- Maria Branyas Morera was the world's oldest person when she died at the age of 117.
- She attributed her longevity to her genes and luck, but also some lifestyle factors.
- These include eating yogurt daily, being close to her family, and staying away from toxic people.
The world's oldest person has died at the age of 117 with a clean bill of health. Maria Branyas Morera's tips for longevity included avoiding toxic people while having strong family ties.
Branyas, who lived in the Spanish city of Olot, was healthy apart from experiencing hearing loss and some mobility issues, and had a sharp memory even in her later years, Spanish news site ABC reported in 2023.
Despite her age, she was active on X, and posted in December 2022 that she thought how long a person lived was down to luck and genetics.
She had a point — some people are genetically predisposed to a longer life. But lifestyle factors can also impact how long people live.
Thanks to a greater awareness of healthy behaviors, as well as medical advances and public health initiatives, more people are surviving past 65, according to a 2020 report by the US Census Bureau. The Pew Research Center estimates that the number of centenarians in the US will triple in the next 30 years.
Here are some of the factors Branyas thought helped her reach triple figures.
Avoiding toxic people
Branyas said that staying "away from toxic people" helped her live so long, Business Insider previously reported.
She may be correct — one 2020 study published in Health Psychology found that people who were criticized by their partner had a higher chance of dying early, especially older adults.
Having 'strong' family ties
"Strong, rich, and caring family ties act as a mattress that cushions loneliness," Branyas posted on X earlier this year, adding that she was "lucky" in this regard.
Having contact with loved ones is linked to living longer, according to a 2023 study. It found that older people who were socially isolated from living alone, not having family and friends visit often, or not doing group activities, were up to 77% more likely to die early.
Being positive and having no regrets
Branyas posted on X in December 2022 that she had no worries and no regrets, but was very positive.
Similarly, two centenarian experts working for LongeviQuest, an organization that validates the ages of the world's oldest people, previously told BI that many of the supercentenarians they met didn't worry about things outside their control.
And a 2023 study by researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid found that looking for the positives in life was a common trait among centenarians.
Avoiding excess
In another post on X from 2022, Branyas said she never followed a diet, but has "always eaten little."
Yumi Yamamoto, a centenarian expert at LongeviQuest whose great-grandmother lived to the age of 116, previously told BI the Japanese supercentenarians she had met ate a balanced diet and didn't eat or drink to excess.
Eating yogurt every day
Yogurt has an "infinite number of positive properties for the body," Branyas posted on X in December 2022. She ate a pot of natural yogurt every day.
A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that there were no consistent links between yogurt and a lower risk of dying. But dietitians often recommend eating yogurt for its high protein content, and one 2022 study published in BMC Microbiology found that yogurt can increase gut microbe diversity, which is great for gut health.