Is there anyone among us who doesn’t want the secret to a long life?

Personally, I always love looking into these niche answers given by the oldest people in the world who have somehow managed to make it 100+.

Forget ‘eating right and drinking less’, if a 100-year-old tells me that eating a raw onion and having a tot of whiskey is actually the secret to old age, that’s what I’m going to be doing instead.

Isn’t this what we all want? (Christopher Furlong)

Unfortunately, on this occasion that isn’t what the world’s oldest man credits with his long life, and it’s a bit more metaphorical than that.

John Tinniswood, from Liverpool, turned 112 just today (26 August), meaning he was born in 1912.

The 112-year-old became the oldest man in the world in April, when the previous incumbent passed away.

John is a life-long Liverpool FC fan, meaning he not only has been watching them for longer than anyone else – but has been alive for 17 out of their 19 title wins, and all eight of their F.A. Cups.

John was 78 the year Jordan Henderson was born. (Laurence Griffiths via Getty Images)

He was born when the club was just two decades old.

In an interview with Guinness World Records, John said: “In all honesty, no different. I don’t feel that age, I don’t get excited over it. That’s probably why I’ve reached it.

“I just take it in my stride like anything else, why I’ve lived that long I have no idea at all.”

When asked whether there was a secret to his old age, John went on to give a short theory – before an absolutely incredible answer.

He first said: “I can’t think of any special secrets I have. I was quite active as a youngster, I did a lot of walking. Whether that had something to do with it, I don’t know.

“But to me, I’m no different [to anyone]. No different at all.”

John is 112, and doesn’t seem to think there *is* one specific secret to old age. (PA/Guinness World Records)

After this, he went on to brilliantly reiterate that he thinks it’s a matter of chance not any specific lifestyle choice, saying it was ‘just luck’.

He’s a better man than me, if I live till 112 I will be far more obnoxious than his brilliantly humble answer.

He went on to bashfully say: “You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.”

When asked about his diet he said: “I eat what they give me and so does everybody else. I don’t have a special diet.”

Long and short, the world’s oldest man has given us all permission to live however we want, and maybe, just maybe, we might be lucky enough to reach his age.

The world’s oldest person who lived to the age of 117 shared the incredible rules she followed to help her live for so long.

A Spanish supercentenarian, Maria Branyas Morera, died on Monday (19 August) following her impressively long life. And despite having some hearing loss and mobility issues, it was reported by local media that she had a sharp memory even in her later years.

I mean, the woman was active on X – pretty impressive for the eighth-oldest person in recorded history. And as well as sharing in December 2022 about the one thing she ate every day, she also had various tips for how we could attempt to live as long a life as her.

Maria lived to over 117 years old. (X/@MariaBranyas112)

‘Strong’ family ties

Earlier this year, Branyas wrote about how she was ‘lucky’ to have loved ones by her side.

“Strong, rich, and caring family ties act as a mattress that cushions loneliness,” she wrote.

Well, there you go lads, look after those who look after you and be social and it could help you reach an older age – something studies have previously supported.

READ MORE:

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Avoiding excess

While she did eat her specific thing every day, the Spanish woman never followed a particular diet.

She wrote on X: “Many people ask me what diet I follow to live [for] so many years. I have always eaten little, but everything, and I have never followed any regime. I have not suffered from any illness or been through an operating room.”

A daily yogurt was pretty important to Maria. (X/@MariaBranyas112)

Eating yogurt every day

Yep, Branyas credited much of her long life to eating a pot of natural yogurt every day.

She posted on X that it is ‘a lifelong food with an infinite number of positive properties for the body’.

The supercentenarian went on to cite a Bulgarian study that regular consumption can extend life, while stating in Persian tradition that Abraham’s longevity was due to the consumption of yogurt.

Avoiding toxic people

Amen sister.

As well as having a ‘connection with family and friends’ and ‘contact with nature’, it was essential to Branyas to stay ‘away from toxic people’. I mean, no one wants that in their life, let alone for over 100 years.

Being positive and having no regrets

Another lesson we can all take from Branyas is that she placed importance on ‘emotional stability, no worries, no regrets and lots of positivity’.

Well, that doesn’t all sound too hard, does it?

The oldest women in Britain has shared her secret to a long life – and it includes giving up one particular thing.

It’s rare for people to make it past their 100th birthday, with the average life expectancy in the UK currently sitting at 80.7 years, which means we’re often fascinated by people who pass into triple figures.

One Brit whose accomplished this extraordinary feat is 106-year-old Mary Spiers who was born in August 1918, just three months before the end of World War One.

She’d spend her twenties watching the country ravaged by the effects of WW2 and lost a boyfriend who was serving in the RAF at the time.

Despite these hardships, Mary has carried on living and celebrates her 106 birthday today (18 August) by revealing exactly how she’s managed to live so long.

Mary celebrates her 106th birthday today. (MEN)

Sharing her secrets in an interview with the Manchester Evening News, she said: “You just live every day, every minute and you don’t realise it’s piling up.

“I’ve got a sense of humour, and it gets you through some difficult times. It’s not been all happy. It’s been sad in lots of ways.”

Mary was born in central Manchester and spent the majority of her life in the city, recently relocating to a care home in the nearby town of Disley.

She is also a major major football fan and an avid supporter of her team Manchester City, revealing that she follows their matches on a transistor radio gifted by her younger cousin Henry Hesketh, 89.

Citing her favourite players as John Stones, Ruben Dias and Phil Foden, Mary’s love of the Blues comes from her family and she’s been around to see all but one of the club’s major 34 honours.

“I’m really pleased when they win,” she added.

Despite having numerous hardships, Mary praised her ‘close knit’ family, especially her two ‘lovely’ sisters Dorothy and Ruth.

Dorothy died around eight years ago, while Ruth passed away around three years ago.

Mary (left) with her sisters, Dorothy and Ruth. (MEN)

“I had two lovely sisters, and we were very close. We were what you call a close-knit family,” Mary recalled.

“At times it wasn’t easy, there wasn’t much money coming in. But we did everything together.

“We went away together, we did the housework, the decorating, and the gardening.

“We didn’t need anyone else, we had each other. We had enough.”

As for the reason she’s made it so far in life? That’s simple, by staying away from men.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I don’t chase men,” she added.

Mary and her cousin Henry Hesketh. (MEN)

When it comes to the future, Mary says she has no intentions to end up as one of the oldest person in the world, saying: “I read in the paper some time ago that someone abroad was 117. 117!

“I thought, ‘well, I don’t want to live to 117’.

“Where I’m going to end up, I don’t know.”

The oldest woman in the UK has revealed the one thing she doesn’t do that has helped her live a long life.

Ethel May Caterham celebrated her 115th birthday this week, lifting the lid on the secrets of her life so far.

Her insights into a long and prosperous life come after some tips resurfaced from the former oldest person in the world, Maria Braynas Morera, following her death at the age of 117 this week.

Maria shared that there were a number of rules that she followed to help her live not just a long life, but a happy one too.

Ethel turned 115 earlier this week. (Hallmark Care Homes)

Ethel is the last surviving subject on Kind Edward VII, and spent her birthday with her family and others close to her at her care home in Surrey, which also renamed the garden in tribute to her.

The second youngest of eight children, Ethel was born on 21 August 1909 in Hampshire, UK.

Early in her life, she was an au pair to a military family in India before returning to the UK in 1931, meeting future husband Norman Caterham at a dinner party in 1933.

He went on to be a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps, with the couple moving to several territories abroad due to his work such as Hong Kong and Gibraltar, which is where they starter their family, eventually moving back home to raise their two girls.

Ethel also had a sister that lived for 104 years, and has revealed how she has managed to make it to 115 without a hitch.

Apparently, the secret is to keep a cool head and always do what you want – how hard can it be? (Hallmark Care Homes)

She explained that her secret was simply ‘never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like’.

Her life was celebrated at Hallmark Lakeview care home in Lightwater, Surrey on Wednesday (21 August), complete with balloons, cake, entertainment and an appearance by the Mayor of Surrey Heath, Sarbie Kang.

The care home then renamed a part of the garden in honour of Ethel, featuring a revamp, including a water feature and wind chimes.

Following the emotional tribute, general manager at the home, Inder Hanzra, stated: “Ethel has lived an incredible life and we are very privileged to share this momentous occasion with her. To mark Ethel’s special milestone, the team have revamped an area of the garden and renamed it Ethel’s Garden.

“There’s nothing Ethel enjoys more than sitting in the sunshine and listening to the birds. We also arranged a sparkling afternoon tea, a special cake and for her favourite Frank Sinatra tribute entertainer to perform,” he revealed.

The 115-year-old herself later said: “I don’t know why there is all this fuss. I had a great day and feel very grateful to the care home for naming the garden after me.”

The world’s oldest person who recently died once revealed the one food item she ate everyday which she credited for helping her live for so long.

Maria Branyas Morera, of the US and Spain, sadly passed away on Monday (19 August) aged 117 years and 168 days, ranking as the eighth-oldest person in recorded history, as reported by the Guinness World Records website.

She sadly passed away at her nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where she has been living for the past two decades. She was survived by two children, 11 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

After the death of nun Lucile Randon in 2023, who was 118, Maria was confirmed to be the world’s oldest person.

Maria celebrated 117 birthdays in her lifetime. (X/@MariaBranyas112)

She spent her early years in America before her parents returned to their native Spain in 1915, during the first World War.

Maria went on to marry Dr Joan Moret, having three children together. She managed to outlive her eldest son August, who died at the age of 86.

This means that the Spanish woman lived through both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Flu pandemic and, of course, COVID-19.

Apart from being hard of hearing and having mobility issues, she stayed sharp and was still present at her 117th birthday, earlier this year.

But what was her secret?

It turns out she attributed her long life to a number of things, which she shared on social media two years ago.

There are a number of factors behind her long life. (X/@MariaBranyas112)

Maria wrote in a post on X back in December 2022: “I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics.”

She also shared the diet behind her long life, and what you can do to give yourself the chance to live as long as her.

Translated from Spanish, she wrote: “Many people ask me what diet I follow to live [for] so many years. I have always eaten little, but everything, and I have never followed any regime. I have not suffered from any illness or been through an operating room.”

Maria highlighted the importance of good nutrition, lifestyle, adding that ‘connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity and [staying] away from toxic people’ is essential.

She then revealed the one food item that she believed helped her live as long as she did: “In an age where diets and miraculous foods for well-being and health are constantly emerging, it is necessary to rescue yogurt, a lifelong food with an infinite number of positive properties for the body.”

That’s right, the secret to a long and prosperous life can be achieved through the consumption of yogurt.

Yogurt might be the answer to living a long life. (X/@MariaBranyas112)

She then goes on to cite a Bulgarian study that revealed that regular consumption can extend life, while stating in Persian tradition that Abraham’s longevity was due to the consumption of yogurt.

Explaining that she has La Fageda yogurt everyday, she described it as a ‘natural, tasty, creamy yogurt… and with a special taste of dignity, self-esteem, confidence, tolerance, responsibility’.

Maria added: “If you delve into its history, you will discover that it is the most unique yogurt that exists, for its provenance, purpose, commitment and values.

“For 20 years, it has been my ‘heavenly manna’. The best yogurt in the world. It gives life, it is life.”

If living a long life interests you, then it might be worth eating yogurt everyday while following the other points highlighted by the late and great Maria.