{"id":12181,"date":"2025-11-04T13:40:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/?p=12181"},"modified":"2025-11-04T13:40:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T13:40:47","slug":"doctors-investigate-dna-of-117-year-old-woman-to-find-one-food-that-can-unlock-longer-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/?p=12181","title":{"rendered":"Doctors investigate DNA of 117-year-old woman to find one food that can unlock longer lives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dailymagazine23.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/21-526x470.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Maria Branyas Morera\u2019s life began in San Francisco in 1907 and stretched across 117 remarkable years \u2014 a span that saw two world wars, 21 U.S. presidents, and the rise of modern technology. At just eight years old, she moved with her family to Spain, where tragedy struck when her father died of tuberculosis during the journey. Yet Maria\u2019s resilience carried her forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her later years, she became known as the world\u2019s oldest living person, admired not only for her longevity but for her sharp mind and gentle humor. Before her death in 2024, Maria made one final request: that her DNA be studied to help scientists uncover the biological keys to a longer, healthier life. Her wish set a groundbreaking project in motion, uniting researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Manel Esteller, who led the study, described Maria as \u201can exception to the rule,\u201d noting that she managed to stay healthy even at extreme old age. \u201cFor the first time,\u201d he said, \u201cwe\u2019ve been able to separate being old from being sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Science \u2014 and Maria \u2014 Taught the World<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>When doctors examined Maria\u2019s DNA and cell samples, they were stunned. Biologically, she appeared 10 to 15 years younger than her actual age. Her cholesterol balance was ideal, her triglycerides were low, and her overall health mirrored that of someone decades her junior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/10\/24091619\/family1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But Maria\u2019s secret wasn\u2019t only in her genes. She lived with intention \u2014 eating well, walking daily, and keeping her mind active through community and family. She also had a small daily ritual: enjoying her favorite yogurt,&nbsp;<em>La Fageda<\/em>, a probiotic brand known to support gut health and reduce inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her unique genetic profile even showed unusual telomere patterns that might have helped protect her from age-related disease. As Dr. Esteller explained, \u201cThe clues for extreme longevity are a mix between what we inherit and how we live \u2014 maybe half and half.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/10\/24091713\/fameg.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in her final years, Maria shared wisdom online, writing that the keys to a long life are \u201corder, tranquillity, good connections, emotional stability, positivity, and staying away from toxic people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-main.newsner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2025\/10\/24091900\/Super-Avia-Catalana.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Her legacy now lives on \u2014 not just in her descendants, but in the scientific research her life inspired, offering hope that one day, aging and illness may no longer go hand in hand.<\/p>\n<div class=\"684f6003e199ca137b09540a661b4c2d\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: none; margin:0px 0 0px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<!-- Composite Start -->\r\n<div id=\"M940464ScriptRootC1583286\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/jsc.adskeeper.com\/k\/o\/kohajone.press.1583286.js\" async>\r\n<\/script>\r\n<!-- Composite End -->\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maria Branyas Morera\u2019s life began in San Francisco in 1907 and stretched across 117 remarkable years \u2014 a span that saw two world wars, 21 U.S. presidents,&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12183,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12181\/revisions\/12183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohajone.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}