'World's Oldest Man' at 131 Discovered in Brazil; 5 Latin American Food to Help Improve Longevity

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Jan 16, 2016 09:34 AM EST

The current title for the world's longest-living person belongs to a Frenchwoman named Jeanne Calment who died at the age of 122 almost a couple of decades ago. However, her record could soon be passed on to one Brazilian man if claims from Brazil's Ministry of Social Security will prove to be accurate.

And, it won't be another posthumous award as João Coelho de Souza is quite as "lucid" as anyone can be at his age of 131 years old. He lives within the confines of the great Amazon jungle in a region just adjacent to the border of Peru.

"While the current record holder for oldest living person (male) is Yasutaro Koide, we are aware of this claim and are investigating," a spokesperson for the Guinness Book of Records told Fox News Latino. "We will provide more information and an update as to whether or not Mr. Coelho has claimed the title, as soon as we are able to."

Based on his birth certificate, Coelho de Souza was born on March 10, 1884 in the city of Meruoca, which is part of the state of Ceará in the northeastern portion of Brazil. According to the Brazilian media, he eats three meals a day and rice, fish and meat are his favorites.

And while most of us could consume rice, fish and meat for most of our days and still be hard pressed to even reach 60, there are some healthy foods experts believe we can turn to for a longer life.

One of the Latin American Foods that could help ensure longevity is the (1) Nicoya Peninsula's Corn Tortilla Recipe. When Dan Buettner, a National Geographic explorer, traveled to visit the Blue Zone countries from Europe, Latin America, Asia where researchers found the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world, he recalled being served by a centenarian a meal made of rice and beans, garnished with cheese and cilantro, on corn tortillas, with an egg on top.

"The big secret of the Nicoyan diet was the 'three sisters' of Meso-American agriculture: beans, corn and squash." Those three staples, plus papayas, yams, bananas and peach palms are what fuel the region's elders over the century," he said.

According to PeruThisWeek, some of the superfoods found in the Amazon that could help boost health include (2) Lucuma, which is a fruit rich in antioxidants and a good source of beta-carotene and calcium; and (3) Camu camu, which packed with vitamin C and a good anti-ageing food. Meanwhile, (4) quinoa, which is used in many Latin American recipes is full of antioxidants, high in protein, and high in fiber.

And, let's not forget one of the most popular Mexican recipes: the (5) guacamole. It's main ingredient is avocado that helps in lowering bad cholesterol and improving heart health. It helps in increasing your chances of a long life, Health.com stated.

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