With the growing interest in living longer and healthier lives, centenarians have become somewhat of a celebrity and have funded countless studies to find the secret to living longer than 100 years. An example of this is a recent study that studied centuries in Switzerland. Because 0.02% of the Swiss population is a centenarian, researchers have tried to determine whether their biological characteristics can support their exceptional longevity.
Review of Centuries of Switzerland
A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) developed the “SWISS100” study – Switzerland’s first major centennial research project.
For the study, the team evaluated and compared the blood profiles of centenarians with those of adults in their 80s and 90s and healthy young adults in their 30s and 60s who were hospitalized. Researchers have focused on blood proteins because these proteins can reveal a lot about how the body functions.
Not only did they find that 583 proteins differed in centenarians compared to other groups, but they also matched 23 proteins to a known list of aging-related proteins created by the Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) consortium.
The researchers then used an advanced statistical method to monitor changes in protein levels with age and found that certain proteins are involved in multiple processes that explain why some Swiss continue to live long and healthy lives.
Secrets of a hundred years of Switzerland
Less oxidative stress
Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of premature aging as well as age-related diseases, so it is important to manage and prevent it.
According to research findingspublished Aging Cell, The research team identified 37 proteins in centenarians that can also be found in young, healthy adults.
“This represents about 5% of the proteins measured, suggesting that centenarians may not completely escape aging, but that certain key mechanisms are significantly slowed down.” Flavien Delhaes, researcher at the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism of the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and first author of the study, explained.
The powerful findings of the study included five proteins related to oxidative stress, prompting researchers to question whether centenarians produce free radicals, the molecules responsible for oxidative stress, or whether they have a stronger defense against them.
The answer?
Well, antioxidants are a great defense against oxidative stress, but they’ve been around for centuries lower levels of antioxidant proteins compared to elderly people. So, because they experience less oxidative stress, their bodies don’t need to produce antioxidant proteins to protect themselves in the first place.
You don’t need Swiss genes to reduce your oxidative stress, because you can do it by being active, managing your stress levels, following a plant-based diet, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
Improved metabolic health
In terms of metabolic health, researchers have identified proteins that make body tissues look “younger” as we age, and some of these proteins may even protect against cancer.
Furthermore, there were differences in how the body processed fat. In elderly people, several proteins related to fat metabolism increase with age, while in centenarians these increases are much lower; the same pattern was observed with interleukin-1 alpha, a key protein involved in inflammation. It was found to be lower in centenarians than in typical adults.
However, there’s more to it: it contains a protein called DPP-4 that breaks down the GLP-1 hormone—yes, GLP-1 after modern diabetes and weight loss pills. For centuries, DPP-4 is well-preserved, and by breaking down GLP-1, DPP-4 can help maintain insulin levels associated with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Swiss way of life
The research team hopes their findings will spark discussions about new therapeutic approaches to combat age-related decline, particularly among the aging population.
Because their research emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle, they emphasize that a healthy lifestyle in adulthood is a powerful tool, especially when it includes nutrition, physical activity, and social connections.
“Eating a piece of fruit in the morning can reduce blood oxidative stress throughout the day. Physical activity helps to keep the extracellular matrix in a ‘youthful’ state. And avoiding excess weight also helps to maintain a healthy metabolism, as seen in centuries.”
Want to learn more?
While they are scattered around the world, Brazil has a significant number of centenarians, including three of the world’s 10 oldest confirmed men and women.
About reading biological and immune processes of Brazilian supercentenarians.
Quotes
Delhaes, F., Falciola, J., Hoffmann, A., Carnesecchi, S., Cavalli, S., Jopp, D. C., Herrmann, F. R., and Krause, K. H. (2026). Centennial plasma protein proteome across Switzerland reveals key proteins associated with youth. Cell aging, 25(2), e70409. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.70409
