3 secrets that make up the world's longest living miracle of a 117-year-old woman

He is honored as a super-long-lived person, because only 1 in 10 centenarians can live another decade.

In an attempt to find out what accounted for his super-long life, a team led by the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Spain conducted a comprehensive analysis of everything from his genes to his proteins, microbiome and metabolism.

Only 1 in 10 centenarians can live another decade

ILLUSTRATION: AI

And here is the secret they found!

Using a variety of interview and analysis techniques, the researchers found that Maria met many of the recommended criteria for longevity and healthy aging.

The most prominent are the following three things:

1. Mental and physical activity

She led a mentally, socially and physically active lifestyle, spending quality time with family and friends. All of these factors help prevent dementia, according to Science Alert.

2. Follow the Mediterranean diet

Maria also eats well, largely following the Mediterranean diet, which has been linked to a longer life. It includes lots of fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel, herring), olive oil, legumes and nuts, a variety of vegetables and fruits, whole grains (like brown rice, whole wheat bread), tea and coffee. Moderate cheese and yogurt. Choose poultry and fish over red meat. Little or no sweets, butter or animal fats.

3. Love yogurt!

Loving yogurt is the interesting secret of the world's longest-lived person

ILLUSTRATION: AI

One thing the researchers noted was Maria's love of yogurt. The researchers believe that the supercentenarian's dietary choices helped promote healthy gut bacteria, and indeed her gut microbiome had the characteristics of a much younger person, according to Science Alert.

Microbiota play important roles in metabolism, inflammation, gut permeability, cognition, and bone and muscle health, the researchers write.

The old lady has a biological age much younger than her actual age.

Maria also has genes linked to a stronger immune system, protection against heart disease and a reduced risk of cancer.

Remarkably, researchers discovered something special: he has a biological age much younger than his actual age.

In addition, Maria also had lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and higher levels of "good" cholesterol, as well as lower levels of inflammation (which protects against many health problems).

Maria herself attributes her longevity to "an orderly life and pleasant surroundings", but it is clear that many factors are at play.

While the 117-year-old figure is extremely unlikely, this research suggests that the body may have the best chance of aging without damage or disease, and thus improve our health as we age.

The picture emerging from our study is that old age does not necessarily mean poor health, the researchers write.