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According to the CDC, the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 75.8 years for males and 81.1 years for females. Brazil, in contrast, is home to multiple supercentenarians, or people who live to be at least 110. So, what’s their secret? 

For people in Brazil, it seems that no effort is required to live a very long, healthy life. Wanting to live longer is certainly not a novel concept. The idea of longevity is common in our culture, where we have myths like the fountain of youth and media that feature fictional characters on quests for immortality. While some people have attempted to extend their own lifespans, it’s not clear whether anyone has been successful yet.

An impressive number of people live well past their 100th birthday in Brazil.

The phenomenon was explored in a paper published in the journal Genomic Press. Researchers noted that to live so long, these people probably have certain “protective genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors” that others may not, which we could all benefit from learning more about. Tim Newman, who covered the research for Medical News Today, noted that the world’s oldest living man, born in 1912, lives in Brazil.

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Scientists aren’t completely sure why a good number of Brazilians are living so long, but it’s definitely an interesting topic to explore further. One of their guesses is that it has to do with the mix of ethnicities that contributed to the population. Apparently, immigrants from Europe, Asia, and Africa have all moved to Brazil over the years.

“Brazil has the world’s richest genetic diversity, resulting from centuries of admixture among different population groups,” they said.

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Researchers theorize that genetics plays a significant role in people who live very long.

While these things aren’t necessarily specific to Brazil, they are found among most supercentenarians. Their immune systems and genetic variants are unique in ways that give them a better chance of a longer life expectancy.

Dr. Daniel Ghiyam, MD, told Newman it is this “layered biological resilience” that helps people live so long, as opposed to just one magical gene. “People who live very long lives seem to have strong cellular housekeeping systems, such as DNA repair, mitochondrial efficiency, and protein quality control, and they don’t have chronic inflammatory overload,” he said.

Lisa Catanese, ELS, a writer for Harvard Health Publishing, shared that scientists estimate that roughly 25% of the factors that determine how long someone lives are genetic. Beyond that, as Newman said, there are plenty of longevity fads out there, but no one really knows if they work.

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Lifestyle plays a big role in longevity as well.

Your health is, of course, not entirely up to chance. While the mystery of why people live so long in Brazil remains, Alina Petre, MS, RD (NL), said that people have always assumed longevity was based on genetics, but it has much more to do with things like your diet and lifestyle, known as environmental factors.

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There are several things you can do now that may increase your lifespan, like exercising regularly. Dr. Ghiyam noted, “Putting metabolic health first, keeping muscle mass, keeping the immune system healthy, and reducing chronic inflammation are all important.”

He continued, “This means getting enough protein, doing strength and aerobic exercises on a regular basis, getting good sleep, and taking steps to lower your risk of heart disease. It’s just as important to avoid smoking, eat less ultra-processed foods, and deal with stress.”

Sometimes health crises come up, and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent them. However, making healthy choices now really does boost your chances of living longer. As for Brazil, there’s no indication that everyone in the country has a gym membership, so it’s quite possible that there is something special going on with their genes.

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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.