Wine and work: secrets of longevity of the oldest man in the world

Spaniard Francisco Nunes Oliver, who holds the title of the world's oldest man, celebrated his 113th birthday.

Source: The Local

Francisco was born on December 13, 1904 in the town of Bienvenida (province of Badajoz). He took part in the Spanish-Franco-Moroccan War and the Civil War. Francisco has four children, nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. In August 2017, he received the title of the oldest man in the world after his death Yisrael Krishtal from Israel, a Holocaust survivor who lived 113 years and 330 days.

Francisco became a widower in 1988 and is survived by his two sons. He now lives with his eldest daughter, 81-year-old Maria. Francisco spent his birthday with his daughter: he started with a cake for breakfast, and then read greeting cards sent to him by people from all over the world.

Francisco cites good genes, hard work and a proper diet of self-grown vegetables as the reasons for his longevity. And he also drinks a glass of wine every day.

His daughter added that there are several other reasons why her father has been living so long: a quiet life in the village, working for himself, no quarrels and disputes with his family and enjoying life that revolves around the field, the house and the village bar.

The centenarian himself admitted that he was "insanely glad" to be the oldest man on earth. When asked about how he feels, he replies: "I'm a hundred and something years old, I've been living for a very long time." But when asked how much longer he wants to live, Francisco replies: "I'll live for a couple more years, I think."

The oldest man in the world does not complain about his health. He was in the hospital only three times: at the age of 90 he had a kidney removed, at 98 he underwent cataract surgery, and at 108 Nunez was hospitalized with a urinary tract infection. Since then, he has been using a wheelchair. He is a little deaf in one ear, but he has no dangerous diseases, and he has never broken bones and his blood pressure is quite normal for such an age.

Spaniards generally have one of the highest levels of life expectancy. This is often explained by the Mediterranean diet and the traditional measured pace of life. Also, the oldest woman in Europe lives in Spain, who celebrated her 116th birthday in October 2017. And one Spaniard, who lived to be 107 years old, explained longevity with a diet based on red wine.