Scientists suggest three yoghurts a day could contribute to a long, healthy life. Photo / 123rf
Three yoghurts a day could be the key to living a long and healthy life.
Scientists made the suggestion after studying the DNA and physiology of Maria Branyas Morera, who was the oldest person in the world until she died last year, aged 117.
Her daily routine involved regular consumption of probiotic yoghurts, which the scientists suggest “will have played an important role in her healthy ageing”.
Branyas, who was born in the United States and died in northeast Spain, credited her longevity to luck and good genetics.
Scientists, who began studying her before her death, have found this to be true.
However, her thrice-daily yoghurt habit might also have played a critical role.
Her preferred dairy treat was a local Catalan brand called La Fageda, which is a probiotic and contains high amounts of healthy bacteria, such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which combat inflammation.
Scientists found her biological age to be 23 years younger than her actual age.
“Along with the consumption of yoghurt, she ingested high amounts of fibre (a good example is the smoothie containing eight different cereals that she ingested every morning), which serves as a prebiotic, that is, food for the beneficial populations in the gut, making them thrive,” study first author Eloy Santos, a PhD student at the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, told the Telegraph.
“The consumption of both prebiotics and probiotics in her Mediterranean diet might have contributed to the large predominance of Bifidobacterium in her gut, a highly beneficial population.
“This allows us to speculate that it might have contributed to her healthy metabolome, and ultimately, to her dramatic reduction in her epigenetic age.
“Diet is therefore a good example of how healthy habits may help shape healthy ageing and extended longevity.”
Branyas lived in Spain for almost 110 years and lived through two world wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish flu and Covid-19 pandemics. She caught Covid in 2020 and made headlines as the oldest patient but remarkably had no symptoms.
Her genes, proteins, metabolite make-up and microbiome were analysed to unpick what allowed the supercentenarian to thrive for so long.
Branyas was lucid for most of her life and the only health ailments of note were joint pain and hearing loss.
Dr Manel Esteller, the study’s lead, told the Telegraph: “She ate three yoghurts every day, and mostly plain natural ones without sugar, which are rich in some pretty good bacterial content.
“At the same time, she had genes that give you an advantage if you have this bacteria, because not everyone that eats these bacteria is able to keep them working in the gut – but she had a good combination.
“We know she had three yoghurts every day for almost 10 years, while she was close to her family in the same town and in an old people’s home. She had a very good, organised breakfast, lunch and dinner and all this included yoghurt.
“We can be sure that for this time, and we know that she liked it. She did not have a taste for food with high fat, for example, or a lot of sugar, no alcohol at all. But yoghurt was something that she really liked.
“There is very little previous evidence showing the benefits of yoghurts and healthy long life, so this is completely new.”
A three-week diary of her food consumption also revealed a perfect case study of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive oil and some poultry and eggs, but little in the way of processed foods and red meat.
Several studies have extolled its health benefits, including improving heart health, a healthier weight and BMI, protection for the brain and cognitive function, and reduced inflammation.
This daily routine may have played a role in her healthy ageing, the scientists say, alongside genetics, which meant she was able naturally to maintain low inflammation and low cholesterol.
“Our results have helped us identify factors that may help many older people live longer, healthier lives,” said Esteller.
“We have, for example, identified particular genes that are associated with healthy longevity, and that can therefore be new targets for drug development.
“Most importantly, Senora Branyas’ data confirm that having a good cardiolipidic and metabolomic profile is linked to a longer and better life.
“We know from her own account that she avoided eating too much fat and processed sugars. Finally, her avoidance of tobacco and alcohol and regular consumption of yoghurt will have played an important role in her healthy ageing.”
The study is published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
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