A woman claimed to be the oldest person ever has said that chocolate is one of the secrets behind her long life. 

Leandra Becerra Lumbreras from Mexico is said to be celebrating her 127th birthday today, with a purported birth date of 31 August 1887. As reported by Metro, chocolate, never getting married, an active lifestyle and sleeping for days on end are some of the reasons her family attribute to her long lifespan.

Ms Lumbereas is said to have 55 great-great-grandchildren, and is believed to have fought in the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917). 

However, the claim that Ms Lumbreras is the oldest woman ever has not yet been verified by Guinness World Records, although Mexican authorities are attempting to issue her with a new birth certificate after the original is reported to have been lost four decades ago.

She has some competition too to the title too, with China's Alimihan Seyiti claiming she is 128 years old, although doubts have been cast over the claim.

The verified oldest person ever was Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 aged 122. Currently, Misao Okawa from Japan is the verified oldest living person at age 116.