YOGURT, YOGURT AND MORE YOGURT

Back in March, shortly after she died at the age of 117, we reported on the longest living woman, Maria Branyas. So I was intrigued to read a full study of her genes, microbiome and other relevant ‘body-parts’ published at the end of September – this examination resulted in a comprehensive analysis of her biological make-up (her genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, proteomic, microbiomic, and epigenomic traits) and makes for fascinating reading.

At the time, Branyas was living in the small town of Olot, in Catalonia, where she enjoyed reading books, playing with dogs and spending time with friends and family, including her two daughters — both in their 90s (clearly, good genes!). During this time, researchers collected samples of Branyas’s blood, saliva, urine and stools, providing insights into her physiology, including her genes, metabolism and (extraordinary) gut microbiome.

The researchers compared Branyas’s biological profile with those of women of various ages living in the same region. One of the main insights from their work, the lead researcher said, was being able to distinguish between molecular changes that happened because of ageing and those that occurred because of poor health.

For instance, the research team learnt that Branyas’s telomeres — the stretches of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes like the plastic tips of shoelaces — were exceptionally short. Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and unusually short telomeres have been associated with age-related diseases. But Branyas had no such diseases. ‘This tells us that the loss of telomeres is not necessarily associated with disease, it’s simply associated with being old,’ explained the researchers, who concluded that  ‘a combination of multiple genes and pathways (her immune system, cardiovascular health, brain activity, and good metabolism) probably worked in unison to give her remarkable longevity.’

Apparently Branyas also ‘displayed extremely low levels of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, whereas HDL-cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) was very high’.   Her levels of inflammation were very low too. It was, however, her microbiome that stunned researchers: ‘the most startling finding was the high levels of Actinobacteriota … mostly due to the elevated amount of Bifidobacteriaceae  particularly Bifidobacterium… This finding contrasts sharply with the typical decline of this bacterial genus in older individuals; although it has also been reported at elevated levels in centenarians and supercentenarians,’ they wrote.

Bifidobacterium is thought to blunt inflammation and  – as we reported in our earlier post – Branyas ate around 3 yogurts every day containing Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus. The researchers think all that yogurt probably contributed to her well-being and advanced age.  Some experts described her gut as the ‘microbiome of a healthy child.’  Incidentally, the yogurt portions were small.  Branyas wasn’t downing an entire tub of Greek yogurt at every sitting.

The researchers also noted Branyas’s regular exercise, adding that ‘even low-intensity physical activities, such as walking, exerts anti-aging effects.’

So you know what to do: stockpile your fridge with plain/natural yogurt, checking on the carton to make sure it contains the right bacteria. I like to mix plain organic Greek yogurt with kefir (a tip from Tim Spector), and change brands regularly. And take plenty of walks – of course!

And as we’re on the subject of food, more studies appeared this month extolling the benefits of plant-based diets over meat-based diets – for both cancer and heart disease risk. I’ll cover cancer here and save the heart disease figures for another post.

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate a primarily vegetarian diet had a reduced risk of cancer, compared with meat-eaters. This reflects earlier studies: a 2012 study  found that vegetarians had an 18% lower cancer risk than nonvegetarians. Similarly, a 2017 study found an 8% reduced risk of cancer among vegans and vegetarians, while a 2023 study found that vegetarian diets lowered the risk for gastrointestinal cancers by 23%, with amplified benefits for men and Asian populations.

More recently, a study compared the microbiomes of vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores across 21,561 individuals. Omnivores had more bacteria linked to increased risk for colon cancer, while microbes linked to good metabolic and heart health were particularly plentiful in the microbiomes of vegans.  It seems that you don’t need to forego all meat – you just need to eat plenty of vegetables: those same good microbes found in vegans also appeared in abundance in the microbiomes of heavily plant-eating omnivores.

I know we sound like a broken record here … but the message is clear: vegetables, vegetables, vegetables. Having said that, this study also found that some cancers weren’t impacted by a vegetable-rich diet at all. Several cancers, including nervous system cancers,  uterine cancer and myeloid hematologic cancers, remained unaffected by eating large quantities of vegetables. Research continues…

I’m in Switzerland at the moment, eating an almost entirely vegetarian diet. I’ll be honest – my gut feels good. I’ve not yet managed to extend my daily yogurt to three portions but I’m working on it!

Until next time,

Annabel