Worlds oldest human: According to the country’s administration, Marcelino Abad, a local from the Huanuco region in central Peru, is 124 years old.
LIMA: If a recent claim by state officials about a 124-year-old guy born in 1900 turns out to be accurate, Peru’s Andean mountains could be the key to longevity and the world’s oldest person ever.
According to the country’s administration, Marcelino Abad, a local from the Huanuco region in central Peru, is 124 years old, making him the oldest person still alive and possibly the oldest person ever to be independently verified.
“Among the tranquility of the flora and fauna of Huanuco, Marcelino Abad Tolentino or ‘Mashico’ developed a healthy way of life and inner peace, reflected in his good health and friendly personality,” according to a statement from the government.
“This allowed him, with resilience and skill, to overcome 12 decades of life and on April 5th he just blew out 124 candles.”
Authorities in Peru claim to be assisting Abad in his application for independent verification to the Guinness World Records.
“Many applications are submitted to Guinness World Records by people claiming to be the oldest living person,” an official for the organization told Reuters in a written statement.
To validate the assertion, a team of experts would examine official records and additional proof to “prove their achievement beyond doubt.”
A 111-year-old Briton holds the record for the oldest living man according to Guinness World Records. He was awarded the title this month following the death of a 114-year-old Venezuelan man. The oldest verified person was 122 years old, while the oldest living woman is 117.
Born in the tiny village of Chaglla, Abad had led a quiet life until 2019 when he was recognized by the Peruvian government, who then granted him an official ID and pension.
Abad, who turned 124 on April 5, claims that eating a diet high in fruits and lamb meat is one of the keys to his vigor, according to a statement released by the pension program he participates in.
Additionally, the centenarian developed the practice of chewing coca leaves, which is customary in Andean tribes in Peru.
Abad is currently a resident of a senior living facility, where he was given a lavish birthday celebration this month, complete with a cake adorned with a figurine of himself.
