123-year-old Bolivian farmer on ancient diet is alive and kicking

Tuesday, Sep 03, 2013
Reuters

Meet Bolivian indigenous farmer Carmelo Flores, who could be the oldest person to have ever lived. What's his secret? Not vitamin supplements, protein shakes or a gym membership.

No, he attributes his longevity to quinoa grains, riverside mushrooms and around-the-clock chewing of coca leaves.

Speaking in the 4,000-metre high hamlet in Frasquia, where he lives in a straw-roofed hut, Carmelo says a traditional Andean diet has kept him alive for 123 years.

"Potatoes with quinoa are delicious," he said in Aymara, the only language the nearly deaf man speaks.

It's impossible to verify Carmelo's age as the impoverished, landlocked South American country only started issuing official birth certificates in 1940.

But he says his baptism certificate lists his birthday as July 16, 1890 and he has national identity documents based on the certificate.

Bolivia's Civil Registry Office says it's looking into the validity of the documents and cannot comment until the investigation is completed.

Still, many in Bolivia are celebrating Carmelo's longevity. A local government official even awarded him the title of 'Living Heritage Of Humanity' yesterday on August 26.

Meanwhile, the title of oldest human being ever to have lived officially belongs to France's Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 in 1997, according to the Guinness World Records organisation.

Guinness hasn't responded to Carmelo's claim that he's the new titleholder.

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