The oldest person to have ever lived is Jeanne Calment. Many were shocked by her lengthy life, which ended in 1997 at the age of 122. She drank alcohol, smoked, and consumed a lot of chocolate, but her health never seemed to be affected until her last years. What was the secret, then? Maybe an expert has figured out why.
Jeanne Calment was a remarkable person. She lived to be 122 and 164 days old, having been born in Arles, southern France, in 1875.
Indeed, demographers and historians have studied birth records, census data, marriage certificates, and pictures. The scientific community and Guinness World Records both acknowledge her as the longest-living human.
She is still the only confirmed individual to have lived above the age of 119. Even if 122 is an amazing age, let’s just briefly review what Jeanne Calment went through.
She lived through two World Wars, the development of the automobile, the internet, the development of the light bulb, the telephone, the building of the Eiffel Tower, the killing of Franz Ferdinand, three American presidents, and the expansion of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
What a wealth of experience!
Jeanne Calment’s extraordinary life at the age of 122
As she neared 100, Jeanne Calment did not slow down. She continued riding her bike well into her 90s, and on her 100th birthday, she walked to every home in Arles to express her gratitude to everyone who had sent her birthday wishes.
Did she solely consume water and all-natural, locally made foods? Not exactly, though. Every meal included dessert, and Jeanne Calment consumed two pounds of chocolate per week. She also moderately drank port wine and smoked cigarettes from the age of 21 to 117.
“I see badly, I hear badly, I can’t feel anything, but everything’s fine,” she told reporters on her 120th birthday, according to Prospect Magazine.
Interest in Jeanne Calment’s life has persisted since her passing due to curiosity about how she was able to live such a long life. The woman frequently attributed her longevity to straightforward things like being physically active, keeping her mind active, and having a lighthearted attitude.
The secret of Jeanne Calment’s long life
She was hilarious even in her last years, claiming to have “only one wrinkle and she was sitting on it.”
But what would have kept Jeanne alive for so long if it weren’t the food? Jean-Marie Robin, a medical researcher who worked with Calment’s doctor on a biography, said that Calment’s serene attitude was a major contributing factor.
In a phone interview with The New York Times, the medical researcher stated, “I believe she was someone who, constitutionally and biologically speaking, was immune to stress.” She once stated, “Don’t worry about it if there is nothing you can do about it.”
Many of us today might benefit from adopting Jeanne Calment’s perspective on life. To celebrate this amazing woman, please share this article!
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