The 116-year-old super grandmother is extremely healthy!

Ritu77

Let's take a look at the world's current oldest living human! See how someone can live to be 116 years old and still be healthy! Scientists have collected her DNA samples for research, hoping to find the key to longevity and develop treatments for diseases.

Maria Morales was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, USA. Her father passed away due to tuberculosis when she was young, and she returned to Spain at the age of 8. She has lived in several places in Catalonia. Maria has 2 daughters and a son. She has lived through various natural and man-made disasters, including the San Francisco earthquake and fire, the Spanish Civil War, two World Wars, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. What sets Maria apart from other elderly individuals is her lack of cardiovascular problems and her excellent memory. She can vividly remember events from when she was just 4 years old.

At 116 years old, Maria has not experienced any cardiovascular issues common in elderly individuals. Her only ailments are mobility difficulties and hearing problems, but her hearing loss is not due to aging; it resulted from a childhood accident when she fell and permanently lost hearing in one ear. Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona and Director of the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC-CERCA), Esteve, personally visited Maria at the nursing home. After a lengthy conversation with her, he believes there are more underlying reasons for her longevity. With Maria's consent, they collected DNA samples, including saliva, urine, and blood, to study how her genetics may explain her long life. This research aims to determine the extent to which her lifestyle is associated with longevity.

When asked about the secrets to her own longevity, Maria mentioned that she eats yogurt every day and avoids overeating. She doesn't follow any specific dietary regimen; she simply eats everything but in moderation. She has shared her longevity tips on social media: maintaining an orderly and harmonious life, maintaining good relationships with family and friends, staying close to nature, keeping emotions stable and being positively optimistic, and staying away from toxic people.

Esteve believes that Maria's longevity is influenced not only by her lifestyle but also by genetic factors and "luck." She has multiple family members who have lived past 90 years, suggesting that genetics may play a significant role. Esteve's team will conduct an in-depth study of Maria's genes to understand how she manages to avoid health deterioration due to aging. Maria seems to possess extraordinary resilience.

The team will focus specifically on gene segments directly related to aging, with the goal of developing drugs to combat diseases caused by aging, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular diseases associated with age. This research will also be compared with Maria's family members to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic factors of longevity. Her family members include her 79-year-old younger daughter, her elder daughter who is already 90, and her son, who passed away in an accident but lived to be 77.

Do you agree with Maria's set of longevity principles?

Samiksha

It's clear that one's lifestyle is the main determining factor for longevity.

977Iti

So having an optimistic mindset is truly crucial.

Jiten171

Longevity is indeed a profound field of study.

Kabir903

It's really not easy to live to this age.

Kahn332

Genetic factors are indeed important. Both my maternal grandparents lived into their nineties. Who knows, maybe I've inherited the longevity genes as well.