You may eat the same as he does already
(Image: Jam Press/Pensión 65)
At 125 years old, Marcelino Abad Tolentino is affectionately known as “Mashico” and holds the title of being the oldest living man in Peru, and possibly the entire world. Living in Huánuco, he marked his 125th birthday on April 5 just a few days ago and is living in a modest care home loving life.
Born in 1900 in the small village of Chaglla, located in the heart of Huánuco, Marcelino has witnessed over a century of profound historical change. Yet, his most remarkable accomplishment remains his enduring health and vitality, which he attributes to a natural diet and an unbreakable spirit.
Over the years, Mashico developed a diet based on the foods he cultivated in his own garden, referred to as his “Eden forest.” His meals have long consisted of an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lamb meat – ingredients he believes have been essential to his remarkable longevity.
His diet was complemented by what he collected from nature himself, such as herbs and medicinal plants – a habit inherited from ancestral knowledge of Andean peoples, reports infobae. Dolores Pérez, cook at the care home, said there is one thing he can’t live without – and it’s had a positive impact on his longevity:
“He always asks for avocado in the mornings for breakfast. He cannot live without avocado,” she commented.
One unusual part of diet diet though comes from the traditional Andean practice of chewing coca leaves – something he picked up while working on farms.
He did this in order to boost his energy levels and overall well-being. Another staple he never goes without is avocado and for him, this is a daily must-have saying it’s perhaps one of the vital secrets behind his remarkable longevity.
In fact, when it comes to chewing Coca Leaves, one study notes that “Andean Indians have used coca leaves ( rythroxylon coca and related species) for centuries to enhance physical performance.” When it comes to the benefits and disadvantages of using coca leaf , the researches subjected 10 healthy adult males (local residents) in Cajamarca (Peru, altitude 2700 m) to a standardised exercise routine on a stationary cycle ergometer.
The study reports that participants were provided with 8 grams of coca leaves to chew, accompanied by a small amount of lime. Following this, they underwent a 20-minute session on a cycle ergometer, during which their blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse, ECG, and VO2 max were monitored.
They concluded: “These experimental findings suggest that chewing coca leaves is beneficial during exercise and that the effects are felt over a prolonged period of sustained physical activity.”
According to Misael Ayra, promoter of social programme Pensión 65 in Huánuco, Marcelino consumed natural products that kept him vigorous. “Every time we visited him before he entered the care home, he would give us fruits from his garden. It was like a source of vitality,” he assured.
Although Marcelino can no longer walk unaided, he still enjoys his daily outings in a wheelchair. His health is considered “stable,” and despite losing his parents at 7 after they tragically drowned while trying to cross the Huallaga River, he learned to adapt and navigate life largely on his own.
