Oldest Man: 256 years

Li Ching - Yuen from China lived 256 years, born in 1677 in the town of Qi Jiang Xian in the Szechuan province.

He was a martial artist and a tactical adviser and he died in 1933, having over 200 descendants during his life span and surviving 23 wives.

How did he do it?

Ching-Yuen is reported to have lived off a diet of herbs and rice wine inculding lingzhi, Goji Berries- wild ginseng, he shou wu and gotu kola.

Is there proof?

In a 1930 New York Times article, Professor Wu Chung-chieh of the University of Chengdu found Imperial Chinese government records from 1827, congratulating Li Ching-Yuen on his 150th birthday.

Further documents later congratulate him on his 200th birthday in 1877.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Ching-Yuen