How to live longer naturally: A new study of 117‑year‑old María Branyas Morera reveals that her daily yogurt habit and Mediterranean‑style diet may have helped preserve a youthful gut microbiome—offering clues to how nutrition supports longevity.
The World’s Oldest Woman and Her Gut Health
When María Branyas Morera passed away in 2024 at age 117, she left behind more than a remarkable lifespan—she left scientific samples of her gut microbiome. Researchers found her intestinal bacteria were as diverse as those of someone decades younger, suggesting that diet and lifestyle can profoundly influence longevity.
What the research found
A study published in Cell Reports Medicine analyzed Branyas’s microbiome and genetics.
- Protective genes helped shield her from age‑related diseases.
- Her gut microbiome remained rich in Bifidobacterium, a bacterial family that typically declines with age.
- This diversity is linked to strong immune function, lower inflammation, and better metabolic health.
How to live longer naturally
These findings support the idea that gut diversity—not just genetics—plays a major role in healthy aging.
Branyas reportedly ate three yogurts daily, each containing live probiotic cultures that nourish beneficial gut bacteria. She also followed a Mediterranean diet. This diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, olive oil as the main fat source. It also emphasized fish and fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. This combination of probiotics and prebiotics fuels microbial diversity, supporting digestion, immunity, and long‑term health.
As people age, gut diversity often declines, increasing frailty and disease risk. Branyas’s case shows that maintaining a balanced, diverse microbiome may help preserve resilience. Simple steps include eating fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kombucha) and consuming fiber‑rich prebiotics (onions, garlic, oats, bananas). It also recommends following a Mediterranean‑style diet low in processed foods and sugars.
Bottom line: While genetics play a role, nurturing your gut through fermented foods, fiber, and Mediterranean‑style eating may be one of the most effective, evidence‑based ways to support long‑term health and vitality.