**Diary Entry 15th March 2025**
I read about Elizabeth Whitaker todayshe lived to be 117, the oldest person in Britain before she passed last year. Scientists reckon her biological age mightve been far younger. Theres something fascinating about supercentenarians like her, those who cross 110. What secrets do they hold about ageing well?
Before she died in August 2024, Elizabeth agreed to help researchers at Cambridge uncover the mystery. At 116, they took samplesblood, saliva, urine, even stoolto study her genes and gut health, comparing them to others her age.
Oddly enough, her body showed low inflammation, a gut that seemed “rejuvenated,” and an epigenome that behaved like a much younger persons. The scientists called her “exceptional.” She even had rare genetic quirks that shielded her from common ailmentsheart disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration like Alzheimers or Parkinsons.
Their findings, published in *The Lancet*, suggest new ways to understand ageingbiomarkers for health, even strategies to extend life. But it wasnt just genes. Elizabeths habits likely played a part. She ate three yoghurts dailyresearchers think it helped her gut and weight. She followed a balanced diet, slept well, stayed active, and kept a sharp mind.
She had a lively social circle, loved reading, playing the piano, and tending her garden in Surrey. A full life, really. The researchers said it best: ageing and disease dont always go hand in handsometimes, they pull apart entirely.
Its made me thinkperhaps longevity isnt just luck or genes, but how you live. A lesson worth remembering.
