyas avoided these stimulants not for health reasons, but from personal convictions.

Marius Esteller, one of the researchers studying her case, emphasized the combination of luck and conscious choices. From the very beginning, she was favored by luck in the form of a favorable genome. Throughout her life, she added pluses in the form of a healthy lifestyle.

Biological Age Versus Chronological

DNA methylation analysis revealed the most astonishing aspect of the Branyas phenomenon. Her biological age was on average twenty-three years lower than chronological. When the birth certificate said one hundred seventeen years, her cells behaved like those of a ninety-four-year-old.

DNA methylation is an epigenetic process that serves as the organism’s biological clock. Over the years, methyl groups attach to our DNA in predictable patterns. Analysis of these patterns allows determination of the actual age of cells.

In Branyas, this process proceeded more slowly than in most people. Her cells aged at a slowed pace. This explained her exceptional physical and mental condition until her final days.

Fat metabolism also amazed specialists. Cholesterol levels were extremely low, among the best values ever recorded. Genetics played a role here, but diet was equally important. These two factors cooperated, creating ideal conditions for a healthy circulatory system.

Triumph Over COVID-19

In 2020, at age one hundred thirteen, Branyas contracted COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus was particularly dangerous for elderly people. Mortality in the oldest age groups reached dozens of percent. For a supercentenarian, infection could be a death sentence.

Branyas not only survived the infection but recovered completely. A year later, she felt excellent, without any long-term complications. She became the oldest person to defeat coronavirus. This was testimony to the remarkable efficiency of her immune system.

Her case fascinated immunologists. At such an advanced age, the immune system is typically significantly weakened. A phenomenon called immunosenescence leads to decreased ability to fight infections. In Branyas, these mechanisms apparently worked more efficiently than in peers.

Scientists linked this to her overall biological condition. Younger microbiome, efficient metabolism, low level of chronic inflammatory states – all this contributed to an organism more resistant to infections. Branyas was living proof that biological age matters more than calendar age.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• https://www.national-geographic.pl/nauka/maria-branyas-morera-zyla-117-lat-naukowcy-odkryli-tajemnice-jej-dlugowiecznosci/
• https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/26/health/maria-branyas-morera-study-genes-intl-scli-wellness