Latest news with #Morera
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These are the secrets to long life according to the world's oldest people
A woman who lived to the age of 117 put her longevity down to eating yoghurt - and scientists say she may have been right. Maria Branyas Morera was the oldest living person in the world until she passed away at a nursing home in Spain last August. When she was alive, Morera credited her long lifespan to eating three yoghurts a day, and researchers who studied her gut microbiome have suggested they may have contributed. They found her gut was extremely healthy and that she had cells that functioned as if they were 17 years younger than her age. Scientists in Barcelona found Morera's microbiome had high levels of bifidobacteria, also known as gut microbiota, that lives in the digestive tract. Before she died, Morera said she didn't smoke or drink alcohol, enjoyed a walk every day and ate lots of fruit and vegetables. She also said she avoided "toxic people". So what are some of the other secrets to a long life, according to the people who know best... centenarians. Ethel Caterham, who lives in a care home in Lightwater, Surrey, became the oldest person in the world this month, at the age of 115. She was born on 21 August 1909 and is the last surviving subject of Kind Edward VII. Caterham said her secret to a long life was "never arguing with anyone". She said: "I listen and I do what I like." She continued driving until she was 97 and one of her sisters, Gladys, lived to the age of 104. Read more on this story from Surrey Live Kathleen Jennings, who turned 105 last October, said her longevity was down to two factors: never getting married and drinking Guinness. Born in Brixton in 1919, she celebrated her 105th birthday at a care home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 2 October. She received a Guinness hamper for her birthday, filled with pint glasses, an apron, chocolates and cans of the stout. When asked for advice on a long life, she said: "Drink Guinness and don't marry!" Read more on this story from Yahoo Life UK In March, Josie Church and Anne Wallace-Hadrill, who celebrated their 101st birthdays together, said always keeping themselves busy had helped them reach past a century. The pair are neighbours in Oxford and both were born on 1 April 1924. "You do what seems to be needing doing, and then you do that, and then something else takes its place," said Church. "You just go on from one thing to another. We don't engineer our lives. I think they've just engineered us." Read more on this story from Yahoo Life UK Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, 116, from Brazil, was the world's oldest person until her death at the end of April. She died a few weeks before she was due to turn 117, and was born on 27 May 1908. She said her Catholic faith was what led to her longevity, and was part of the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus nun congregation in Porto Alegre, Brazil. She was the second oldest nun ever, after Frenchwoman Lucile Randon, who died in 2023 at the age of 118. Read more on this story from PA Media Dinkie Flowers, from Shoreham, West Sussex, turned 104 earlier this month and celebrated by dancing at her birthday party, the BBC reported. She has been dancing for 101 years and ran her own dance school until five years ago. In an interview in 2023, she said: 'Dancing has helped keep me healthy, everyone should do something, they shouldn't be on their bottom all day." Read more on this story from Yahoo Life UK
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Study of world's oldest person reveals key to ageing well
Scientists who studied the genome, gut health, and lifestyle of the world's oldest person, who died in 2024 at age 117, have made a breakthrough in their understanding of longevity. They found that Maria Branyas Morera Morera's cells functioned as if they were about 17 years younger than her actual age, and her gut microbiome resembled that of a child, rich in anti-inflammatory bacteria. The American-Catalan Caucasian woman's genome likely contained variations linked to a stronger immune system, reduced cancer risk, and heart disease protection, scientists say. Ms Morera's lifestyle included avoiding alcohol and smoking, going on daily walks, and enjoying a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and yoghurt. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, also found that Ms Morera had low levels of VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which are linked to heart disease.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Gut health study of world's oldest person reveals lifestyle key to longevity
Scientists have discovered a 'blueprint' for long life by decoding the genome, gut health and lifestyle of the world's oldest person who died last year at 117. Maria Branyas Morera, an American-Catalan Caucasian woman, was born in March 1907 in San Francisco, US, and died in August 2024. While centenarians are becoming more common thanks to advances in health care, supercentenarians aged over 110 are still extremely rare. Morera exceeded the average life expectancy of Catalonia, Spain, by over 30 years. She attributed her longevity to 'luck and good genetics' and to 'avoiding toxic people'. A yet-to-be peer-reviewed study analysed her genes, microbiome and lifestyle to find the cells in her body functioned as if they were 17 years younger than her actual age. And her gut health was extremely youthful, resembling that of a child. For the new study, researchers developed a comprehensive analysis platform to assess different tissues of Morera for the activity of her genome and proteins as well as microbes living on them. They compared the results with data from non-supercentenarian populations. Scientists found the supercentenarian's genome likely contained variations linked to a stronger immune system, reduced cancer risk and protection from heart disease. They particularly probed a type of genome activity modification that happens normally in the body called DNA methylation, which has been linked in previous studies to ageing. 'DNA methylation is probably the most studied epigenetic mark in cell biology and disease, being also disrupted as we age,' the study noted. In this measure, Morera was 'an outlier', exhibiting a 'much younger biological age than her real chronological age' across three different tissues. Morera also appeared to have an efficient lipid metabolism with low levels of VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which are linked to heart disease. 'Overall, these data suggest that one of the reasons that our supercentenarian reached such a world record age was that her cells 'felt' or 'behaved' as younger cells, with a biological age of a centenarian,' the study noted. She had a healthy gut with what researchers described as an 'anti-inflammatory' microbiome. Morera's gut was rich in Bifidobacterium, a type of bacteria known for its anti-inflammatory properties. 'Microorganisms are critical in determining not only the metabolite composition of our body, but also inflammation, intestinal permeability, cognition, and bone and muscle health,' researchers explained. However, the exact link between the community of microbes living in one's body and longevity remains unclear. Morera had said she avoided alcohol and smoking, enjoyed daily walks, and followed a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, along with three yoghurts a day. A growing body of research has found links between a high-fibre and probiotic-rich Mediterranean diet to a healthy gut. 'The picture that emerges from our study shows that extremely advanced age and poor health are not intrinsically linked,' the study concluded.
Shafaq News
18-03-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
117-years old's genes: anti-aging clues found
Shafaq News/ Researchers at Barcelona University have identified genetic traits that could contribute to advancements in anti-aging treatments. Maria Branyas Morera, who lived to 117 and passed away in August 2024, followed a balanced diet, regularly ate three types of yogurt, and abstained from alcohol and smoking. Researchers found that her microbiome closely resembled that of children, and her unique genetic makeup may have lowered her biological age by approximately 17 years. Manel Esteller, a genetics professor at the university, highlighted that Morera's exceptional genome likely played a key role in her longevity. 'Her genetic profile appears to have provided her with extraordinary resistance to age-related diseases, which helped maintain her overall health for more than a century,' Esteller explained. Her daughter, Rosa Moret, noted that she rarely experienced illness, with only minor issues such as hearing and memory loss emerging in her later years. Researchers also found that Morera exhibited strong health markers, including balanced cholesterol, stable blood sugar levels, and a well-regulated immune system, factors that may have contributed to her extended lifespan. Following Morera's death, Tomiko Itooka briefly held the title of the world's oldest person before passing away in December 2024. The title now belongs to Brazilian nun Canabarro Lucas, 116.
CBS News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Musical star of "Mean Girls" visits Colorado high school, winner of "Bobby G Award"
Dozens of high school students were treated to a special opportunity to listen to and learn from a star of the "Mean Girls" musical. The national tour of Mean Girls is currently showing at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Thunder Ridge High School in Highlands Ranch was selected as the school to hear from Alexys Morera, who portrays Janis Ian in the production. The school was selected due to its recent success with its own adaptation of the show in 2024. "We were nominated and won the Bobby G Award for outstanding musical," said Gabi Karl, a recent graduate of the high school. The Bobby G Awards are hosted by the DCPA, the same entity currently showing "Mean Girls" at the Buell Theatre in Denver. "It was the most fun I have ever had in musical theatre," said Zack Rymkiewicz, a junior at Thunder Ridge. "We all worked together really well. Everybody was so uplifting and supportive," Karl said. So, on Wednesday, Morera welcomed the students to their own theatre by singing them one of the most popular songs from the show. She then took questions from the students for nearly an hour. "Human interaction is one of the best parts of this job," Morera told CBS Colorado. "It is so great to see so much joy for theatre and kids doing theatre. It is one of the things that got me through high school." Morera gave students tips on everything from how to land their first professional role to how to maintain your vocals while performing eight times a week. "It shows you the musicals you do in high school are not just for high school," Rymkiewicz said. "To see an actual Broadway star who plays Janis, it was such a great thing to watch. It makes you feel like wow, I can do that someday." Mean Girls will play the Buell Theatre for one week alone and opened Tuesday night. "It is inspiring," Karl said. "It is nice to see someone on that level and tell their story re-inspires, brings back the flame and makes you want to do it even more."
