They say you are what you eat, and that eating all the right foods can help you live longer and reach old age.
It all sounds like propaganda from the health food industry, but for one family it really does ring true.
The Melis family, dubbed the 'world's oldest family', credit their long lives down to their diets - and to one meal in particular.
The family have made it into the Guinness World Records for being the family with the highest combined age, with a staggering 818 years between them, so they must be doing something right.
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Featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, they have become local legends and earned a fanbase online. The family, which includes three brothers and six sisters, live in Sardinia claim their huge combined age is down to their healthy Mediterranean diets.
Part of this diet, which is renowned for its health benefits, is the Melis family favourite of a chunky three-bean minestrone soup with vegetables, eaten every day for lunch.
The recipe is said to contain garbanzo, pinto and white beans alongside vegetables, and they typically pair it with a bit of sourdough bread on the side. They even tend to chase it down with a small glass of red wine.
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The simple but nutritious meal is thought to be the secret behind the family's extended ages, and to helping them stay fit and healthy into old age.
Speaking on the presentation of their Guinness World Record, Craig Glenday said: "The Mediterranean lifestyle is always held up as being beneficial to a long, healthy life, and Italians in particular feature prominently in the list of supercentenarians and centenarians."
The Mediterranean diet, named as such because it's often favoured by countries in that part of Europe, is said to be great for reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
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Following this diet is also associated with a longer life expectancy, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, so it's essentially a one way ticket to living older and happier.
The Mediterranean diet consists of high intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, with moderate amounts of fish and poultry, and limited red meat and processed foods.
As the Melis lunchtime tradition proves though, it doesn't have to mean skipping out on treats or the occasional glass of wine either, but having it in moderation.
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The family were awarded the 'world's oldest family' title back in 2012, and sadly in recent years some of them have since passed away. Eldest sibling Consolata Melis died in 2015 aged 108, while her sister Claudina died the following year at the age of 103, fellow sister Maria died at the ripe old age of 100 and their brother Antonio died aged 97.
Niamh Spence