Genetics and nutrition allowed a Spanish woman to live to be 117 years old.

Spanish centenarian Maria Branhas Morera lived to be 117 years old thanks to a combination of genes and a healthy diet. This was reported on September 25 by the journal Nature with reference to a published study.

It is reported that the woman died on August 19, 2024 — at the time of her death, she was recognized as the oldest person in the world. Bryans spent time with her two daughters, each of whom was over 90 years old.

The publication notes that during her lifetime, researchers collected biological materials from her, which allowed them to study her physiology, including genetics, metabolism and the intestinal microbiome.

The researchers compared the genetic and metabolic profiles of Branhas with those of other women of different ages living in Catalonia. The main conclusion of the work is the ability to distinguish the molecular changes that occur in the body due to aging from those that occur due to poor health.

"The research team learned that Branyas telomeres—the sections of repetitive DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes—were exceptionally short. Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and unusually short telomeres are associated with age-related diseases. But Branyas had no such illnesses. This tells us that telomere loss is not necessarily associated with illness, it is simply associated with old age," the researchers believe.

The authors of the material indicate that they found genetic variants in Branyas that protect against cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline and diabetes. In addition, the woman was found to have gene variants associated with extremely long life spans in dogs, worms and flies.

The results of a woman's blood test reflect efficient lipid metabolism and a strong immune system. At the age of 113, Branyas got over COVID-19 and survived. The absence of inflammation in a woman's body may be due to her healthy gut microbiome and high levels of bifidobacteria.

The magazine emphasizes that the woman followed a Mediterranean diet and consumed three servings of yogurt daily. She also played sports regularly.

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On September 12, the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan officially recognized a resident of the Fergana region, Huwaido Umarova, as the oldest person on the planet, she turned 130 years old. To confirm Umarova's age, the Buwayda District Department of Justice filed a lawsuit. The age was confirmed, although no documents confirming the date of birth have been preserved.

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