150 Year Old Mountain People Akhazia Documentary [1975]

In 1975, Morley Safer visited the lush valleys of Abkhazia where residents routinely lived to 100 - without giving up wine, meat, or cigarettes.

In the lush valleys of Abkhazia, located on the border of southern Russia, Safer found that living to 100 or older is not uncommon-- and drinking alcohol may have played a role in the villagers' longevity. Local doctors told Safer that the quantity of wine and alcohol they consumed may have shielded them from disease.

And the Abkhazians Safer met certainly knew how to drink. While attending the 135th birthday of Kfaf Lasuria, the oldest person in the Soviet Union at the time, Safer watched the birthday girl smoke cigarettes, and chug a large glass of alcohol to shouts of encouragement from partygoers.

Beyond their love of spirits, the elderly Abkhazians had other habits that may have contributed to the strange, yet miraculous trend of longevity in the region. For example, many of the supercentenarians were accustomed to the daily physical labor of gardening and keeping livestock. They also made an effort to lead stress-free lives. Most notably, a doctor told Safer that it was rare for Abkhazians to utter harsh words, and their families enjoyed close relationships.