In recent years, much research has been conducted on length of life, especially on those cultures that not only live longer on average than other peoples, but thrive; having less physical and mental deterioration as they age. Many of these people live in areas dubbed “blue zones.”
It’s often suggested that improvements in farming, habitation, cooking, sanitation, improved nutrition, etc., have increased human longevity. However, these factors are widespread, yet longevity on a grand scale eludes most cultures. Interestingly, in 1842,  M.A. Quetelet reported that the average life span was between 32 and 33 years in Belgium, France, and England; yet he also recorded the presence of 16 centenarians in January 1831 in Belgium. The oldest among them was 111 years old.
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