Guinness World Records are saddened to hear that Saturnino de la Fuente García (Spain) has passed away at his house at the age of 112 years and 341 days.
The news has been confirmed by Senior Gerontology Consultant Robert Young, who also helped confirm Saturnino’s record as the oldest person living (male) in September 2021. The record holder was announced as the oldest man living at exactly 112 years and 211 days.
Born in the neighborhood of Ponte Castro, Leon, on the 8th of February 1909, Saturnino – also known as “El pepino” – married Antonina Barrio Gutiérrez in 1933. With Antonina, he lived a kind and long life “without hurting anyone” (which Saturnino himself defined
as the secret of his longevity) and had seven daughters.
Thanks to his short height, only 1.50 m (4.92 ft), Saturnino recounts that he avoided being enlisted into the 1936 Spanish Civil War and, instead, established a flourishing shoemaker business. That is how El Pepino’s (a shortened version for Peña, the name of Saturnino’s mother) craftsman skills brought him to create boots for the army and to become a famous artisan in the area.
When he wasn’t occupied with his successful business, Saturnino cultivated another passion: playing soccer. Always a supporter of Leon’s team Cultural Leonesa, he also
co-founded Puente Castro’s local team. His teammates, to honor his 110th birthday,
paid homage to Saturnino and celebrated him as the oldest member of the club.
His memory lives on in his seven daughters, 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Oldest man alive is a Spanish shoemaker who survived two pandemics and a plane crashing into the ceiling of his home – Olive Press News Spain (theolivepress.es)
The oldest woman in Spain overcomes coronavirus at 113 – Olive Press News Spain (theolivepress.es)
Spain to have longest life expectancy in 2040: Study | Euronews
People in Spain will soon have the longest lifespans of anyone in the world —
here are their secrets By Peter Kotecki
Spain is on track to have the world’s longest life expectancy by 2040 with a lifespan
of 85.8 years, surpassing Japan. A report from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which formed in 2007 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Found that Japan will fall to second place with a life expectancy of 85.7 years. Although the report does not provide reasoning for each country’s ranking, the institute analyzed 250 different causes of death to reach conclusions.
Researchers took into account high blood pressure, tobacco usage, unsafe water and sanitation, air pollution, child malnutrition, and many other factors.
Read more: Spain will have the world’s longest life expectancy in the next 20 years — and the US will fall behind China in the rankings.
Spain is one of only four countries set to exceed an 85-year life expectancy by 2040. The country spends about 10% of its GDP on healthcare, according to the online expat guide Expatica. Spain also ranks very highly in global lists of healthcare systems. In the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Competitiveness Report, for example, Spain tied for the healthiest country in the world.
Here are some of the reasons why people in Spain live so long.
EAT LIKE A SPANIARD is the Mediterranean diet actually healthy?
Spain is famous for its Mediterranean diet, and some residents see it as the main reason for their high life expectancy. Fernando de la Fuente, who has run a fruit and vegetable stall in a Madrid market for 47 years, told The Guardian he was unsurprised that researchers see a connection between Spaniards’ diet and longevity.
He said people in Spain eat well because they include fruits, vegetables, and fish in their diet all year. Fruits and vegetables are generally both accessible and affordable throughout Spain.
“A Spanish diet without fruit and vegetables is just unthinkable,” de la Fuente told The Guardian. There is growing evidence that the Mediterranean diet — which emphasizes vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, and whole grains while slashing processed foods and red meat — can help protect people from aging.
Read more: There’s even more evidence that one type of diet is the best for your body and brain — and it could save you money, too
Studies show that people who follow this diet have a reduced risk of heart problems, diabetes, and some types of cancer. The diet is also rich in healthy fats that have been linked to higher cognitive performance and a lower risk of dementia.
The healthcare system in Spain ranks as one of the world’s best.
All Spanish citizens have a constitutionally guaranteed access to the country’s universal healthcare system, and less than 20% of residents choose to obtain private health insurance.
Spain is also a tight-knit country where people place great emphasis on family.
Antonio Abellán, who conducts research on aging at the National Research Council
in Spain, told The Guardian those social relationships play a large role in Spaniards’ longevity. Spain is not the only Mediterranean country to value family so much, but Abellán said being close with one’s relatives goes a long way for health.
“It’s not the only thing — nor the most important thing — but I think it goes some way to explaining the differences between Spain and other countries,” Abellán told The Guardian. “It’s a bonus. If you live better, you end up living longer.”
Spaniards drink more than Americans and residents of many other countries, but that hasn’t stopped them from ranking high for longevity. On average, a Spanish person consumes 2.96 gallons of alcohol per year, according to El Pais. That is twice the global average — about 1.64 gallons per year — and higher than Europe’s 2.88-gallon average. Despite these elevated averages, the same data shows that 31% of the population does not drink at all.
Read more: 6 dangerous things that can happen to your body when you drink too much
Some research suggests that people who drink in moderation may live longer than
those who don’t drink. Many studies, however, have linked alcohol consumption to brain damage, liver disease, and various cancers, and one study says having just one drink above the recommended weekly limit can shorten one’s life by 30 minutes.
Despite moving toward the top of life expectancy rankings, people in Spain could benefit from smoking less.
Smoking cigarettes remains popular in Spain, even after the country passed a law in 2011 that prohibits smoking in bars and restaurants.
According to El Pais, there have been fewer cases of asthma among children since 2011, and the legislation may also result in fewer heart and lung illnesses.
Still, each Spanish person smokes an average of 1,499 cigarettes per year, according to Tobacco Atlas. The number is much higher than that of some countries, such as Norway’s annual average of 553 cigarettes per person, but Spain is still ahead of Japan, where each person smokes an average of 1,583 cigarettes per year.
Spain to have the longest life expectancy by 2040.
PEOPLE living in Spain are set to have the longest life expectancy in the world by 2040 while the UK will sit in 23rd place, a study has revealed.
Beating Japan in second place, Spanish residents are predicted to enjoy an average lifespan of 85.8 years thanks to a healthy Mediterranean diet, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in Seattle.
Experts believe the biggest threats to wellbeing and human lifespan will be high blood pressure and blood sugar, obesity and tobacco and alcohol consumption.
“Spain does really well in those,” Dr Christopher Murray, director of the IHME at the University of Washington told The Guardian, “although tobacco is an area where they could be better. But my current life expectancy is very good.”
In 2016, Japan held the title for the world’s highest life expectancy, due to a well-balanced diet with more fish than red meat, plenty of vegetables and pickled and fermented foods – which are strong probiotics – and very little processed food and sugar.
Experts say every country is expected to see a small increase in life expectancy but it will be slower than previous years.
The rise is likely as long as official policies are adopted to clamp down on smoking, reduce obesity levels and improve clean water supplies and air pollution.
Currently in 26th place, the UK is predicted to rise up to 23rd place with life expectancy increasing from 80.8 years to 83.3 years in 2040.
Top risks for UK residents will be Alzheimer’s disease, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, stroke, colon and rectum cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
However, experts insist there is ‘great potential to alter the downward trajectory of health’ by dealing with risk factors and improving education and income.
The nation at the bottom of the league is Lesotho in southern Africa, with a life expectancy of just 57.3 by 2040, while experts warn that a resurgence of HIV and Aids could further affect mortality rates.
JAPAN has been toppled from first place as the country with the highest life expectancy. The country where people can expect to live the longest is now Spain.
Spain is forecast to have the longest-living residents by 2040Credit: Getty – Contributor
A report by the Institute for the Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in The Lancet forecast that Spaniards will have an average life expectancy of 85.8 years by 2040.
The researchers revealed that the Spanish Mediterranean diet is thought to be the reason for such a high life expectancy.
Dr Christopher Murray, director of the IHME at the University of Washington, told The Guardian: “Spain does really well… although tobacco is an area where they could be better. But my current life expectancy is very good.” Meanwhile Japanese people can expect to live until they are 85.7.
Japan will fall into to second place by 2040, as Spain takes over at the top of the listCredit: AlamyResearch looked at 195 countries and territories, taking into consideration 250 different causes of death.
In third place is Singapore, fourth place is Switzerland, and fifth place is Italy.
Israel is in seventh place, France in eighth, Luxembourg in ninth and Australia in tenth place.
The UK does not feature in the top 20 countries, but is expected to rise to number 23
on the list from number 26 by 2040.
Life expectancy of the top ten countries by 2040
1. Spain (85.8 years)
2. Japan (85.7 years)
3. Singapore (85.4 years)
4. Switzerland (85.2 years)
5. Portugal (84.5 years)
6. Italy (84.5 years)
7. Israel (84.4 years)
8. France (84.3 years)
9. Luxembourg (84.1 years)
10. Australia (84.1 years)
The average life expectancy of a Brit will be 83.3 by 2040 – up from 80.8 in 2016.
Bottom of the list is Lesotho in Southern Africa, which is forecast to have a life expectancy of only 57.3 by 2040.
This is followed by the Central African Republic with 58.4, then Zimbabwe at 61.3.
Could it be the fresh gazpacho or perfectly prepared paella?
Whatever the reason, the Mediterranean country of Spain is set to be the place to be if you’re looking to live the longest. The average life expectancy in Spain will be 85.8 years according to estimates from the Institute of Metrics and Health Evaluation. The increase in longevity will completely change the needs of the population making sectors dedicated to the elderly more important.
The percentage of people living in Spain over the age of 65 is growing year on year. Jose Antonio Herce, chairman of the Board of Experts at BBVA Pension Institute and one of the leading specialists in longevity and pensions said: “We are gaining life expectancy at a rate of 2.5 years every decade.”
The biggest threats to health and life expectancy across the world will be obesity, high blood pressure & blood sugar, tobacco use and drinking alcohol, according to forecasting reports from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Japan has enjoyed the highest life expectancy on the planet for many years but is set to lose its status, according to a study by the Global Burden of Disease, published in the medical journal Lancet,
with a predicted average lifespan just slightly behind Spain at 85.7 years.
The demographic change that is coming will likely cause a revolution in the business sector, with an increasing need to focus on older people. It is inevitable that as an aging population continues to grow, the demand for products and services for the elderly will also rise significantly over the next few years.
Researchers say eating habits may provide clues to health levels enjoyed by Spain and other Mediterranean countries such as Italy, as a “Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, is noted to produce a lower incident rate of major heart disease than a reduced-fat diet,” according to an eating habit study led by the University of Navarra Medical School.
At the bottom of the ranking, Lesotho in southern Africa, is expected to have a life expectancy of only 57.3 by 2040, followed by the Central African Republic with 58.4, Zimbabwe at 61.3 and Somalia at 63.6. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation team warn that a resurgence of HIV/Aids could further decrease life expectancy in these countries.
The future of the world’s health is not preordained, but inequalities are set to remain large. Experts say that nations could make more health-related progress by helping people tackle the major risks, especially smoking and poor diet. By 2040, Spain will have the world’s longest life expectancy — Quartz (qz.com)
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