Donnelly, the world's oldest family, lives in Ireland. The family has 13 brothers and sisters, whose total age exceeds 1000 years. The family's record was entered in the Guinness Book of Records in July 2017.
After the record was recorded, the Donnelly brothers and sisters talked about what their longevity may be due to. They said that they always worked hard, played Gallic football, ate a lot of apples grown in their own garden, and also practically did not drink alcohol. The apples, which are still grown at Donnelly Farm, are considered some of the finest in the UK. They are used to make cider and the famous apple pies.
The youngest member of the family, Leo, is 70 years old. He revealed another family secret to reporters. In his opinion, the whole point is that the whole family ate oatmeal twice a day. “We have always followed our father’s ritual of having a warm snack before bed. We ate porridge at 10 pm, and then for breakfast at 7 am. Oatmeal with milk and a spoonful of apple jam on top. Porridge before going to bed and porridge after sleep - that's how we used to do it."
The parents of Donnelly's siblings, Peter and Ellen, moved to Ireland in 1921. The family had 16 children in total. Now only 13 of them survived. The oldest, Sean, is 92 years old. Maureen, 91, says that "the health of all family members is excellent, the same as we did when we were 50 or 60."
Scientists from the International Longevity Center decided to take a closer look at the Donnelly family's diet to see if it was really oatmeal. It is possible that the quality of the products was also important - Leo explains that the family never ate semi-finished products, trying to consume only what they grew themselves.
They ate eggs from their own chickens and meat from animals that lived on the family farm. And, of course, Donnelly never bought oats for porridge, but grew on their own land. He believes the Donnelly family would now be called organic food devotees.
It is likely that consuming oatmeal regularly can actually promote longevity. One study found that those who regularly ate whole grains were 15% less likely to die from heart problems.
Oats contain vitamin B12, which is important for the regulation of melatonin production, sleep control and the body's biological clock. Beta glucan lowers "bad" cholesterol levels and reduces the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease. Oatmeal is known to also contain antioxidants that can help prevent atherosclerosis. In general, oatmeal is a real superfood.
Promotional video: