The world's oldest person died this week at 117. Here are her 5 longevity tips.

• María Branyas Morera was the world's oldest person when she died at the age of 117.
• She attributed her longevity to her genes, luck, and some lifestyle factors.
• These include eating yogurt daily, being close to her family, and staying away from toxic people.

The world's oldest person died on Monday at the age of 117. María Branyas Morera's tips for longevity included avoiding toxic people while having strong family ties.

Branyas, who lived in Olot, Spain, was healthy apart from having some hearing loss and some mobility issues and had a sharp memory even in her later years, the Spanish news site ABC reported in October.

Despite her age, Branyas was active on X and posted in December 2022 that she thought how long a person lived was down to luck and genetics.

She had a point — some people are genetically predisposed to a longer life. But lifestyle factors can also impact how long people live.

Thanks to a greater awareness of healthy behaviors, medical advances, and public-health initiatives, more people are living past the age of 65, according to a 2020 report by the US Census Bureau. The Pew Research Center estimated that the number of centenarians in the US will triple in the next 30 years.

Here are some of the factors Branyas believed helped her reach triple figures.

Avoiding toxic people

Branyas said staying "away from toxic people" helped her live so long, Business Insider reported last year.

She may be correct. A 2020 study published in Health Psychology found that people who were criticized by their partners haad a higher chance of dying early — especially older adults.

Having 'strong' family ties

"Strong, rich, and caring family ties act as a mattress that cushions loneliness," Branyas posted on X earlier this year, adding that she was "lucky" in this regard.

A 2023 study published in BMC Medicine found that contact with loved ones is linked to living longer. Older people who lived alone and didn't receive regular visits from their loved ones were at a higher risk of dying over the course of the study than those who did have regular visitors.

Being positive and having no regrets

Branyas posted on X in December 2022 that she had no worries or regrets and was very positive.

Two centenarian experts who work for LongeviQuest, an organization that validates the ages of the world's oldest people, previously told BI that many of the supercentenarians they met didn't worry about things outside their control.

A 2023 study by researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid found that looking for the positives in life was common among centenarians.

Avoiding excess

Branyas said in another post on X from 2022 that she never followed a diet but has "always eaten little."

Yumi Yamamoto, a centenarian expert at LongeviQuest whose great-grandmother lived to the age of 116, previously told BI that the Japanese supercentenarians she'd met ate a balanced diet and didn't eat or drink excessively.

Eating yogurt every day

Yogurt has an "infinite number of positive properties for the body," Branyas posted on X in December 2022. She said she ate a pot of natural yogurt every day.

A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no consistent links between yogurt and a lower risk of dying. But dietitians often recommend eating yogurt for its high protein content, a one 2022 study published in BMC Microbiology found that yogurt can increase gut microbe diversity, which is great for gut health.

Correction: August 21, 2024 — A headline in an earlier version of this story misstated María Branyas Morera's age when she died. She was 117, not 177.