117 years young
Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest woman, passed away this summer at the venerable – it's truly fitting to say! – age of 117.
Born in California in 1907, she later moved to Spain due to her father's health conditions during World War I.
Ms. Branyas survived many events: she witnessed wars, revolutions, regimes, catastrophes, and last but not least, she even survived Covid, an experience that – as she herself recounted – made her realize how limited the care and attention dedicated to the elderly were, despite the staff still being kind and attentive.
Venerable age: a secret for science.
Ms. Branyas was above all a mystery for science, which long wondered about the causes (or merits) of such a long life.
Undoubtedly, the genetic factor played a role: Ms. Branyas indeed boasted relatives who lived past ninety in her family tree.
But for Dr. Manel Esteller, director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute and professor of genetics at the University of Barcelona, the secret of her longevity lies in the approximately 200 genes related to aging. Ms. Branyas kindly provided the genetic samples needed to set up the study, which will most likely allow for the development of dedicated treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
The irony: elixir of long life.
Perhaps, we feel we can state with some certainty, a good part of Ms. Branyas's longevity was determined by her extraordinary sense of humor.
Her bio on X, in fact, read: “I'm old, very old, but I'm not an idiot.”
She regularly updated her pages, dispensing what are true pearls of wisdom:
- eliminate toxic people from your life,
- avoid excesses,
- emotional stability,
- lots of positivity,
- nurture the most important bonds: those with family and especially with friends.
It seems Ms. Branyas also gave excellent advice on diet: a lover of plain yogurt, she never followed a particular diet; she simply always ate a little bit of everything.
What can we say? Probably the secret is this: a little bit of everything, tasting what life offers.
And you? Do you have your own particular elixir of long life?