A tiny man – who is just 4’3” tall – is thought to be the world’s oldest person after turning 125.
Marcelino Abad Tolentino puts his longevity down to his diet.
He eats vegetables from his own garden.
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Marcelino – who is nicknamed Mashico – also swears by consuming fruit and lamb.
His favourite food is avocado.
He celebrated his birthday at a care home on Saturday (5 Apr).
He was orphaned at the age of seven in tragic circumstances when his parents died while trying to cross a river.
He did not attend school because the nearest one was too far away, so he began working the fields, rearing animals and bartering farm goods.
He never had a partner or children and led a simple, solitary and self-sufficient life, as reported by Need To Know.
He also chewed coca leaves – a habit he picked up to stay energised during his time working in the fields.
Mashico supplemented his diet with herbs and medicinal plants he gathered from the wild.
He calls his own produce as coming from the “Garden of Eden”.
Mashico says he used knowledge passed down through the ages.
Dolores Pérez – the cook at his care home in Huánuco, Peru – told local media: “He always asks for avocado in the mornings for breakfast.
“He can’t live without his avocado.”
Mashico was born in the remote Chaglla District, which sits at nearly 10,000ft.
His government-issued photo ID lists his year of birth as 1900.
His acquaintances describe him as “kind” and say he always helped those in need.
It is not clear if Guinness World Records is working to certify him as the oldest living person.
The record is currently held by Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who is 116 years old.
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