The Truth Behind Extreme Longevity: It's Not What You Think

Ever wondered how some people live to be over 100 years old? A researcher from University College London has a surprising answer. He found that many of the world's oldest people come from places with bad health and poor record-keeping. This means the data we have about extreme longevity might not be very reliable. For instance, Japan once thought Sogen Kato was their oldest living person, but it turned out he had been dead for over 30 years! The researcher also talked about the so-called "blue zones" – areas where people are said to live very long lives. He found that some of the data from these places is also questionable. In Costa Rica, for example, nearly half of the centenarians had lied about their age. And in Greece, about three-quarters of the supposed centenarians were either dead or never existed.

The problem is that confirming someone's age can be tricky. It involves checking very old documents that might have been wrong from the start. So, the researcher suggests a new way to measure age – looking at a person's DNA. But even this method has its limits. So, what's the secret to living a long time? The researcher says it's simple: don't buy into any special products or diets. Just listen to your doctor, exercise, and avoid smoking and drinking.

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