The surprising answer of the oldest person in the world

Ms Branyas lives in a nursing home in northeastern Spain and recently celebrated her 117th birthday with a cake and a small family gathering, according to El Páis .

Mrs. Maria Branyas.

"The family split up when visiting her because she doesn't like being around a lot of people," said Rosa Moret, her youngest daughter, who is 80. Branyas's spirit has "gone downhill " in the past few months. Her daughter said she is not in pain but "getting weaker."

Branyas is fully aware of her surroundings, despite her hearing loss and reduced mobility. While people are constantly wondering what it would be like to live to be over a hundred, Branyas remains calm, seemingly oblivious to the media hubbub outside the nursing home.

Good genes and healthy habits

In January 2023, after Frenchwoman Lucile Randon passed away at the age of 118, Branyas, then 115, became the oldest living person in the world.

The media came knocking on her door. Her birthplace, San Francisco, California, honored her expatriate. The family received dozens of phone calls, her son-in-law set up a Twitter account (now X). Filmmaker Sam Green came to interview her for a documentary.

Everything changed suddenly. The number of visitors was so great that the family had to turn them away. "She is no longer able to do it ," they said.

In the spring of 2023, cancer specialist Manel Esteller contacted Mrs. Branyas's nursing home and asked to speak with the family of the 110-year-old. He wanted to study the cells of a person who had reached a rare age.

“We have never touched cells from a 117-year-old. It's very rare,” Esteller said.

In Spain, there are nearly 20,000 people over 100 years old, including 758 who have passed the 105 mark. The National Statistics Institute cannot reveal exact figures for people over 110 due to privacy laws. According to LongeviQuest, Spain has at least three living “supercentenarians” (people who may be over 110 years old ) but the agency only lists those who have voluntarily shared their personal information.

Maria Branyas is the oldest living person in the world today.

“What else do you want from life?” Esteller asked the old woman. “Death,” Branyas replied.

Branyas has no cancer, no neurodegenerative disease, no heart problems. She finds that with each passing day, life becomes more extraordinary, and death is no longer a taboo subject . "I feel like I've lived longer than I expected. Death is like an old friend who you know will come to visit at any time. I've been ready for a while, and I think it'll come knocking soon. I just want to have the serenity to deal with whatever comes my way and enough happiness to enjoy the good things. I'm never going to be miserable, no matter what life throws at me," she says.

Esteller took blood and urine samples from Branyas. "We will study her genome, bacteria, proteins and metabolism to uncover clues to explain her longevity and investigate any genetic mutations," he said.

Even without conclusive results, the scientist did have some data: Branyas's cells were about 10 years younger than their actual age. " That's because Branyas was dealt a great hand and played very well for 117 years," said Esteller, who likens genetics to playing cards.

Genes are like cards that can be good or bad, but you have to "play them well" to survive in the long term. " If you have good cards but don't know how to play them, you won't have any luck. In Ms. Branyas' case, it seems she 'won the lottery' thanks to good genes and healthy habits."

But the wear and tear of 117 years can be seen clearly under a microscope. " Her cells no longer have the protective hood-like ends of chromosomes. And she has virtually no stem cells or immune system cells left."

Branyas’s family tree shows a higher-than-average number of people over 80. “Her daughter is younger than 80 ,” Esteller says. On the phone, Rosa sounds confident and decisive. She answers quickly, specifically, and sometimes with a touch of humor.

Never rush

Rosa recalls a typical family life, where her mother stayed home most of the time. "My mother was a housewife with a quiet life, with little work pressure. She thought life was hard these days, but maybe it was just an old story of every generation."

Mrs. Branyas shops, knits, cleans the house and cooks. She never rushes when it comes to doing anything. "Nowadays, young people prefer fast food or ready meals. But not us. Back then, dinner was always vegetables or maybe a potato omelette. Now people call it the Mediterranean diet ."

Ms Branyas survived Covid-19 and the lockdown nearly four years ago. "People complain about being stuck at home, but we have electricity, phones, TV, food, hot water and a roof over our heads. We didn't have these things before. Humanity has overcome and I have never lost my zest for life," she shared during the pandemic.

This wasn't the first time she'd faced adversity. Her father died at sea returning to Barcelona from the United States, and she'd survived the Spanish flu, two world wars, and the Spanish Civil War. All of it had made her stronger. "The fact that people who'd been through famine had an advantage in survival," Esteller says.

Branyas never prayed or prepared to live past 110.

Spain ranks fifth globally in terms of average life expectancy (83 years), after Japan, Switzerland, South Korea and Singapore. Japan is the only country with blue zones - geographical areas with lower rates of chronic disease and higher life expectancy.

Only one man was among the first 40 supercentenarians recognized by the Gerontology Research Group, which provides verified longevity data to the Guinness Book of World Records . "It could be an evolutionary mechanism, women may live longer because of pregnancy ," Esteller said.

Branyas's attitude to life fits the psychological profile of supercentenarians . Lola Merino, a psychology professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and a longevity researcher, found that people 100 and older are good at enjoying the little things in life and embracing positive emotions.

Merino believes that psychological aspects, along with genetics, diet and physical activity, play a major role in longevity. "Longevity is multifactorial. Centenarians form strong bonds with others. They feel loved and shown affection, which is very important."

"When I have to leave forever, I hope some people will still wish for me to stay by their side a little longer. That's all I wish," said Ms. Branyas, a woman who never asked to become the world's oldest person.