Why Do Some People Live To 100 And Over?

Updated May/7/2022
There's many people who live to 100 and over. There are some folks who are isolated cases in their community and there are cluster places where there are many people in those communities live to  be 100 plus years old. Why is that? 

There's lots of speculation as to why and some people have tried to draw some conclusions but there's still more research that needs to be done before scientists can draw clear definite conclusions about why some people live to be 100 and over some times while eating & drinking all the things people are told not to drink or eat or if do only on moderation. And there are some people who eat all the "correct" things and live long healthy lives, who live to 100 plus years old. But ultimately we as a human beings don't know for sure why, if we did, whatever it is that is causing healthy longevity  in some people, more people would do it and there would be alot more people living to be 121 like Jeanine Calment in France, Richard Overton in Texas and Dr. Ellisworth in California and so many more.

   Knowing the facts that it isn't known for certain what the exact formula is that is causing some people to live to 122 is important. It's also important to acknowledge the successes that several  whole food plant based nutrition doctors have had with many people reversing several diseases successfully. And thousands of individual who've improved their health doing various forms of plant based nutrition, both raw & cooked. Some folks do 100 % plant based raw. But the majority are doing a mixture of raw & cooked foods. Many of these doctors point to some of the areas mentioned below in the example section. However many of them caution about the use of oil.

 When you watch the videos about test results from scientist who've tested folks in the blue zones for example, some of then have said people in these blue zones have very good  micro-circulation and some of these seniors have hearts that are as healthy as  people much younger. Some  scientist from a project or study out of Germany have said folks in the blue zones have slightly high blood pressure and a couple of other things but they have extremely good microcirculation, which validated the other scientist's findings. And they all seem to live in communities where everyone is cared about, all the people matter.

Just maybe the successes of the whole foods plant based doctors points the way to get even better results with plant based nutrition and living longer enjoyable lives. There's some interesting research being done on this topic. Whatever the longevity formula is, it's obviously isn't the same for everyone, having the info is good for people to have, then they can decide how they want to use it.

There's a couple of predictions that are interesting concerning this, one is there are going to be more centenarians by 2050 than ever before in the United States and Dan Brunner said, in 10 years the current "Blue Zones" won't exist anymore. I hope the prediction about the blue zones is incorrect and I predict there's going to be more Vegan Whole Foods Plant based nutrition zones and Blue Zones because people will create new Vegan Whole Foods Plant based nutrition Blue Zones. Lastly there needs to more effort put into including homeless people /unhoused people and other people who do not always have ways to cook their food from scratch or store it in a fridge, because I don't hear people including them in their video about preparations of plant based food or in videos about not eating pre made foods. And all the plant based foods people who are homeless are not going to only eat raw fruits & veggiez which leaved them with foods made with oil, salt & sugar in many cases. There needs to be more efforts made to get whole food plant-based nutrition in soup kitchens, shelters and other organizations that feed the homeless as well as  getting this food into food bags that are given out by food banks and into the kitchens of  group homes for those who are intellectually challenged for those folks who are Whole Foods Plant-Based.

Just To Name A Few People Who Lived Long Lives 

Ida Keeling lived to be 106 years old, she survive a severe depression and started running at 67 years old. "104-Year-Old Runner Shares Her Secrets To Longevity |"  YouTube link

Fredie Blom: lived to be 116 years old  Fredie is "South African is possibly world's oldest man" he said he might quit smoking at age 114. YouTube link  "Cape Town's oldest man Fredie Blom dies at age 116"  YouTube link 

More centenarians after the secton on smoking.

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Smoking 

⚠️🔴 *If you don't smoke already don't start.

Some of the people listed on this page are smokers. I don't want anyone to see this as me encouraging people to smoke. I also don't see it as helpful to shame smokers or to victimize smokers and or non-smokers. If you don't smoke don't start. If you do smoke quitting works for some people. For those who don't quit, try to smoke less. Here's some of the things I've heard  several plant based doctors say about smoking tobacco. In a lecture about plant based eating Dr. Esselstyn said to smokers who are interested in becoming plant based, this is a paraphrased not an exact quote: focus on your diet and you'll smoke less. Because you can only quit so many things at a time. So if you focus on your diet you will smoke less. He also gives some examples of people smoking very strong tobacco in another country I think it was Scotland, he said  because of what they didn't eat they didn't have heart problems due to smoking, he does discourage smoking as well in his video lectures. In a joint video with his son Dr. Thomas Campbell MD, Dr. Colin Campbell said people who smoked did better on plant based diets, his statements he made surrounding that statement implied that he didn't want people who smoke to give up on caring about what they eat. Dr. Kim Williams says, "No one should be smoking." Dr. Greger said if you can't quit at least vape.

None of these doctors said it is good to smoke and none of them shamed smokers with their statements.  Smokers care about their health just like non smokers. Some smokers are getting more than nicotine from smoking but most health  care providers don't  believe this so this leaves their patients who are smokers without their understanding concerning what they're  getting from tobacco, it made seem odd but some folks do use it for pain. At one time nicotine was being used for ear problems  i think it was used in India in the past.  There are studies that conclude smoking can cause ear problems so it's interesting that someone was using nicotine drops for ear problems. Tobacco is still used as part of traditional  medicine in the Amazon. And the facts are in the United States many current smokers have cut back and now smoke much less  than they use to and some keep cutting down their tobacco usage.

Smoking is not a reason to discriminate against people and categorize them incorrectly as people who don't care about their health or the health of others, it doesn't work to shame or blame people.

Currently there are some scientific studies that have led some scientist to conclude that eating some foods is like smoking was in the 1960s when the average smoker smoked a half a pack a day. Since the 1960s many folks quit and many people cut way back to less than a pack a week, some folks smoke a pack a month. Some folks smoke organic tobacco instead of commercial tobacco or tobacco with no preservatives to help them cut back  even more and are using less than when they smoked non organic tobacco. But as of 2019 death related to food has  now has surpassed smoking as a leading killer.

  Shaming and blaming people or abusing people  isn't going to work to help them quit smoking nor is it going to work to help them quit eating high fat,, salt and sugary foods.. Education and .... 

Encourage the food manufactures to offer better food choices als easy access to healthier food will help people to make healthier choice and will work to encourage the  changes needed to knock heart disease & food out of the number one slot. Everyone who eats ultra processed food isn't going to quit, some folks will and some folks will cut way back. So making those foods less damaging by creating tasty choices with no added refined sugar, oil, very low and no added sodium and don't  replace those with something worse like some food manufacturers are doing with paper and plastic seals. They're replacing plastic with aluminum foil it is going from bad to worse when it is aluminum seals on acidic and salty foods. Look at how many plant based cream cheeses that have acidic ingredients are now sealed  with aluminum seals, look at how many salty snacks are in aluminum  coated bags. Scientific understanding more about what people are getting from smoking besides the nicotine  might be the key to helping more people stop or cut way back. 

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Video mentioned above that mentions smoking.

Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof - Caldwell Esselstyn MD

Approx 7:44 minutes into video he says the Papua highlanders didn't get heart disease from smoking he said they got lung problems though. There's another video where he tells smokers to focus on making dietary changes and they'll eventually smoke less. When I find that video I'll poste the link here also. Link

⚠️🔴 *If you don't smoke already don't start.*

Siggestions For Conscious Smoker Suggestions:  stay conscious about making sure non smokers  aren't breathing your second hand smoke even if they say its ok. If you smoke inside and you  live alone use a fan to blow smoke out of a window that isn't facing or close to a neighbors home so you're  no breathing it in when you're not smoking. Leave a window open so you're getting fresh air when you're not smoking. If you don't live alone don't smoke inside and go far away from the shared home and neighbors homes. Careful just don't  smoke in front of children, we don't  want them to see that and want to do it also because they saw someone do it. If they come and find you after you gone away to smoke you don't have to hide you can tell them you don't want to smoke near them and please leave we can talk after I'm  done etc. Don't leave your cigarette butts on the ground for others to walk  take care of it safely and responsibly. This is only a suggestion it's not meant to be used to judge people.

Reference links

This is one of the reference articles's info 

"Russell, 2019): Tobacco is described as the main curing tool of Amazonian healers (Barbira-Freedman, 2015) and generally portrayed as a “Master Plant” in this context ..." Link

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Back to the list of people who live to 100 and over.

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At 109, education pioneer Edith Renfrow reflects 

 Now 110 year old in 2024. Edith attended Grinnell College, and she graduated in 1937, the first African American woman to graduate from Grinnell, with a major in psychology and minor in economics and history. She loves playing sports and making jam and giving it to neighbors. 

Elizabeth Sullivan  lived to be 106 she drank soda everyday and thinks thats what did it. "104-year-old woman's secret: 3 Dr Peppers a day"  YouTube link

Jeanne Calment lived to be 122, she quit smoking when she was 117 years old. Was the Oldest Person To Have Ever Lived a Con Artist?" Zak's theory that she committed tax fraud was proven wrong. YouTube link

Dr. Ellsworth Warreham he lived to be 104, he didn't  drink alcohol or smoke.  "The 103 Year Old Vegan: Dr. Ellsworth Wareham | Loma Linda Blue Zone"  YouTube link

Kane Tanaka lived to be 119 years old, she loved chocolate and was loved by lots of people.  "World's Oldest Person, Kane Tanaka, Dies Aged 119" YouTube link

"Richard Overton, lived to 112 years old, in response to how do you live so long? Richard said, you can do it too just don't  die.  "109-Year-Old Veteran and His Secrets to Life Will Make You Smile"  YouTube link

"119-year-old Gogo could be the oldest woman in the world"  YouTube link

Centenarian Cluster Places

Some of the "known" places where there are many people livibg there who are over 100 and many still caring for themselves are: Costa Rica, Sardania, Ikeria, Okinawa, Loma Linda, Rural China. There may be other places yet to be discovered where there's clusters of folks 100 & over. 

Nicoya, Costa Rica: TODAY Visits ‘Blue Zone’ Of Costa Rica Where People Live To 100 | TODAY" this is where I heard the prediction that in 10 years the blue zones won't  exist anymore. It's also where I heard a cup of beans can add years to your life, doctor Greger talk about this as well as many other plant based doctors. In Nicoya they don't eat alot of oil in their food. YouTube link

"Fountain Of Youth" in Japan it is very interesting and fun to listen to the folks talk about how they eat. They include lots of sweet potaoes, along with other foods they eat, their diet is high in hyaluronic acid. They are pretty much wrinkle free and energetic happy people and some people believe it's the hyaluronic acid that is making rhem look young. There are many foods high in hyaluronic acid such as sweet potato, kale, lemons snd many more. YouTube link

"Greek Island a Fountain of Youth" There's ten times more siblings over 90 than any place in the world, it has more people living longer without severe dementia than in the United States. On this Island everyone is important and they treasure the elderly plus more interesting traits that are believed to be part of why they live long healthy lives, not only the food they eat but the ways they vaule each other in their community. YouTube link

Ikaria:  They eat lots of plants, some seafood, with olive oil and local wine, some of them smoke. Scientist want figure why their hearts and memories are in such good condition at such old ages. "Island where people live longer than anyone on earth | 60 Minutes Australia"  YouTube link

Sardania: Another village where lots of people live into their 90s and 100 years old and longer. "Longevity: Journey into the blue zone | TechKnow"  YouTube link

Rural China "Does This Village in China Hold the Key to Living Past 100? | National Geographic"  YouTube link

I'm Kuango Seilah.  I'm a singer, songwriter, musician and a graduate of the Whole Foods Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program.

I completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Program at the  T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at eCornell while I didn't have a permanent place to live, I did the class work on my cell phone.  During this time I was assaulted, my right wrist was broken and a cast was put on.  I'm  glad I was able complete the course anyway.

    Prior enrolling in the Cornell University online program I spent lots of time reading about plant based nutrition, vegetarian eating, and eating a non vegetarian diet that was basically a Blue Zones way of eating described by Dan Brutner. Although we didn't  call it a blue zones diet during the late 70s and 80s. It was basically majority vegetarian and some times poultry and seafood.

I did some reading about scientific studies found about Dr. Greger, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Campbell, Dr.. Montgomery,  Dr. Williams listened to some of their talks/lectures and others, I did research on plant based eating. I also spent lots of time listening to audio lectures and watching video  lectures done by scientists, nutrition researchers, and health care professionals doing this research some mentioned above. I enjoy it so I will continue with my Interest in the whole food plant based eating & whole food plant based nutritional research.

Some of the things I enjoy about the whole foods plant based way of life, is researching this topic, learning from, commenting and sharing what I find in research articles, videos, classes and books etc.

I like it because there's lots of every day kinda people doing their best to live their dietary goals, as well as setting new goals when or If they want to change things in their eating routine again. It's not a bunch of perfect people who snob people who are beginning or started and stopped their interest in whole food plant based nutrition. It's real people living real lives that some times eat only what's on their goal list they've set, and some times they stray away from their dietary routine  but won't give up, they get right back on their focus on their goal,  they keep going and won't give up. It's people of all ages, races, all religions, non-religious, all sexual orientations, all genders etc.

My Personal health healing experiences with food.

In 2018 I had a skin break out on that was like psoriasis but it has a longer name. I was told it was for life and no cure is available. In 2022/2023 I was told I had hypothyroidism and that it was for life with no cure available. I'm  happy to write I no longer have either one.

With the skin break out I stopped all medicated creams and applied omega 6 oil topically because of a article I read in the 1990s about a woman's research on safflower oil's health benefits and it's anti-inflammatory properties. I got it to the point where applying nothing was the best thing and before I started the safflower oil I forced myself  to stopped scratching because it can hurt the situation and it goes nowhere. There are people who've told me they shed lots of tears over scratching they would wake up with blood under their fingernails it was so automatic to scratch because of the intense itching. Some people wrap their hands before they sleep so it won't happen.

I'm fortunate I was able to stop it. The safflower oil applied topically helped lessen itching also, but after applying the safflower oil for two weeks i decided applying nothing was best that way there would be no rubbing at all. The rubbing seemed to make itching flare up more. If it got very intense with itching I would use a little safflower oil directly on the area that was itching. The itching flare ups got less and less and applying nothing got easier and itching became rare again. I started making carrot juice and fresh apple juice during before the doctor knew did the biopsy and continued with juice until i switched to smoothies and continued those until the patches were gone.  I stuck with plant-based eating and learning,  I don't make smoothies everyday anymore, but sometimes I make them.

 I started rebounder exercise, walking in place on the rebounder. But during the skin illness, I noticed,  when I added in smoothies made with frozen organic bananas, organic kale greens  fresh and sometimes time the kale greens I froze and always added fresh organic ginger rhizome/root, a increase in the speed of healing occurred. Sometimes I added other veggies like slices of beet root, carrot, ... I had switched to Plant-Based eating around the time I was first diagnosed with the skin disease. But the addition of the green smoothies made a huge difference in healing. By 2019 Feb the skin disease was stopped with no new break outs of this psoriasis type patches, the scalely patches that were there started to heal and the scar marks started fading and getting less and less and natural skin color has replaced the majority of them and the rest of the scars are getting more and more faded. Also I stop using any fabrics that can't breathe. Including sleeping bags and bedding. No more sleeping bags or comforters that seal in everything but don't breathe, cotton and down was better for my skin and helped healing also.

For the hypothyroidism: I started taking organic kelp powder eery day after I got the test results that I had hypothyroidism. I take 1/16th of a teaspoon once a day with a meal and at my last doctor visit in 2024 the health care practioners said: " ok, you're  still taking the thyroid medications right?" I replied: no I never took it, I take organic kelp because I'm  whole food Plant-Based and I wasn't eating  a source of iodine." He said "Oh I thought you were still taking it, because the last test on your thyroid shows its normal! "

I still take organic kelp daily and I also take a little organic garlic powder because kelp has been said to have lead and garlic stops lead absorption and move it out of the body. 

The organic kelp might have less heavy metals but they do accumulate, so all foods that help remove heavy metals and stop absorption are wonderful and important tools in my opinion. Garlic is one of these tools.

I didn't  have either of them for life and I'm  happy with this results. I hope the details of what I did to help my healing can help someone else. There's thousands of people who deal with skin illnesses like this. Some of what I heard from some dermatologist is you just can't control skin illnesses like psoriasis with foods. I'm  living proof that its possible in my case. And I've  heard of other folks who've  done it also. So those interested don't  give up keep trying and you'll succeed. What worked for me might not work for everyone there are so many varieties of skin diseases that are not contagious like psoriasis so I don't want to imply what worked for me would work for everyone's situation. Make sure to always do your own research. Keep your health care provider updated and get help from them if you need to. There are some health care professionals who are educated about nutrition and herbs. Some of them can tell you if herbs will interact with any medication you're taking. You can also look it up on the webmd website to have more info when you talk to your health care provider just in case they aren't familiar with whatever food or herb you're inquiring about. 

The eCornell classes were affirming and increased my  knowledge. I'm still learning and that's a good thing. I have additional healing that I'm  focused on as well as other  things. 

Unfortunately my knee was hurt in a accident so I had to stop the rebounder for a while, I'm  slowly very slowly adding it back in, now my exercise is mostly exercise biking. 

Thank You for visiting this site

2023

I don't know as much about diet and health as I would like to. Most of the things on these web pages were put here when I was homeless. I figured if I wrote about what I read to keep me going it might help me stay strong. I had to focus on various topics  because it wasn't easy being homeless, it was not easy seeing how some people discriminated based on that and didn't care what happened to you. I cared about my life so I reminded myself of the people who do care about my well being and the well being of others and I put alot of  focus on reading about the kinds of nutrition and foods I was interested in before I was homeless, I also started writing about  teeth and gum health,, music, news,  activism plus other topics, it helped me deal with some of pain of being homeless. I'm still learning. Now that I have a permanent place to live, I hope to put more of what I've learned about and posted about into practice. I was able to do some of it while I was homeless, I can do more now that I have a solid place to live. Slowly but surely. A big thank you to all the people who helped me when  I was homeless and to all those who helped me with my efforts to get a place to live.

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