Inside the Mysterious Meal Ritual That Has Kept the World’s Oldest Family Thriving for Generations
Ever wonder if eating the same meal every single day could actually make you live longer—or if that’s just the kind of advice your grandma whips out to get you to eat your veggies? Well, the Melis family, hailed as the world’s oldest clan with a whopping combined age of 818 years, might just have cracked the code. Turns out, their secret sauce isn’t some exotic superfood or a crazy workout routine, but a humble, hearty three-bean minestrone soup paired with sourdough bread and a tiny pour of red wine. Scientists swear by the Mediterranean lifestyle, and this family’s story is a tasty reminder that sometimes longevity is served in the simplest bowls. So, could a monotonous lunch actually be the fountain of youth in disguise? Let’s dig in and find out. LEARN MORE.
Experts reckon that the ‘world’s oldest family’ owed a decent bit of their record-breaking longevity to their diet.
It didn’t hurt that they would always eat the same meal every day, and as a result, they seemed to live for a very long time.
There are all sorts of ways people try and live longer to convince their body it’s younger, but the tenets of a healthy diet and a decent level of exercise always seem to be top of the pile.
Researchers found that doing some pretty basic things could add several years to your expected lifespan if you could find the time to eat well and move about.
However, there are some people who live a long time beyond their life expectancy who have been studied for the secrets to their success, and one family in particular were honoured for having an exceptionally long lifespan.
The Melis family were named the ‘world’s oldest family’ in 2012 after they were found to have a combined age of 818 (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)
Who are the ‘world’s oldest family’?
This is the Melis family, who in 2012 were acclaimed by the Guinness World Records for being the family with the highest combined age, with a staggering 818 years between them.
If you watched the 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, then you’ll have seen this family, as the show went around five ‘blue zones’ in the world where life expectancy is significantly higher.
The family, who originate from the Italian island of Sardinia, found that three brothers and six sisters had a combined age of over 800 years and had become local legends.
Speaking on the presentation of their Guinness World Record, Craig Glenday said: “The Mediterranean lifestyle is always held up as being beneficial to a long, healthy life, and Italians in particular feature prominently in the list of supercentenarians and centenarians.”
Sadly, since getting the accolade as the ‘world’s oldest family’, several of them have succumbed to the perils of being exceedingly old.
Eldest sibling Consolata Melis died in 2015 aged 108, while her sister Claudina died the following year at the age of 103, fellow sister Maria died at the ripe old age of 100 while their brother Antonio died aged 97.
Consolata Melis pictured in 2012 at the age of 105, she would live for another three years after this photo was taken (ETTORE LOI/AFP/GettyImages)
What meal do the Melis family eat every day?
A big part of their longevity seems to be their diet, and the Melis family made sure to eat the same meal for lunch.
When they had lunch the family would have a chunky three-bean minestrone soup with vegetables, those beans being garbanzo, pinto and white beans.
There’d be a bit of sourdough bread on the side and they’d chase it down with a small glass of red wine, and we are talking about a three-ounce glass here.
It’s a very healthy plant-based meal, and the experts reckon it can’t hurt your longevity.
A bit of midday minestrone helped the family live a long time (Caterina Bruzzone/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Why do the experts approve?
What you eat is usually very important to how long you live, and the Melis’ minestrone soup is full of nutrients, protein and fibre without much in the way of cholesterol.
As a meal, it gives you a lot of what you’re looking for health-wise and comes with pretty much no downsides.
Researchers studying those who live a long time have found that good gut health and getting your nutrients in your diet can help keep you from illness.
Another food they approve of is yoghurt, as Spanish woman Maria Branyas Morera who lived to 117 gave scientists biological samples for study before she died and they found her body was between 10 and 15 years younger biologically than her actual age.
Eat healthy gang, it could add decades to your life.
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