A biologist explains the ‘weird’ habits of people who live over 100 years

The animal kingdom has a lot to say about the things that can keep us alive longer than we deserve. Take the story of the longest-lived trapdoor spider, which survived until the age of 43 in the outback of Australia. Her secret? She remained in the same den her entire life, subsisting on a frugal diet of small insects that she ambushed through one of her trap door entrances.

Or consider the Greenland shark: the longest-lived vertebrate known to science, which can live up to 500 years. The Greenland shark roams the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, preferring to live in near-icy waters where it can keep its metabolism slow. Its diet consists of cold-water fish such as cod, herring, salmon and halibut. It is also known to scavenge the carcasses of marine mammals, including seals and whales. Importantly, he prefers a slow and deliberate hunting style, relying mainly on his keen sense of smell, which allows him to conserve energy.

Some people have learned to embrace the slow and simple lives of the animal kingdom’s longevity champions. For example the famous “blue zoneResearch conducted by Dan Buettner and Sam Skemp, which studied regions with the highest concentrations of centenarians (people who live to be 100 years or older), found that lifestyle plays a crucial role in longevity and overall health. These areas share common habits that contribute to a longer, healthier life, including:

• Diet. People in the blue zones eat a predominantly plant-based diet, with an emphasis on vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts. Meat is eaten sparingly, often as a small portion with meals. Food is minimally processed and often locally produced.
• Regular physical activity. Daily, natural exercise is important, such as walking, gardening or other non-sedentary tasks. Exercise is usually not formal, but embedded in daily routines.
• Strong social connections. Family and community ties are prioritized, and people actively participate in social networks that support each other emotionally and practically.
• Sense of purpose. Known as ikigai in Japan and plan the vida in Costa Rica, having a reason to wake up every day contributes to mental and emotional health.
• Stress reduction. People in blue zones incorporate daily rituals to reduce stress, such as prayer, naps or spending time with loved ones.
• Belief or spiritual practices. Many centenarians belong to faith-based communities, which provide a sense of belonging and regular practices that reduce stress.
• Environment. Environments in these areas encourage movement and social interaction. Access to nature and limited exposure to harmful influences, such as pollution or high crime, contribute to well-being.

While Blue Zone research may provide the most proven playbook for longevity, others have found their own ways to reach 100 years. Here are a few stories that prove there’s more than one lifestyle a centenarian can make.

Jeanne Calment – The world’s oldest person

The daily routine of France’s Jeanne Calment, the world’s longest-lived verified person at age 122, went something like this: She asked to be woken up at 6:45 a.m. every day by nursing home staff and started her mornings with prayer. Sitting in her armchair, she did light exercises, wearing stereo headphones. Her routine included stretching and flexing her hands and legs. For breakfast she usually drank coffee with milk and rusk.

She washed herself independently with a flannel cloth instead of showering. After breakfast, she cleaned her own breakfast dishes before heading out for lunch. She preferred stewed beef and was not fond of boiled fish. She enjoyed dessert with every meal and often noted that she preferred fried or spicy foods to the plain options offered. She made her own fruit salads daily, usually with bananas and oranges, and had a particular fondness for chocolate, sometimes consuming as much as two pounds a week. After her meal she drank a small glass of port wine and smoked a cigarette.

In the afternoon she took a two-hour nap in her armchair before visiting her neighbors in the care home to report the latest news she had heard on the radio. In the evening she ate quickly, returned to her room and listened to music, as her poor eyesight made reading difficult. She ended her day with one last cigarette before going to bed at 10 p.m

Violet Brown – lived to be 117 years young

Violet Brown, who lived to the age of 117, was the first known Jamaican centenarian. She had six children, four of whom were still alive at the time of her death (Jeanne Calment had only one child). Her diet was varied, but she stayed away from chicken, pork and rum interview with the Jamaican Gleaner: “I don’t eat dem tings.”

She also attributes her longevity to her habit of eating three eggs a day, two of which are raw.

George Johnson – American, male, 112

Leave it to an American to live to 112 on a diet that would strike fear into the hearts of most nutritionists. Supercentenarian George Johnson of Richmond, California – once in California oldest living person– ate sausage and waffles for breakfast every day and sometimes for lunch or dinner. Somehow, all that cholesterol never caught up to him. He died of pneumonia in 2006.

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