A common supermarket food could be the secret to the longevity of a 117-year-old woman who survived wars, pandemics, and even a bout of Covid in her later years, it has been suggested. Supercentenarian Maria Branyas Morera was the oldest person on the planet when she died in 2024, reaching the astounding age of 117 and a half, but before she passed away, she asked doctors to investigate her in an effort to “help others”.
It would lead to an investigation into her biological profile by doctors in Spain, where Maria moved when she was eight years old, having been born in San Francisco in 1907. It was conducted by a team of scientists, including researchers from the University of Barcelona and Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, who gathered samples from Maria and looked at her cells and genetics. Dr Manel Esteller, the principal investigator on the study, told the Times: “The common rule is that as we age we become sicker but she was an exception and we wanted to understand why. For the first time, we’ve been able to separate being old from being sick.”
Dr Esteller added: “We can develop drugs to reproduce the effects of good genes. Maria’s parents gave her very good genes, but we cannot choose our parents.”
Despite Maria leading an undeniably healthy life, refraining from alcohol and cigarettes, not being overweight, and having an active social life, the researchers also expressed an interest in a specific food she enjoyed three times a day.
Maria was a fan of yoghurt, specifically the Spanish probiotic yoghurt La Fageda, which reportedly includes inflammation-busting bacteria. In addition, she drank a cereal-rich smoothie every morning, containing eight different types of cereal
A PhD student from the institute, Eloy Santos, explained to The Daily Telegraph that her high-fibre intake served as food for beneficial gut bacteria, helping them thrive
Over the course of the study, researchers discovered that Maria had low inflammation levels and genetic variants related to cholesterol and lipid metabolism, which are associated with a longer lifespan
The potential health benefits of yoghurt are well known. Packed full of protein and important nutrients, such as calcium and B vitamins, some types could even offer a boost to your gut health.
One potential benefit of eating yoghurt is that it could strengthen our immune system. Healthline points to research that suggests probiotics could help tackle the “incidence, duration, or severity” of five conditions.
They are as follows: Covid-19, flu, rotavirus, gastroenteritis, and even the common cold. It added that probiotics may help reduce inflammation, which is linked to health problems including viral infections.
Yoghurt also contains trace minerals like zinc, magnesium, and selenium, which may support immune health.
Additionally, vitamin D–fortified yoghurt may further support immune health, helping the body combat illnesses such as flu and the common cold.
