Per science, Each super -nenadian is a living treasurea natural laboratory capable of helping to reveal the secrets of longevity. But studying these people, is not simple: they are very rare and, often, when researchers manage to trace them and obtain their consent, time is already too far ahead. This is why, that, When Maria Braryasat the time of the research, The oldest person in the worldagreed to participate in a scientific study, the researchers considered it an unrepeatable opportunity.
Longevity, live up to 117 years like Maria Braryas
Maria Braryas Morera has been much more than a simple demographic statistics. Born in 1907 in San Francisco and died in 2024 in Olot, Catalonia, at the age of 117 and 168 daysthis extraordinary woman was witnessed by over a century of epochal transformations. His life has gone through the First World Warthe devastating Spanish influence of 1918, the Spanish civil war e even the pandemic of Covid-19which, however, has overcome with surprisingly mild symptoms.
What the longest -lived woman in the world teaches us
Extreme longevity often imagines itself as a mysterious, almost magical phenomenon. But modern science, today it offers tools to peer over the veil of time and understand the mechanisms that allow certain people to live so long. And this is exactly what they did to the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute when they decided to study this lady, making it the protagonist of one of the most complete research ever conducted on a super -nenadian human being.
The research on Maria Braryas, the case of the super -nenadian (Getty)
Science meets the miracle of longevity
The team led by Dr. Manel Esteller and Eloy Santos, He conducted what experts call a “multiomic study”an analysis that examined every aspect of Mrs. Maria’s biology: from her DNA to proteins, from intestinal bacteria to metabolites present in the blood.
Samples of blood, saliva, urine and feces have been analyzed with cutting -edge techniquesoffering an unprecedented vision of how the body of a person who has abundantly overcome the century of life works. The results, published on the prestigious magazine Cell Reports Medicinerevealed that on the one hand, Maria Braryas Morera showed all the unequivocal signs of aging And its immune cells showed signs of senescence, that process through which they stop working normally. On the other hand, however, the woman’s body hid extraordinary secrets.
The paradox of a body that ages, but resists
His levels of inflammation were very low, a fundamental feature considering that Chronic inflammation is often called “silent fire” that feeds many advanced age diseases. Its intestinal microbioma, that universe of bacteria that populates our intestine and which deeply influences our health, was dominated by bifidobacteria, “good” microorganisms, which usually decrease drastically in the elderly.
But perhaps the most surprising data concerned his biological age. While his identity document indicated 116 years, the epigenetic markers of his DNA recounted a different story: biologically, Mary’s body was about 23 years older than her registry age. It is as if two people lived in her: an 116 -year -old woman who had lived more than a century of history, and an organism that worked like that of a person of “alone” 93 years.
A complex recipe for longevity
Scientists They discovered that there is no single “Longevity gene” in Mary’s DNA. Rather, its extraordinary duration of life seems to be the result of a complex combination of rare genetic factors that affect different crucial systems of the body: immunity, cardiovascular protection, brain function and that of mitochondria, the “energy plants” of our cells.
Its lipid metabolism worked exceptionally efficiently. He had high levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol, bass triglycerides and optimal values of other lipids. The inflammation markers were reduced to a minimum, while his metabolic profile reflected that of a much younger person, while showing some signs that indicated the proximity to the end of the life cycle.
The role of the microbioma: a long life ecosystem
One of the most interesting aspects that emerged from the study concerns Mary’s intestinal microbioma. Unlike what happens in most of the elderly, His intestine housed a diversified and full of bifidobacteria bacterial communitymicroorganisms associated with anti -inflammatory properties and a favorable metabolism.
This particular composition, He was probably favored by his daily dietwhich included the classic Mediterranean diet enriched by yogurt containing Streptococcus Thermophilus and Lactobacillus Delbrueckii. It was not a conscious choice dictated by the latest scientific discoveries, but rather of traditional eating habits who proved to be prophetic from the point of view of health.
Maria Braryas, life lessons for a century of existence
This pioneering study has made it possible to clearly distinguish between the natural aging process and the onset of pathologies, opening new perspectives on the possibility of living for a long time while maintaining a good quality of life. The researchers speculate that, In addition to the lucky genetic combination, have also contributed to its longevity.: a healthy diet, a stimulating social network and the absence of harmful habits such as smoking.
Maria represents, in essence, the living demonstration that longevity is not only a question of genetic luck, But the result of a complex interaction between genes, environment, lifestyle And, perhaps, even a good dose of mental resilience.
Towards new frontiers of the anti-aging
The story of Maria Braryas is not just the story of an exceptionally long life, But an open window on the future of anti-aging medicine. The biomarkers identified in his study could one day help doctors to evaluate the risk of pathological aging and develop targeted interventions to prevent age -related diseases. It is not a question of promising immortality or selling long -lived elixir, but to better understand the mechanisms that allow some people to age healthy.
The research suggests, in fact, that the secret of longevity does not lie in a single miraculous factor, but in the synergy between many elements: favorable genes, a healthy microbioma, low levels of inflammation, an efficient metabolism and, probably, wise life choices. And, in an era in which the world population is aging quickly, Mary’s lessons take on an even more precious meaning. It is not just about adding years to life, but of adding life to the yearstransforming longevity from a simple number, into an opportunity for prolonged well -being.