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At 8am on the iconic Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, the city is just beginning to awaken. The steady rhythm of the Atlantic waves sets a calming backdrop as early risers take advantage of the quiet before tourists flood in. Vendors start to rouse themselves for the day while the distant sound of helicopters becomes a regular feature, buzzing above the lush jungle hills and the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer. Among the visitors, a group of elderly swimmers gathers by the water’s edge, sharing laughter and stretching as they wait for the right moment to dive into the ocean. Their vitality challenges usual expectations about aging, suggesting that in Brazil, reaching an advanced age may be viewed not as an end, but as the start of a new chapter.
Brazil’s reputation for persistent social challenges — including stark inequality, inconsistent healthcare, and economic ups and downs — contrasts sharply with emerging demographic data showing it may harbor one of the world’s highest concentrations of supercentenarians, those over 110 years old. This reality contrasts strongly with efforts seen in tech hubs like Silicon Valley, where billionaires invest vast resources into complex, high-tech anti-aging regimes involving rigorous blood tests, supplements, regulated sleep, and strict diets. Brazil’s path to longevity appears remarkably less engineered and more organic. For over 20 years, Professor Mayana Zatz and her team at the University of São Paulo have focused their research on nearly 200 centenarians, including more than 20 supercentenarians. “We are still collecting, still trying to understand,” she says. “But already we see some very interesting patterns.” One significant trend is the predominance of women accounting for around 70% of these long-lived individuals. Another observation is that many of these elderly women tend to be quite short in stature, a fact that elicits a laugh from Zatz herself.
For someone like me, a tall Scotsman standing 6 feet 1 inch, this poses a curious biological puzzle. Zatz suggests that smaller body size may entail lower energy demands, fewer cell divisions, and consequently less accumulated cellular damage over time. However, the story behind longevity in Brazil goes deeper, intertwining with the country’s unique genetic heritage. Brazil’s population, shaped by Portuguese colonization beginning in the 1500s, the painful history of enslaved Africans brought to its shores, and subsequent waves of European immigration—especially from Italy, Spain, and Germany—as well as the significant Japanese diaspora, forms one of the most genetically diverse blends on the planet. Individuals often carry a mixture of Indigenous, African, European, and Asian ancestries, creating a complex genetic mosaic.
Professor Zatz hypothesizes that this extensive genetic diversity may be pivotal in promoting longevity. “We think that different populations may carry different protective genetic variants,” she explains. “And in Brazil, people are very admixed. So one person may be lucky enough to inherit several of these protective variants together.” The nation’s history, despite its difficulties, may have unintentionally contributed to assembling gene combinations that enhance resilience, bolster immune function, and improve cellular repair mechanisms. Her ongoing research involves mapping these genetic patterns by studying ancestry alongside longevity, in search of what she calls “protective genes.” Yet, no uniform formula emerges from her studies. Brazilian centenarians do not adhere to strict lifestyle regimes, avoid alcohol categorically, or reside only in pristine environments. Surprisingly, many hail from remote or economically disadvantaged areas, where access to healthcare has traditionally been limited, further deepening the mystery of their remarkable lifespans
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