Most an old man on the planet is a relative and multilateral concept. It may concern both official statistics and ancient legends and eyewitness accounts. You can name the names of living long-livers or remember those who have already passed into another world.

Throughout the history of civilizations, man has always strived for immortality. But what is immortal life– the ultimate dream or a curse? Be that as it may, people are mortal and only the Creator knows how much is destined for each of us. However, some representatives of our family managed to push the age limit so far that this fact causes sincere surprise and keen interest. Our story today is about them - the oldest people on Earth.

Who is considered a long-liver?

An elderly person is included in the category of centenarians if he has crossed the ninety-year mark. There are quite a lot of such people in the world, for example, in Russia there are about 350,000 of them. If they talk about the very best, this bar is raised to 110 years. There are already significantly fewer centenarians on the planet who have celebrated their centennial anniversary. The gap is colossal.

The primary question for statistics is to find authentic documents confirming the venerable age of a person. Over the past century, the world has been rocked by many wars, natural Disasters, which often led to the loss of metrics and other written sources. Therefore, the list of people over 110 years of age was divided into three categories:

Verified – there is an official document about the date of birth: a state certificate or an entry in the parish register.
Pending verification – the authenticity of documents is being studied by specialists.
Speculative – no obvious evidence of longevity was found.
The Gerontological Research Group deals with issues of longevity verification.

It is worth mentioning separately the mythical characters, saints of various faiths, to whom legends and religious scriptures attribute hundreds of years of life. So the Bible says that the famous progenitor of mankind, Methuselah, lived 969 years, eating only honey and fruits. His name acquired a common meaning to denote longevity (“Methuselah age”).

The oldest people on the planet (currently living)

Today at common list Elders of the world included more than 1060 names. As annoying as it is for the stronger half of humanity, the top ten includes only long-lived women. And among the entire list, the number of men is less than 10%.

This fully confirms the prevailing last centuries trend longer duration life of the female population in almost all countries. Answering the question: “Why do women live so much longer?”, gerontologists are inclined to physiological reasons.

It means that feminine nature more adapted to survival and maintaining viability. In particular, experts have discovered that the hormone testosterone causes disruptions in immune system men. While the female hormone estrogen, on the contrary, has anti-aging properties.

Second pattern: five out of ten oldest people on Earth - Japanese. A country rising sun consistently leads the ranking in terms of the number of centenarians in the world. According to statistics, per 100 thousand Japanese there are 35 people who celebrated their centenary.

The Japanese secret of longevity is in a special diet, which contains seafood and algae every day. Scientists are inclined to believe that if the “elixir of youth” is ever found, its main ingredient will be seaweed.

TOP 10 living longest-living record holders

Chiyo Miyako

Giuseppina Proetto-Frau

Kane Tanaka

Maria Giuseppa Robucci-Nargiso

Shimoe Akiyama

Lucille Randon

Shin Matsushita

Tane Yonekura

Gabriel de Robert

Bessie Cam

Now the oldest person on the planet is the Japanese woman Chiyo Miyako, who lives in the Kanagawa region. She received her honorary status quite recently. She became the oldest inhabitant of the planet on April 21, 2018, after the death of 117-year-old compatriot Nabi Tajima. Tanzima called her secret of longevity good dream and a passion for dancing.

In second place is a lady from Italy - Giuseppina Proetto-Frau, 115 years old. A centenarian was born on the island of Sardinia. In 1946 she moved to Florence, where she lives to this day with one of her daughters.

The third place of honor is occupied by 115-year-old Japanese Kane Tanaka.

Despite the fact that the life expectancy of earthlings is constantly increasing, age limit the most tenacious representatives remain the same. Cross the 120-year mark in Lately no one succeeds. As gerontologists note, this looks like some kind of insurmountable wall.

Gone

The list of age record holders of all times and peoples is more numerous. Let's talk about the most outstanding of them.

Zhanna Kalman (122 years old)

The record for longevity belongs to the legendary Frenchwoman, who was born in the 19th century (1875) and did not live to see the 21st century for only three years. The age limit she has reached is considered the maximum confirmed. She is listed as oldest centenarian in the Guinness Book of Records. During her long life, Jeanne survived World Wars I and II and 25 rulers of France.

If not for her age record, her biography could be called mediocre. She spent her whole life in hometown Arle, had a daughter and a husband, whom she outlived by more than half a century. Left without relatives, at the age of 110 Zhanne moved to a nursing home, where she lived for another 12 long, happy years.

Kalman herself considered the absence of stress to be her secret to longevity. By modern standards, she was not a proponent of healthy habits. Jeanne smoked a lot and, like all French, was an amateur good wine and sweets.

Jiroemon Kimura (116 years old)

The oldest male person on Earth is Japanese again! They definitely know the secret ingredient to increasing a person’s “shelf life.”

Jiroemon Kimura was born in Kyoto in 1897 and worked in the post office all his life. After retiring, he took up farming on his own plot. According to the testimony of his relatives, a moderate diet and a tireless craving for an active lifestyle helped him set a longevity record.

Centenarians in the Guinness Book of Records

If we talk about currently unconfirmed facts, the Guinness Book of Records is currently checking the data of Russian Appaz Iliev from Ingushetia. He presented documents to the gerontological service that he was born in 1896. If this information is confirmed, he will become the oldest person on Earth at the age of 122 years. There are often reports in the press about record holders from Russia, but they do not have official status.

The Secret of Longevity

The top five countries with the largest number of centenarian residents are America, Japan, France, England, and Italy. In addition to these countries, some habitats have such fame, for example, the settlements of the Indian tribes of Hunza, the island of Okinawa, and the Russian Caucasus.

Analyzing the phenomena of venerable age among the peoples of the world, scientists were unable to calculate even an approximate formula for longevity. Researchers at the University of Demographic Problems have done a lot of work studying people who have reached 115 years of age. In their final statement, they stated that they had not discovered a single quality that united them all. Except for one thing – genetic predisposition.

People fall into the category of long-livers different nationalities, born into rich and poor families, never worked and lifelong workers and farmers. Paradoxically, the age limit does not depend in any way on the specialty, quality of life and nutrition, or level of medical care.

What should those who want to break or at least get closer to longevity records do? Leading gerontologists advise following the following recommendations:

• be moderate in food;
• live in clean natural regions;
• lead a measured lifestyle;
• maintain inner harmony.
• As for food, it turned out that most of the centenarians loved chocolate and fruits. It is possible that their health was affected beneficial influence the antioxidants they contain.

Probably, in the future, scientists will identify the longevity gene and learn how to introduce it to everyone. In anticipation of this epoch-making event, all that remains is to adhere to time-tested advice: do not overeat, avoid stress, move more and smile more often. Remember that a positive attitude and positive emotions reduce the likelihood of a person developing any disease by 50%.

People always dream of a long, healthy and happy life. They want to remain strong and young into old age. And in response to this need, the world annually invests enormous cash in the study of issues of preserving and prolonging youth. But is it possible to live a long time and still live, i.e. not lie chained to the bed with old age, but walk, think, talk - enjoy life? Or maybe a person himself can lengthen his own life? After all, there are long-livers among us. Let's try to use their example to understand whether a long, fulfilling life is possible without the intervention of science and how to achieve this.

Long-lived people in human history

Firstly, it is necessary to decide who is considered a long-liver today. I am writing “today” because before people lived several hundred years (as it is written in the Bible). And literally 150 years ago life expectancy rural population Russia was: for men 31.4 years, for women – 33.4 years (data from the first general population census Russian Empire 1897).
So, today, according to UN statistics, people who have crossed the 90-year mark are considered to be long-lived. There are many of these today. One of them is my grandmother, who turned 93 this year.
However, people who are over 100 years old are of interest.
Men and women of this age are found everywhere. However, according to statistics, most of them live in France, Great Britain and the USA. It is interesting that women in Japan and Switzerland lead in average life expectancy - 81 years (for comparison, in Russia this figure is 71 years).

Where do long-lived people live?

Mostly long-lived people live in mountainous or wooded area. Abkhazia is the leader in the concentration of centenarians. There, 3% of the population are people over 100 years old.

Written sources contain a lot of information about people who lived for a very long time. Due to the fact that they do not have or did not have documents confirming their age, they are considered unverified centenarians.
Azerbaijani shepherd Shirali Muslimov lived to be 168 years old; for his age he is included in the book of records

Russia and the CIS, but Western scientists do not recognize this fact.

But there are also those who lived longer. For example, Li Qingyun, whose age was 256 years old. If this was really the case, then he is the longest-living person on earth in the last millennium.
This list also includes:
Georgian Antisa Khvichava (132 years old)
Azerbaijani Mahmud Eyvazov (152 years old)
Turk Zaro Aga (157 years old)
Resident of Indonesia Turinakh (157 years old)

But there is a list that includes verified centenarians, i.e. those whose age is documented. Here are the first five names:
Zhanna Kalman (122 years old)
Sarah Knauss (119 years old)
Lucy Hana (117 years old)
Maria Mailer (117 years old)
Maria de Capovilla (116 years old)

It is noteworthy that more than 60% of all centenarians are women.

Is there a longevity gene?

Scientists give a positive answer to this question. Typically, long-lived fathers give birth to children and grandchildren, who themselves then become long-livers. And if the longevity gene is present not only in the father, but also in the mother, then the likelihood of living to 100 years in such people increases.
It is the genetic predisposition to long life that can explain the concentrated residence of such people. On islands or, for example, in isolated villages, people marry each other and do not mix with strangers. If they have the longevity gene, it is passed on from generation to generation.
The family predisposition to long life is confirmed by this curious story:
Cardinal D'Armagnac in 1654 noticed an old man crying on the street. As it turned out, his age was very advanced - 80 years. And tears flowed from resentment - his dad scolded him. The cardinal escorted the old man home, where they were met by his 113-year-old father. He clarified the situation; it turns out that his son disrespected his grandfather and did not bow to him when they met. An old man who was 143 years old appeared before D’Armagnac’s eyes.
This is what scientists write. And I think that family heredity (or genetic in scientific terms) does play a significant role. But here is what Li Qingyun (who was written about above and who lived 256 years) answered the question about the secret of longevity:

1. keep your heart quiet,
2. sit like a turtle
3. go cheerful like a dove
4. and sleep like a dog.

All these words from the quatrain speak about attitude, about attitude towards life, people, oneself. And I think that such a quiet and wise outlook on life is passed on from generation to generation and definitely gives good platform for a long life. By the way, Li Qingyun spent most of his life in the mountains, collecting healing herbs and valuable plants. Despite the fact that Lee is not a 100% verified (documented) proven centenarian, there is something for modern people to think about.
A resident of a 21st century metropolis is unable to spend even an hour in silence without sleeping. People turn on the radio, TV, player, simply because they cannot stand the silence, they simply cannot stand it. Experiment at home: turn off your phone, TV, radio and computer for at least 1 hour. And sit with yourself for just 1 hour. Just an hour.
Interestingly, among centenarians there are more people born in autumn. Scientists attribute this to the fact that the first months of a baby’s life occur in winter and spring, when there is a risk intestinal infections reduced. It was he who killed many newborn children a few decades ago. In addition, the mother, who was breastfeeding her baby, was eating well, since the harvest falls in the fall.

Can medicine extend human life?

History suggests that most people die not from old age, but from disease. For example, the great scientist Mechnikov wrote that in Paris in 1902, out of 1000 people who died at the age of 70-75, only 85 died of old age. All the rest were struck by illnesses (pneumonia, kidney disease, heart disease and tuberculosis).
The same goes for long-livers. The famous English long-liver Thomas Parr died at 152 years old from pneumonia, and Zara Aga (Turk) at 156 years old from uremic coma due to prostate disease.

And when asked about life extension, doctors talk about their great merit and that:

• Comparing data from 100 years ago, people's life expectancy has increased. And this is the merit of hygiene and preventive measures (vaccines, disinfectants...)
• The most vulnerable system in the human body is the heart and blood vessels. Today, doctors are able to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Therefore, life expectancy has increased.
• Oncology is considered another scourge of humanity. By defeating cancer, doctors allow a person to live longer.
• Antibiotics were a big discovery. After all, thousands of people used to die during epidemics.

But the role of medicine in prolonging life is very twofold. And people who study issues of longevity and are objectively related to traditional medicine say that:

• On the one hand, medicine prolongs a person’s life, and on the other hand, it worsens the quality of this life. I once wrote in one of the articles on the site that even 200-300 years ago a man of 20-30 years old could spend daylight hours on the battlefield swinging a sword weighing 3-4 kg. Our contemporary is often able to keep only his tail from an electronic mouse. Women gave birth to 8-10 children throughout their lives. And all this without maternity hospitals and the saving “caesarean section”.
• saving agents from germs and bacteria in the form of antibiotics, others contributed complex problems with intestinal microflora and, accordingly, immunity.
• etc.

Is a healthy lifestyle always the key to longevity?

No matter how much humanity wants to create and find a universal recipe for longevity, this has not yet been possible. Even A.P. Chekhov ironized about this and wrote that among hundred-year-old people there are all kinds: poor and rich, thin and skinny, weak and strong, with teeth and without teeth, smokers and non-smokers. In addition, he noticed that many centenarians are very fond of meat, eating it regularly and in large quantities. And some even indulge in alcohol.
Historical facts:

• Elizabeth Durien lived to be 114 years old, and she loved drinking coffee. This woman could drink 40 cups of drink a day.
• A butcher from the Pyrenees named Gonkon lived to be 120 years old, drinking regularly 2 times a week.
• the surgeon Politimian lived 140 years, although he began to get drunk at the age of 25 and did it every day.
• Irish landowner Brown, who lived to be 120 years old, loved to drink. He bequeathed a quotation to be carved on his tombstone that “he was so terrible when drunk that even death was afraid of him.”

A prominent representative of the cohort of “world centenarians” who are not leading healthy image there was also Winston Churchill. He was a heavy smoker, worked nights, did not play any sports, and lived in good health until he was 90 years old. But he, like the Chinese Li, had a secret that all his biographers and friends pointed out: incredibly a happy family– one beloved woman (wife) for life.

What can you say to this? My personal opinion is that the exception proves the rule. This is an expression from Roman law, which says that an exception (made in a given, exceptional for some reason, case) does not cancel general rule(for other, non-exceptional, cases).

Secrets of a long life

People at all times try to uncover the secrets of centenarians. Many people think that 100-year-old grandparents have found the elixir of youth and are not sharing the recipe. In fact, everything is much simpler. Despite the fact that there are examples of long lives with vices (alcohol, smoking, etc.), most centenarians live in mountainous or wooded areas, do not even drink tea in excess, eat little meat and regularly do physical work.
Even if a person has no family large number centenarians, he can lengthen his age. This is what residents of a nursing home in Bulgaria think and give the following advice:

1. You need to go to bed early and wake up early
2. In this case, sleep should be moderate but sufficient (from 6 to 7.5 hours)
3. You should give up tobacco and alcohol, and drink coffee and tea occasionally
4. You need to spend as much time outdoors as possible
5. You should not abuse meat. It is enough to eat it once a day, preferably with vegetables
6. It's good to take a shower in the morning
7. You should wear clothes made from coarse natural fabrics
8. Once a week a person needs a break from reading and writing; excessive mental work is harmful
9. It's better to live in cool rather than hot areas
10. Don't worry too much
11. It is better for a person to live in a couple.

But the main feature that is characteristic of all centenarians is optimism and kindness.

They are smiling and friendly to others. It’s not for nothing that they say that...
Perhaps you shouldn’t spend years searching for the elixir of youth, but rather just enjoy and enjoy every minute. Moderation in work and daily training of the mind will help keep not only the body, but also the mind in good condition. After all, living a long life is good, but being in a clear mind is even better.

Every person dreams of cheating time: prolonging youth, living a very long life. Exists whole list people who succeeded. Many of them were included in the Guinness Book of Records during their lifetime.

World statistics tell us that men live shorter lives than women. In this regard, it is also logical that the oldest person in the world is also a woman.

Born in 1875 in the south of France, in the city of Arles. Her parents also lived to be almost a hundred years old. However, these qualities were not passed on to her descendants. During her lifetime, she lost her daughter and grandson.

Jeanne-Louise was acquainted with Vincent Van Gogh at a young age, who often visited her uncle's store. She later said that Van Gogh was a very unpleasant, rude person. She witnessed two World Wars and observed construction Eiffel Tower. She passed away on August 4, 1997. At that time she was 122 years old.

After Kalman - also a woman. American Sarah Knaus was born in 1880. She lived to be 119 years old. There is practically no information about her life. What is known is that she died in 1990 in a nursing home.

The oldest person in the world (2012) is Bess Cooper. She was born in 1896 in American state Tennessee in and was the third child. Having successfully completed school, she moved to the town of Betwin, where she worked as a teacher. At the age of 28 she got married. She is currently 116 years old. She has four children, twelve grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

The oldest male person in the world was born in Japan in 1897. His name is Jiroemon Kimura. He worked as a postman for about forty years. After retirement I started working agriculture. When he turned 90, his health deteriorated. Today he rarely goes outside. However, he does exercises every day and rides an exercise bike. Kimura likes to read newspapers. Receives guests, is interested in politics and sumo.

He was born in 1882 and died at the age of 115 in 1998. He was born in 1882 and died at the age of 115. Christian was born in Denmark. Among the documents that were preserved after the census of those years, there are those confirming the date of his birth, and even his baptism. When Christian turned 21, he moved to America. He changed jobs many times. He was married, but not for long. I never had children in my entire life. It is known that he did not smoke and preferred water to other drinks. At the age of 90, Mortensen independently moved to a nursing home, where he lived until the end of his days. At the end of his life, Christian lost his sight and could only move with the help of a gurney. After his death, no close relatives could be found. Apparently, by this time they were no longer alive. Today, the title of “Oldest Man in the World” no longer belongs to Christian Mortensen. Nevertheless, he is the only native of Denmark to live to such an age.

These facts make us believe that there are no limits to human capabilities. The maximum age of a person increases with each generation.

Throughout history, there have been people whose life expectancy exceeded our wildest expectations.

All of these people lived more than 115 years, which means they can be called supercentenarians (people who lived to at least 110 years). Some of them drank and smoked all their lives, and some led a very healthy lifestyle and all went down in history with their own secret to longevity.

There are several people, such as the Japanese Shigechiyo Izumi, who, according to some estimates, reached 120 years old, as well as Shirali Muslimov, an Azerbaijani shepherd, who allegedly reached the age of 168 years - long-livers who have reached an unprecedented old age. But these cases have not been confirmed.

Here are 10 supercentenarians whose lifespans have been tested.

10. Christian Mortensen (1882-1998)

Danish-American centenarian Christian Mortensen, who lived 115 years, 252 days, is considered oldest man of those registered. He was born on August 16, 1882 and died on April 25, 1998.

Mortenson is unusual not only because he was a man (only 9.8 percent of verified supercentenarians are men), but also because he smoked several cigars a week during the 95 years of his life. Also most he was single throughout his life, which usually has a negative impact on life expectancy. But Mortenson became an exception to the rule here, having been married for only 10 years.

This amazing man immigrated to America in 1903, where he worked as a tailor and milkman. So what is the secret of longevity, according to Mortenson himself? "Friends, good cigars, consumption large quantity good water, abstinence from alcohol, an optimistic outlook on life and singing will ensure you a long life,” he asserted.

9. Maggie Pauline Barnes (1882 -1998)

Maggie Pauline Barnes was born into slavery on March 6, 1882. She died on January 19, 1998 at the age of 115 years and 319 days. Although little is known about her, her age alone suggests amazing life. Not only did Maggie endure the hardships of slavery in the United States, but she also outlived 11 of her 15 children.

The woman died from complications caused by a minor infection in her leg. Her story is all the more amazing because at the beginning of the 20th century, the average life expectancy was 47 years for representatives of the white Caucasian race and 40-42 years for African Americans. And although this gap is increasingly narrowing, Bruns has done the impossible, living 75 years longer than average life expectancy.

8. Bessie Cooper (1896 -)

Bessie Cooper was born on August 26, 1896. She recently celebrated her 116th birthday, becoming the oldest living person in the world. When asked the secret to her long life, she replied, “I don’t pry into other people’s business,” and added, “And I don’t eat junk food.”

Bessie's life spans three centuries, she lived through two world wars and many other historical events.

Cooper worked as a school teacher, and after the death of her husband at the age of 68, she lived alone on family farm. At 105, she moved into a nursing home.

7. Elizabeth Bolden (1890 - 2006)

Elizabeth Bolden lived from August 15, 1890 to December 11, 2006. At the time of death she was 116 years 118 days old.

She was born into a family of freed slaves in Tennessee, USA, and her life was not easy. Her longevity genes were apparently not passed on to her children, and only two of Elizabeth's seven children were alive at the time of her death. And yet, one of her descendants may be able to put new record longevity. When she died, she left behind more than 500 direct descendants, including 75 great-great-great-great grandchildren.

Although Boden herself hasn't spoken much since her stroke in 2004, she happily celebrated her 116th birthday by trying two of her favorite treats: ice cream and candy.

6. Tain Ikai (1879 -1995)

With an incredible lifespan of 116 years 175 days, Tein Ikai is both the oldest confirmed specimen in Japan and Asia. The woman was born on January 18, 1879 into a family of farmers in the city of Kansei in Japan. She married at age 20 and had 4 children, whom she outlived by the time of her death on July 12, 1995.

Thane enjoyed making embroidery and ceramics. She ate mostly rice porridge, which, combined with a traditional Japanese diet, may have helped protect her from heart disease and cancer.

An autopsy after her death revealed that the centenarian died of kidney failure. So far, she is the only supercentenarian who has undergone an autopsy.

5. Maria Capovilla (1889 - 2006)

Ecuadorian centenarian Maria Capovilla was born on September 14, 1889, the same year the Eiffel Tower was unveiled to the public. Having lived 347 days to 116 years, she became the oldest South American woman in history, as well as the most long-lived person V southern hemisphere. Capovilla died on August 27, 2006, just under a month shy of her 117th birthday.

She was the picture of health and energy almost until the end of her life, although she drank a little alcohol, but never smoked. She was born into the family of a colonel and lived among the elite of Ecuador, and in 1917 she married an officer, Italian by birth, Antonio Capovilla.

When she was 99 years old, she suddenly fell ill and was practically buried in catholic church. But she survived, and after that she walked without a cane, read newspapers, watched TV and was in good health. Three of her five children were alive at the time of her death, and they were 78, 80 and 81 years old.

4. Maria Louise Mailer (1880 – 1998)

Marie Louise Mailer was 117 years 230 days old when she died on April 16, 1998. Interestingly, at the time of her death, one of her sons lived in the same nursing home as herself, and her daughter was 90 years old.

The French-Canadian centenarian was born in Quebec, Canada on August 29, 1880. Her first husband died of pneumonia when she was 30 years old. Mailer then moved to the Quebec-Ontario border, where she met her second husband, Hector Mailer.

The woman believed that her longevity was due to hard work and this is not surprising, given that she had 10 children and two marriages. The centenarian also liked to occasionally drink a glass of wine, and quit smoking when she was 90 years old, 27 years before her death.

3. Lucy Hannah (1875 -1993)

Lucy Hannah was never awarded the title of oldest person in history, simply because she lived at the same time as Jeanne Calment, who received this title.

Despite this, Hannah lived to a ripe 117 years and 248 days and is the oldest African American woman and the third oldest person in history.

She was born in Alabama in the USA on July 16, 1875. In 1901 she married John Hannah and had 8 children, 6 of whom she survived. Two of Hannah's sisters lived to be 100 years old, and her mother lived to be 99 years old.

2. Sarah Knauss (1880 -1999)

Sarah Knauss is the second oldest person in history. She died at the age of 119 years 97 days. This amazing woman born September 24, 1880 and died December 30, 1999, just a few days shy of the 21st century. Obviously this didn't bother Sarah at all. When she was told that she had become the oldest person in the world, she replied: “So what.”

Her daughters described their mother as incredibly calm, undisturbed by anything. Perhaps this was the secret of her long life, since excessive stress negatively affects human health.

Knauss survived 7 American wars, the Great Depression and the death of her husband after 64 years of marriage. At the time of her death, she was already older than the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in the United States.

1. Jeanne Kalman (1875 – 1997)

Jeanne Kalment is the oldest person who has ever lived on Earth, and so far no one has been able to beat her record of 122 years 164 days. She was born in Arles, France on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. During her life, she witnessed the invention of the automobile, cinema, stainless steel, television and airplanes.

Surprisingly, she even met Vincent van Gogh when she was 13, whom she described as "dirty, unkempt and scowling."

Kalman, like Sarah Knauss, had “immunity to stress.” She could also boast of wit and at every birthday she announced a new secret to longevity.

The centenarian rode a bicycle and drank port until she was 100 years old, and also smoked almost until she died. She claimed that laughter physical activity and a strong stomach helped her live to an old age. And her best advice there was a saying: “If you can’t do anything about it, don’t bother.”

In contact with

The secrets of longevity have been of interest to people for a long time. This question periodically makes many people think about how to achieve ideal health, harmony with oneself and become a long-liver. Most often, when asking such questions, people return to the food system or spirituality, to traditions coming from antiquity or the genetic history of the family. Average duration life in the CIS countries is 60–65 years, the life expectancy rate in the countries is slightly higher Western Europe. But there are people who have revealed their secrets to longevity. In history, centenarians are people who have reached their 90th birthday. Li Ching-Yun (or Li Jing-Yun) is rightfully considered the oldest man in the world among men.

Elder from China

The birth data of Li Ching-Yun states that he was born in 1677, although the old man himself says that he was born in 1736. In 1930, a professor from Chengdu University discovered Imperial Government Records from 1827, which mentioned his 150th anniversary from the authorities. The Chinese leadership did not ignore the centenarian further, congratulating him, but on his 200th birthday.

An old man was born in Sichuan province. When he was ten years old, Lee began collecting, processing and distributing herbs that were considered medicinal. Even then, he began to study and study everything that helps achieve long life and health. The elder’s diet was not varied: Lee ate herbal decoctions, wine and boiled rice. At the age of 71, Li moved to Cai City in 1749. Offering his job, he became a tactical adviser and art history teacher.

In the obituaries of the New York Times for 1933, it was announced that a long-liver of world significance, Lee Ching-Yun, had died at the age of 256. By that time, the long-liver had become a widower no less than 23 times. His heirs numbered about 180 people. Did he live for 256 years or, as Lee himself claimed, for 197 years? How old the oldest person in the world was was not actually known exactly, but it is much longer than the longevity record of French native Jeanne Calment.

The oldest French woman

Jeanne Calment was born in Arles in 1875. The record holder grew up in a fairly wealthy family of a ship owner. When Zhanna turned 21, she married one of her distant relatives. She had a daughter, but, unfortunately, over time, Zhanna had to bury almost all of her relatives.

During her long life, she almost never refused to eat tasty food or good wine. She loved vegetables and garlic. The only thing the Frenchwoman tried to avoid was conflicts and quarrels. Kalman always boasted about her health, having a bad habit of smoking, and she smoked until she was 117 years old, remaining in excellent health. physical fitness. Having mastered fencing at the age of 85, and practicing cycling until the age of 100, she was active and vigorous until the age of 114. When she reached her 114th birthday, disaster struck - the active centenarian fell and broke her hip. This made her life much more difficult, but still did not prevent her from living to 122 years old. Zhanna Kalman August 4, 1997.

Another long-lived woman

Leading the list of the oldest women alive today, Misao Okawa sadly passed away in April 2015. And while the Guinness Book of Records has not recorded a new record holder among women, it is Misao who is in first place.

She was born in Osaka on March 5, 1898. She got married in 1919, during her marriage she had three children, from whom four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren were born. Misao never refused to eat delicious food, and she never suffered from any special health problems. She considered sleep to be her secret to health and longevity: a good, healthy 15-hour sleep.

Modern centenarian

As for the long-livers who are still living today, they include a resident of Bolivia (the central part of South America) Flores Laura. Flores deservedly occupies this place of honor. Based official document, Bolivian born July 16, 1890.

Flores achieved a long life with the help of nutrition: he spends a lot of time on the move and eats exclusively what he grows with his own hands - these are grains, potatoes and legumes. He eats only lamb as meat, and drinks water exclusively from high-mountain springs. Alcoholic drinks he never tried it and never used it. Perhaps this is why serious illnesses are unfamiliar to him. The 125-year-old man speaks only Spanish and still cannot read or write. Hearing often disappears, but his vision is still good. He has three children, from whom there are sixteen grandchildren and thirty-nine great-grandchildren. Laura still walks without a cane.

As history shows, every centenarian still has his own version of what leads a person to health and long life. Some people think it's a dream, some people say it's proper nutrition, and someone - about . Each of these assumptions has given humanity people whose long life went beyond any rule of existence.