An 110-year-old who’s never had back pain and eats burgers shares his 6 longevity secrets
AT 110 years old, you’d assume someone would be long past the age of driving and would certainly suffer from the odd backache and other health concerns.
But Vincent Dransfield, thought to be the eighth oldest man in the world, still hops in the car daily to buy himself coffee and lunch.
And he’s never suffered major health issues like heart disease or cancer, only having been under anaesthesia twice.
His granddaughter Erica Lista told TODAY.com that Vincent doesn’t even suffer from back pain or headaches.
She has more health issues at 49 than her grandfather does at 110, Erica said.
It’s more common for women to live to the ripe old age of 100, as only 15 per cent of centenarians are male, according to the New England Centenarian Study.
Vincent has beat the odds in more ways than one, as – the the age of 110 – he’s a supercentenarian.
Only 10 per cent of people who live to 110 or older are men, according to the New England study.
The Little Falls, New Jersey, resident is currently the eighth oldest man in the world, according to the Gerontology Research Group who put together a list of validated supercentenarians.
Vincent revealed six daily habits that he believes play a key role in his surprisingly long and healthy life.
1. Drinking milk daily
Vincent began working at a dairy farm aged 15 to help support his family.
In the five years he delivered milk, he picked up the habit of drinking it too.
“I was drinking milk and eating well because I worked on a farm.
“And I often go back and think they gave me a good start in life and for my bones in my body,” Vincent told TODAY.com.
Though many people can develop a lactose intolerance as they get older, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) says the calcium in milk and dairy can help:
- Keep muscles, bones, nerves, teeth, skin and vision healthy
- Release energy from foods and reduce tiredness and fatigue
- Maintain healthy blood pressure
- Support normal growth and brain development
- And even support normal immune functioning
Nowadays, Vincent prefers to drink post-breakfast glass of milk with Ovaltine, a milk nutrition supplement flavoured with malt, crediting the stuff to his longevity.
He even had his guests drink Ovaltine at his 100th birthday party.
2. Keeping active, though not at the gym
Vincent joined his local fire department at 21 years old.
Though he wasn’t a gym-goer, he said his volunteer work gave him the dose of exercise he needed.
“I was active and ran out when the alarm went off for 40 years,” he said.
“Then for the next 40 years, (I continued) when I felt like it.”
He finds people who jog funny, joking to his granddaughter “Where are they running to?”
On top of that, Vincent runs errands daily.
A recent study found that found that walking just 5,000 steps three days a week can increase life expectancy by three years.
3. Not being too careful about food
Scientists maintain that ditching junk food and fizzy drinks could add up to a decade to your life expectancy.
But Vincent’s indulgences over the years don’t seem to have made a dent.
Longevity tips from the Blue Zones
The Blue Zones are five regions across the world where people regularly live to the ripe old age of 100, largely thanks to their diets and daily habits.
The term was coined by author and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, who made a name for himself studying the world’s longest living people.
The Blue Zones include Okinawa in Japan, the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Ikaria in Greece, Sardinia in Italy and Loma Linda in California.
According to Dan, inhabitants of these swear by nine lifestyle tips.
Dubbed the ‘Power 9’, the longevity guru argued that they can provide “instructions and clues for how we can set up our lives to live longer”.
They include:
- Moving naturally rather than going to the gym
- Having a purpose in iife
- Keeping stress to minimum with naps and happy hours
- Stopping eating before you’re full
- Eating mostly plants
- Drink no more than two glasses of wine a day and never bingeing
- Belonging to a community, faith-based or not
- Putting your loved ones first
- Keeping a social circle that supports healthy behaviours
Read more on the Power 9 tips here.
He enjoys Italian food, hamburgers, salad, milk chocolate and other sweets and often heats up microwaved meals or picks up food from a nearby restaurant.
The supercentenarian also has a daily cup of coffee and the occasional beer, though he doesn’t enjoy other kinds of alcohol.
“What’s crazy is he was not careful about his diet,” Erica said.
“He has eaten whatever he wants. He has never watched his weight. He’s never had to lose weight. He’s always been fit.”
4. Quitting smoking
Vincent started smoking when he was 50, after another firefighter offered him a cigarette and he enjoyed it.
He continued doing so for 20 years until one day he told Erica he’d decided to quit.
Swearing off tobacco was as simple as that for Vincent, as he threw out his cigarettes and never picked up one again.
Smoking can cut years from your life as it’s associated with a number of different diseases, but it’s never too late to quit the habit.
5. Keeping social connections
Vincent thinks of himself as an optimist and maintains that his connection to people is the secret to his long life.
“Knowing people and loving people makes me live longer,” he said.
Despite his wife dying in 1992, he’s kept in regular contact with his family.
His three grandchildren visit him once a week and call every other day to check in.
Friends he made volunteering at the fire department also kept him going, as he’d visit the station daily to hand out with them and thought of them as his family.