Britt Jones
We all hope to live a long life, and one set of identical twin sisters might just have the answers on how to achieve it.
Ageing is natural, but living as long as possible is usually the goal of many.
From the things that we eat, to the lifestyle we choose - there’s always tips and tricks (especially online) that tout the secret to living until 100.
But identical twins Bernice Frank and Gloria Lipman have not only lived to 100, but they also have their own sense of what has kept them alive for so long.
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Now, the pair, from Raleigh, are by no means the oldest people in the world, nor are they the first to have the answers to what promotes longer life.
For example, Maria Branyas Morera was 117-years-old when she passed away in August 2024, winning the world title of 'the oldest person in the world' in the Guinness World Records in January 2023.
Scientists even studied her DNA, and believe that her healthy habits helped increase her lifespan.
Maria’s microbiome and DNA were investigated by researchers at Barcelona University, whose findings show that the 117-year-old had the 'microbiome of a child' and a 'privileged genome'.
They contributed her choice to never drink alcohol, smoke cigarette and her adoption of a Mediterranean diet as reasons for her good health.
But as for Bernice and Gloria, they’ve got other things they attribute to their good health.
Speaking to CBS 17 after celebrating their birthday at the end of June, the pair explained the lives they have lived and their hopes for the future.
Bernice first laid down the law in the beginning, stating that she was the ‘oldest sister by ten minutes’, as Gloria said: “I was born 10 minutes after and I've been after her ever since.”
As for how they have lived for so long, Gloria shared that she has been regularly exercising for going on 50 years and now takes part in doing yoga.
Bernice, on the other hand, said that ‘doing a lot of interesting things with your life keeps this going’ in reference to her brain.
She added that your outlook on life also needs to be positive, stating: “Loving every single person that you meet because most people have goodness in them. You always have to follow your heart and if you do, you don't regret things.”
Interestingly, one resident of Great Britain has instead decided that a specific food has allowed him to celebrate his 100th birthday.
Albert Stiles, who lives in a care home in Bristol, reached 100 in October last year and opened up about how ‘very unreal’ it feels, claiming: “Living a wholesome life but eating beetroot might have helped.”
If you’re not too sure about beets, then maybe this Japanese lady could convince you of her lifestyle.
Tomiko Itooka was once recognized as the oldest person in the world for the last few months of her life following the death of Maria.
A banana and a yogurt-flavored Japanese dairy drink called Calpais every day is believed to have helped her somewhat when it came to living longer.
So, who really knows?