Doctors investigate DNA of 117-year-old woman to find one food that can unlock longer lives

Tragically, her father died from pulmonary tuberculosis toward the end of the journey, but Maria went on to spend the rest of her remarkable life in her adopted homeland.

Before she died, she made a remarkable request: she asked doctors to study her DNA to understand what made her the world’s oldest living person, hoping her insights could help others live longer.

This request prompted a team of Spanish scientists, including researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, to examine her biological profile. They started collected tissue samples and analyzed her cells and genetics.

Speaking to The Times, Dr. Manel Esteller, the lead investigator on the study, said:

“The common rule is that as we age we become sicker but she was an exception and we wanted to understand why. For the first time, we’ve been able to separate being old from being sick.”

He added:

“We can develop drugs to reproduce the effects of good genes. Maria’s parents gave her very good genes, but we cannot choose our parents.”

Inside the results

The results were astonishing. Maria’s biology suggested she was 10 to 15 years younger than her actual age, making her a sprightly centenarian at 117.

She had exceptionally low levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides, alongsideContinue reading…