Human Longevity Insights

People want full and satisfying lives, and when it comes to longevity those who have lived long attribute their longevity to many different things. While the secret to someone’s longevity is up for debate, women on average outlast men, as all of the top ten longest living humans in Earth’s history were women. Women outlive men on average in most of the world’s countries.

When it comes to outliving men on average, some have reported that biological and behavioral differences all contribute to women outlasting men. In the most populous countries on the planet, India and China, a woman’s life expectancy is longer than a man.

In our own country, women on average outlive men by half a decade. It’s been debated why men’s lifespans are shorter. What is known is that men take greater risks on average than women. Whether it is risky work or sports, substance abuse, homicide, or even suicide attempts, men lead less stable lives. While there’s no officially known reason why a man’s lifespan is shorter, reckless behavior doesn’t help men when it comes to longevity.

The record holder of longest lived life on the planet is that of Jeanne Calment who was born in 1875 and passed on in 1997. She claimed her secret to longevity was due to something she called a Mediterranean diet, which included her using olive oil on her skin, and having a diet that included chocolate and wine. She also believed that keeping physically active is another reason she lived to 122.

While we cannot confirm whether Jeanne’s lifestyle choices are the reason she managed to live as long as she did, it is still fascinating that she lived from the Victorian era up until the 1990’s without having too many health problems. How she lived so long is still up for an ongoing debate.

The secrets to longevity have yet to be unlocked, but by one account, chocolate and wine doesn’t hurt!

Jeanne Calment has the world record for longest lived life. 1875 - 1997