There’s now a study going on centenarians to see exactly what, if anything, genetic might be responsible for their long lives.
I know that my maternal grandmother lived to be 96 (would have lived longer if she hadn’t broken her hip), and my eldest maternal aunt is now in her mid to late 80s, but doesn’t look it. She’s also “going strong” still able to drive, as alert as she ever was, a great old gal.
My grandfather lived to be 102. He never smoked, always walked, and had ramrod-straight posture all his life. He drank a couple of glasses of muscatel every day.
My father smoked for 50 years, never exercised, had a sausage-based diet, and at one point weighed over 300 pounds. He never seemed to age - right up until he died at age 80.
Genetics HAS to have something to do with it.
My granddad lived to 86 which doesn’t sound too impressive until you take the lifetime of heavy smoking and that he died of emphysema. He went fairly quickly, he never had an oxygen tank and he smoked until he was 84 having started at 12.
He drank at least a glass of wine every day although he had a strong fondness for whisky and often had a glass or two after dinner.
The one good habit that he had was very good eating habits. He ate four small balanced meals a day and walked everywhere.
My grandmother is now 85 and is in great health. She still walks everywhere and moves fairly quickly for someone her age. She also eats a very balanced diet she doesn’t smoke or drink more than a glass of wine with a dinner.
The one thing that both of my grandparents had in common is that they didn’t eat any processed food. The vegetables were always fresh, my grandma makes her pasta from scratch and doesn’t used any canned goods. The only things frozen in her home is meat.