131 years-old man could be world's oldest

[Still Waters]

At 131-years-old Brazilian pensioner might just be the world's oldest living person.

If confirmed, Joao Coelho de Souza will take the title from the current Guinness World Record holder, Japan's Yasutaro Koide, who's a mere 112 years of age.

He would also trump Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122, and is currently recognised as the longest living person in recorded history.

https://uk.news.yaho...6923.html?nhp=1

[Visual Novel]

I really liked Koide, too. Ah, well. Time to dig everything about Souza I can.

[freetoroam]

They could have given him a pair of trousers that fit before taking his photo.

Pretty amazing if true, the birth certificate is not actual proof.....its too recent. There are many cases from years back where there were no birth certificates in certain regions. But surely a DNA test could give a better idea?

I hope he is 131 and would like to know if he has a secret to his longevity or if he is just another unexplained phenomena of nature?

[pallidin]

Yeah. The legitimacy of age without clear and authoritative documentation just doesn't work.

Could it be true? Sure. Could it be an intended or unintentional falsity? Sure.

So hard to tell.

[Harte]

At 131-years-old Brazilian pensioner might just be the world's oldest living person.

If confirmed, Joao Coelho de Souza will take the title from the current Guinness World Record holder, Japan's Yasutaro Koide, who's a mere 112 years of age.

He would also trump Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122, and is currently recognised as the longest living person in recorded history.

Interesting side note on Calment:

Calment smoked cigarettes from the age of 21 (1896) to 117 (1992),^[2][16] though according to an unspecified source, she smoked no more than two cigarettes per day towards the end of her life.^[17] After her operation, Calment needed to use a wheelchair. In 1994, age 119, she weighed 45 kilograms (99 lb).

Calment ascribed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance for her age to a diet rich in olive oil^[4] (which she also rubbed onto her skin), as well as a diet of port wine, and ate nearly one kilogram (2.2 lb) of chocolate every week. She also credited her calmness, saying, "That's why they call me Calment."^[18] Calment reportedly remained mentally intact until her very end.

Wiki

Harte

[Aitrui]

So she was 20ish and he was 90ish when they got together. Possible I guess but a bit unsavoury. Then they had 3 kids after that? Is that even possible?

[Ashyne]

But bible said there were people who lived hundreds of years.

[Sir Smoke aLot]

That is long time to be alive.

But bible said there were people who lived hundreds of years.

Similar or same as in Islam, as i remember it is about Noah and people of that time, they lived about 700-900 years range and they were giants or something but i don't know details

[Taun]

That is long time to be alive.

Similar or same as in Islam, as i remember it is about Noah and people of that time, they lived about 700-900 years range and they were giants or something but i don't know details

Just me, but whenever I read about biblical people who lived to ages like 900 or so I always just assumed that - due to exaggeration of the telling of the tale over the centuries (and millennia)-

that they probably lived to about 90 or so... A factor of 10 to 1 exaggeration... Living to 90 ish was probably quite rare back in those days - and not as common today as you might think ...

Edited January 15, 2016 by Taun

[MissJatti]

something fishy...why is there a naked guy hiding in a room in the background of the picture?

[Sir Smoke aLot]

Just me, but whenever I read about biblical people who lived to ages like 900 or so I always just assumed that - due to exaggeration of the telling of the tale over the centuries (and millennia)-

that they probably lived to about 90 or so... A factor of 10 to 1 exaggeration... Living to 90 ish was probably quite rare back in those days - and not as common today as you might think ...

Yeah, that seems logical. People and stories - if i catch a 3kg fish and tell to my friend he will tell to others how i managed to catch 5kg fish and so on, after few months people will talk about how i managed to fish a whale out of the ocean

[Taun]

something fishy...why is there a naked guy hiding in a room in the background of the picture?

Maybe it's his pants the old guy is wearing...

[Duke Wellington]

But bible said there were people who lived hundreds of years.

There are also historical accounts in Asia of people living centuries and for all we know some of them might be true.

Genetics: Scientists know certain genes increase the chances of living to be one hundred years old. They are usually associated with small stature and I notice the article says this 131 is quite short. What happens if instead of having one of these genes a person has 10 or 20 or the whole set of them?

Diets: People in Biblical times ate less sugar which came from fruit or occasional honey. Scientists know that insulin drives the aging process by influencing the levels of metabolism. They have made genetically engineered animals that cannot produce insulin, fed them special diets to avoid health problems, and discovered they live ten times longer than usual.

Temperatures: Cold shock proteins (ice cold shower) and heat shock proteins (red hot showers) have been shown to increase the rate at which cells repair themselves beyond the damage the cold or heat caused. Our ancestors lived in a colder world so it could be reasonable that people in Biblical times produced more cold shock protein than we do. They also didn't have things like double glazing.

Any of these, all of these, or maybe other factors from the past could have meant that if someone survived childhood, diseases, injuries and war then their chances of living centuries was far higher than our own.

Edited January 15, 2016 by RabidMongoose

[acute]

His wife is 62?

The man's a pedophile!