{"id":21724,"date":"2025-10-29T11:03:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T11:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/29\/how-a-117-year-olds-daily-yoghurt-routine-kept-her-healthy-and-strong-health-and-fitness-news\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:03:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T11:03:26","slug":"how-a-117-year-olds-daily-yoghurt-routine-kept-her-healthy-and-strong-health-and-fitness-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/29\/how-a-117-year-olds-daily-yoghurt-routine-kept-her-healthy-and-strong-health-and-fitness-news\/","title":{"rendered":"How A 117-Year-Old\u2019s Daily Yoghurt Routine Kept Her Healthy And Strong | Health and Fitness News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-9623974\">\n<p><span class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-4143937483\">Last Updated:<\/span><time class=\"jsx-395e0e0beb19cb6e jsx-4143937483\">October 29, 2025, 16:31 IST<\/time><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"asubttl-9623974\" class=\"jsx-c9f81425ec968c48 jsx-1556104282 asubttl-schema\">Spain\u2019s Maria Branyas Morera lived to 117, and scientists say her secret wasn\u2019t magic genes. It was balance, good health, and yogurt three times a day.<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b artsharwrp\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news18.co\/gnps-en-btn\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"jsx-91f4da8d48c13a79 gglebtn bgblu\"\/><\/p>\n<div id=\"artshare\" class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b artshare\">\n<div class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b stickdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b deskwrapstkdiv\">\n<div class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b fontchange\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/dlxczavtqcctuei\/news18\/static\/images\/english\/font.svg\" height=\"30px\" width=\"30px\" alt=\"font\" title=\"font\" class=\"jsx-cc1b15cf85effb8b lazyload\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"jsx-c9f81425ec968c48 jsx-1556104282 amimg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Yoghurt kept her gut microbiome youthful and rich in beneficial bacteria.\" title=\"Yoghurt kept her gut microbiome youthful and rich in beneficial bacteria.\" src=\"https:\/\/images.news18.com\/ibnlive\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&amp;width=400&amp;height=225\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"jsx-c9f81425ec968c48 jsx-1556104282\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Yoghurt kept her gut microbiome youthful and rich in beneficial bacteria.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p id=\"0\" class=\"story_para_0\">Living to 117 years and 168 days sounds almost mythical, but for Maria Branyas Morera, it was reality. Born in San Francisco in 1907 and later settling in Spain, Maria became a subject of fascination for scientists studying longevity. Researchers from the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute investigated her biology to uncover the secrets behind her extraordinary life, revealing that it wasn\u2019t a single \u2018magic gene\u2019 but a blend of lifestyle, biology and a humble daily habit: eating yoghurt three times a day.<\/p>\n<p id=\"1\" class=\"story_para_1\">For over two decades, Maria enjoyed three servings of yoghurt daily \u2013 morning, afternoon and night. This wasn\u2019t part of any fad; it was simply something she liked. Scientists discovered that her gut microbiome, the ecosystem of bacteria living in the digestive tract, was unusually youthful. Her gut was rich in Bifidobacterium, a beneficial bacterium known to reduce inflammation and support metabolism.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2\" class=\"story_para_2\">Yoghurts containing strains like Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which Maria consumed regularly, likely helped maintain this microbial balance. According to a 2024 study published in Cell Reports Medicine, this consistent intake of probiotic-rich yoghurt may have reshaped her gut environment, keeping it resilient and youthful \u2013 a key factor in healthy ageing.<\/p>\n<h4>Gut Health Over Genetics<\/h4>\n<p id=\"3\" class=\"story_para_3\">Maria\u2019s gut health stood out remarkably for her age. Normally, bacterial diversity declines with age, often leading to inflammation and chronic diseases. But Maria\u2019s microbiome was anti-inflammatory, supporting her metabolism, immune system, and brain health. Researchers believe this played a major role in preventing age-related illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia.<\/p>\n<p id=\"4\" class=\"story_para_4\">Dr Manel Esteller, who led the study, noted that her yoghurt habit may have contributed to maintaining a \u201cyoung gut,&#8221; reducing body fat and insulin resistance, both critical markers for longevity.<\/p>\n<h4>Extraordinary Biology<\/h4>\n<p id=\"5\" class=\"story_para_5\">Beyond her diet, Maria possessed rare genetic variants that offered protection against common diseases. Her DNA supported strong immunity, cardiovascular health and cognitive function. Interestingly, she lacked several gene variants linked to shortened lifespan. Her lipid profile was exceptional, with high HDL (\u201cgood&#8221; cholesterol) and low triglycerides, helping maintain a healthy heart well into her later years.<\/p>\n<p id=\"6\" class=\"story_para_6\">Even with short telomeres, usually a sign of ageing, Maria showed no major illnesses, proving that ageing and disease aren\u2019t always inseparable.<\/p>\n<h4>Lifestyle And Mental Well-Being<\/h4>\n<p id=\"7\" class=\"story_para_7\">Maria led a grounded, peaceful life. She never smoked or drank, followed a Mediterranean-style diet, and took daily walks in the countryside. She remained mentally active through music, socialising and curiosity. Experts suggest that these habits, combined with her diet, helped keep chronic inflammation low and her immune system active.<\/p>\n<h4>A Lesson In Longevity<\/h4>\n<p id=\"8\" class=\"story_para_8\">Maria\u2019s story is less about chasing extreme age and more about focusing on health span \u2013 the years lived in good health. Prof. Claire Steves from King\u2019s College London emphasised that her longevity was no fluke but the result of multiple systems working in harmony: gut, immune system, metabolism and genes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"9\" class=\"story_para_9\">Dr Esteller summarised, \u201cShe was lucky from the start, but she added years through the way she lived.&#8221; Maria Morera\u2019s life shows that sometimes, longevity comes not from grand interventions but from small, consistent habits. Her daily yoghurt became a quiet revolution inside her body, a testament to the power of balance, routine and a kind way of living.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-c9f81425ec968c48 jsx-1556104282 atbtlink Location\"><span>Location :<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Delhi, India, India<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jsx-c9f81425ec968c48 jsx-1556104282 atbtlink fp\"><span>First Published:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rs\">\n<p>October 29, 2025, 16:31 IST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"coral-wrap\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f \">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coral-cont\">\n<div class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f coltoptxt\">Disclaimer: Comments reflect users\u2019 views, not News18\u2019s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/disclaimer\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Terms of Use<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/privacy_policy\/\" class=\"jsx-ba4d8f086a12294f\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/lifestyle\/health-and-fitness\/how-a-117-year-olds-daily-yoghurt-routine-kept-her-healthy-and-strong-aa-ws-l-9623974.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated:October 29, 2025, 16:31 IST Spain\u2019s Maria Branyas Morera lived to 117, and scientists say her secret wasn\u2019t magic genes. It was balance, good health, and yogurt three times a day. Yoghurt kept her gut microbiome youthful and rich in beneficial bacteria. Living to 117 years and 168 days sounds almost mythical, but for&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}