Recipe for Longevity: Raw Eggs, Rosemary and Sex
Becoming a centenarian might be easier than previously thought: just lie.
Dharam Pal Singh says he was born October 6, 1897, but that has come under scrutiny since he’s still a competitive runner. The World Masters Athletics Championships requested for four years that he provide reliable evidence of his age, and he could not. Dr. Thomas T. Perls, an expert on aging, told The Times that being able to race at 119 has the same odds as “building a rocket ship and going to Pluto. Inconceivable.”
Whatever the truth is, Mr. Singh certainly is not young. He credits his longevity to sleeping on a hard bed to keep his spine straight, and herb- al chutney. He also said he avoids the usual culprits: sugar, fried food, caffeine, tobacco and alcohol.
“I may compete until I’m 125,” said Mr. Singh, who may be closer to 79, according to records in India.
Other recent recommendations from The Times for aging well include the obvious, such as staying active, and the less obvious, which are somewhat dubious and sometimes contradictory: being active on social media, keeping a pet turtle, cooking with lots of rosemary, eating raw eggs every day, joining motorcycle clubs, having a happy spouse, and staying single.
The Times reported that researchers are studying a community in Acciaroli, Italy, where the quality of life for people “with nine or 10 decades behind them is high: virtually no cataracts, few bone fractures, excellent heart health, and a low incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.”
They get lots of sun and their diet includes rabbits, anchovies and a potent variety of rosemary. Whatever their magic formula is, it keeps them youthful in another important way.
“At 95, they have brains more like someone who is 50, and at 50, you’re still thinking a lot about sex,” Dr. Salvatore Di Somma told The Times. “The sexual activity is huge.”
All over the world, it seems, being sexy isn’t just for young people anymore. In China, Wang Deshun has become a sex symbol by strutting down runways at 80. His fans call him laoxianrou, which means “old fresh meat.”
“Far from looking frail, the silver-haired actor, model and artist wore a crisp white shirt and black jeans, his back straight and his eyes glittering with humor,” Didi Kristen Tatlow wrote in The Times.
“I should wear a long robe, with the word ‘longevity’ embroidered on the front,” said Mr. Wang, who exercises daily. “One way to tell if you’re old or not is to ask yourself, ‘Do you dare try something you’ve never done before?’ Nature determines age, but you determine your state of mind.”
Mr. Wang would have to live nearly four more decades to match the world’s oldest person, who recently celebrated her 117th birthday. Emma Morano is believed to be the last human alive who was born in the 1800s — if Mr. Singh isn’t quite as old as he says.
Ms. Morano, who lives in Rome, eats two raw eggs a day, as well as bananas and ladyfinger cookies. She also credits something else: staying single after her divorce in 1938, despite having many suitors.
“I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,” she said.
Dr. Carlo Bava told The Times that Ms. Morano is “in great form” and offered another theory about her longevity. While she doesn’t have a spouse, she is not alone and has been cared for.
“The secret is in growing old with people who love you, which is different from growing old and being put up with,” Dr. Bava said. “That’s the secret to a long life.”