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To unlock the secrets of longevity, scientists in Switzerland launched the SWISS100 study combining sociology, psychology, medicine, and biology to research centenarians—that is, those who reach the ripe old age of 100. The biological component of the study, headed by Karl-Heinz Krause of the University of Geneva, just published a new report in Aging Cell, and it’s all about 100-year-olds’ blood.
A team of researchers led by Krause drew blood from centenarians, comparing it to both octogenarians’ and younger people’s blood. Examining more than 700 proteins, they identified 37 in centenarians that more closely resembled proteins found in the younger cohort. “This represents approximately 5 percent of the proteins measured, suggesting that centenarians do not entirely escape aging, but that certain key mechanisms are significantly slowed down,” study co-author Flavien Delhaes explained in a statement.
Five of these proteins were linked to oxidative stress, believed to be a key component of accelerated aging. Oxidative stress, stemming primarily from chronic inflammation and malfunctioning mitochondria, occurs when there’s an imbalance of highly reactive free radicals and protective antioxidants.
So do centenarians produce fewer free radicals or mount a stronger defense against them?
Read more: “Lifetime of Friendships Slows Aging”
“The answer is very clear,” Krause said. “Centenarians have significantly lower levels of antioxidant proteins than the standard geriatric population. At first glance, this seems counterintuitive, but in reality, it indicates that since oxidative stress levels are significantly lower in our centenarians, they have less need to produce antioxidant proteins to defend against it.”
That wasn’t the only counterintuitive finding either. Researchers also discovered that DPP-4, a protein that degrades the insulin-stimulating GLP-1 (of obesity drug fame) remains robust in centenarians. “By degrading GLP-1, DPP-4 helps maintain relatively low insulin levels, which could protect them against hyperinsulinism and metabolic syndrome,” Delhaes continued. “This is also a counterintuitive mechanism, suggesting that centenarians maintain good glucose balance without needing to produce large amounts of insulin.”
Other proteins that retained their youthful expression levels in centenarians include regulatory proteins of the extracellular matrix (the “glue” that binds cells together), the inflammatory protein interleukin-1 alpha, and several proteins involved in fat metabolism. Taken together, the findings point to decreased inflammation and fewer metabolic disorders in those who live long enough to see triple digits.
The researchers hope these new findings will lead to treatments to combat the infirmity that comes with advanced age. In the meantime, they stress that a longer life is already within our reach, we just need to adopt some healthy habits.
“For example, eating a piece of fruit in the morning can reduce oxidative stress in the blood throughout the day. Physical activity helps maintain the extracellular matrix in a more ‘youthful’ state. And avoiding excess weight also helps preserve a healthy metabolism, similar to that observed in centenarians,” they said.
An apple a day might actually keep the doctor away. 
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Lead image: Luis Echeverri Urrea / Shutterstock
