INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

World’s Oldest Person: Guinness Confirms 116-Year-Old Emma Morano Is The Most Aged Person Today – Woman Shares Her Secret To Longevity

By Alap Naik Desai
Published on: 09:42 PST, May 17, 2016

The Guinness World Records officially bestowed the title of “World’s Oldest Living Person” on Emma Morano. The woman has been alive for 116 years and 169 days. When asked what her secret to longevity is, the sprightly old woman has some interesting answers.

Italian citizen Emma Morano was conferred with the title of “World’s Oldest Living Person” by Guinness World Records on Monday. Morano, whose full name is Emma Martina Luigia Morano, lives in Vercelli, Italy. Previously, the title belonged to Susannah Mushatt Jones. However, the woman succumbed to her illness at the age of 116 years, 6 months, and 6 days, making Morano the oldest living person.

The new record, now held by Morano, was verified thanks to research conducted by the Gerontology Research Group, according to Guinness, reported ABC News. Born on November 29, 1899, Morano is believed to be the only person who has not just witnessed an entire century, but whose life has touched three. She is believed to be the last person living who was born in the 19th century.

The eldest of eight children, Morano had five sisters and three brothers. She married at the age of 27 in 1926 and had a child. However, fate snatched away her only son, who died in his infancy. Apparently, she had an unhappy marriage. Heartbroken, the woman ended her marriage in 1938 and left her husband. The troubled woman swore off marriage and decided to spend her life in solitude, reported Time. Morano says she had many suitors but declined the very prospect of remarrying. She was quite scorched from her sole marriage, revealed Morano in an interview in 2015,

“I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone.”

When asked what her secret to longevity is, the spry super-centenarian candidly notes it is celibacy and solitude, besides regular intake of eggs. The woman mentioned she eats three raw eggs every single day and has religiously kept up with the diet for almost a century, reported the Telegraph. After a doctor recommended consumption of raw eggs as a home remedy to treat Morano’s anemia in her teens, the woman has never ceased the practice and claims the technique helps her stay alive and strong.

When prodded about the exact method of consuming eggs, Morano added that she eats two raw eggs and cooks the third one. Her meals include generous helpings of fresh Italian pasta and a dish of raw meat. She has been eating the same meal for the last 90 years. In 2011, Morano participated in a study conducted by George Church for Harvard Medical School of Boston. The study involved finding various aspects that aided in extending life.

Morano earned her living by working in a factory making jute bags, then in a hotel, working well past retirement age, reported Today.

Speaking about Morano and the record category, Marco Frigatti, head of records for Guinness said the following.

“The oldest living person record category continues to capture the world’s collective imagination. Ms. Morano has experienced things first hand that will soon be consigned to memory, and the record books. She can teach us all a lesson of the value of a life well lived.”

While Morano is the world’s oldest living person, she is also the world’s oldest living female. 112-year-old Holocaust survivor, Israel Kristal of Haifa, Israel currently holds the title of world’s oldest man. The Italian woman has to live about six more years to inherit the title of the world’s oldest ever living person. The title currently belongs to Jeanne Calment of France, who lived until 122 years and 164 days, noted Guinness.

When she was notified about the title, Morano exclaimed, “My word, I’m as old as the hills.”

[Photo by Olivier Morin/Getty Images]

Share this article: World’s Oldest Person: Guinness Confirms 116-Year-Old Emma Morano Is The Most Aged Person Today – Woman Shares Her Secret To Longevity
More from Inquisitr