It’s Official, Bacon Is Key To Life! World’s Oldest Woman Swears By It

At 116-years-old Susannah Mushatt Jones is currently the world’s oldest living woman. Her secret to longevity, she says, can be chalked up to a wonderfully bacon filled breakfast every morning. Jones says that every morning for over a century now, literally, she has eggs, bacon, and grits to start off her day.

Susannah Mushatt Jones has the honor of being one of the only two persons, in the world, that were born in the 1800’s and in July, Guinness World Records declared her to be the oldest living woman. Now, while many can put forth great arguments as to why bacon may not be the healthiest thing to eat, but Miss Jones swears by her four strips daily and she’s not the only one. In fact, she has a sign in her kitchen that reads “Bacon makes everything better.”

Guinness also says that in addition to bacon Jones also credits her long life to “lots of sleep.” Family members insist though that heart is a factor, citing that she has lived such a long life because of her love for her family and her generosity to all those around her. Friends call her Miss Susie while family members just call her ‘T.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=WSwnpY-KyLQ

Jones has lived through a lot of history with her bacon. When she was born on July 6, 1899, the Spanish-American War was only recently over and the United States was only on its 25th President, William McKinley. Jones was the third of 11 children for her father, who was a cotton picker in Alabama. She attended a special school for black girls and after graduating in 1922 she joined her father in the field. After only a year, Susannah headed to New York City where she was a nanny for those Roaring Twenties. Sport Act recounted that two world wars, technological revolutions, the civil rights movement, and the election of America’s first black President have paid witness to the life of Susannah Mushatt Jones.

Her daily quota of bacon has been met in Brooklyn, New York at a public housing complex for the elderly for the past three decades. Up until the age of 106, Jones was still taking part in tenant security patrols until she went blind 15 years ago. The 116-year-old only sees a doctor about three times a year and remains active enough to not be bed bound and the only medication she takes is for high blood pressure.

Considering her daily diet, this information may surprise many, but the protein found in bacon is actually extremely valuable and can play a great part in maintaining our energy levels and having a fully functioning, healthy body. In fact, bacon actually has less saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol than many other popular meats like beef and chicken. Bacon Today also waxed poetically that several medical centers and university studies have shown that making bacon a regular, moderate part of a person’s diet works to naturally lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Bacon in the diet can also help to prevent and/or alleviate the effects of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Of course, Jones does balance out all that bacon. People magazine says that she has fruits with lunch and a classic meal of meat, potatoes, and veggies for dinner.

If the world's oldest woman eats bacon every day, we can, too—right? http://t.co/SdbRgahRPZ pic.twitter.com/EwWIKrZEzC

— People (@people) October 5, 2015

Jones marriage was short-lived, only lasting a few years and she never had any children of her own, even though her family says she loves them. She has no shortage of family members though, and spent her birthday surrounded by majority of her 100 nieces and nephews.

Reportedly, the oldest woman alive also knew how to indulge herself as well. One niece reports that Susannah would save her money for a trip to Bloomingdale’s for some high-end lace lingerie.

The only other living person to have been born in the 1800’s is Emma Morano, and she lives in Verbania, Italy. Only a few months younger than Jones, she is the oldest living person in Europe. Morano also attributes a breakfast food to her long life but with a twist, she eats several raw eggs everyday.

Jones’ four strips of bacon sounds like a much more fun way to prolong life.

[Photo Courtesy of Chicago Tribune/ Getty Images]