# 120-year-old found fighting fit after 1st check-up in life **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 5, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811 "2016-08-05T06:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/1 "2016-08-05T06:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > KOLKATA: His devotees were worried because he was having headaches for the first time in his life. Not bad for a 120-year old. So, the monk walked in for the first medical check-up of his life. To put it in perspective, when Swami Sivananda was born, it had only been a year since X-ray was invented, and on Saturday, he didn’t bat an eyelid when he was wheeled into an MRI machine. > Swami Sivananda walked out with a clean bill of health but for high blood pressure -even then his diastolic was absolutely normal at 80.\*\* The secret of baba’s health? Mashed green chillies every day . Plus boiled food, daily exercises and the joy of helping.\*\* > Swami Sivananda’s passport and Aadhaar card put his age at 120, but he looks 50 years younger -there’s hardly a wrinkle on his cheeks. Doctors and nurses at the private hospi tal were awestruck by the monk’s mental and physical agility. They were speechless when he did a sarbangasana at the drop of a hat (or request). > > Born on August 8, 1896, in Behala, then a village, the swamiji could be the oldest living person. In fact, he is about five years older than Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who holds the Guinness Record now. Though based in Varanasi, he moves around the country and abroad for spiritual discourses. > He seemed quite bemused at his first medical check-up. He has been staying with a devotee in Salt Lake for about a month now. In the last few days, he started complaining of headaches after every discourse with devotees. Prodded by his followers, he agreed to a check-up. All these years, we’ve nev er heard Swamiji com plain of health problems. When he said he was having headaches, we persuaded him to get a check-up," said Dr S C Garai, a disciple.All they found was systolic hypertension (18080). “Even people in their forties can have such high blood pressure if they lead stressful lives.Swami Sivananda has the heart of a young man,” said Dr P C Mondal, interventional cardiologist at the hospital. > “Clinically, his heart seems to be in good condition.The ECG and echocardiogram reports are awaited. He agreed to take medication for his high blood pressure but asked us if he could postpone it by five days so that he can work on reducing it on his own,” Mondal said. > Born Sivananda Goswami, his parents died on the same day when he was only four years old. His elder sister, who used to beg for food with him, died two years later. Some relatives handed over the child to a guruji who brought the boy to Nadadwip. He moved around before settling down in Varanasi in 1979. > \*\* > What’s the secret of his longevity and health? “I believe in eating simple, living humble and in being compassionate. I feel good when I have tried my best to help those in distress,”\*\* the guru told TOI in perfect English, despite never having got formal education. > He had boiled rice, boiled pulses and boiled vegetables with a couple of green chillies from the hospital’s canteen for lunch. Chef Suman Bhattacharjee got a pat for the doubled boiled rice as swamiji has lost all his teeth, perhaps the only sign of his age. > > “As a child who had to sleep on an empty stomach many nights, even boiled food is a fancy . I stuck to boiled food as a habit and not because I was conscious of my health. Fruits and milk are a fancy for the hungry so I avoid them,” said Swami Sivananda. While many `Godmen’ or gurus live in palatial houses, Swami Sivananda lives in a 600 sq ft flat in Varanasi donated by his disciples. Anyone who wants to approach the swamiji with their problems can walk in any time of the day . He sleeps on a mat with a wooden block for a pillow. He performs yoga, pranayama and freehand exercises for two hours daily. The rest of the day he reads, chants and speaks with devotees from any religion.The good days are when he gets to help someone. > Every Saturday, he and his devotees distribute food among the poor. He also spends time working with lepers and plans to travel to Puri in December to help lepers and beggars. > **[120-year-old found fighting fit after 1st check-up in life | Kolkata News -...](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/articleshow/53472762.cms)** > > KOLKATA: His devotees were worried because he was having headaches for the first time in his life. Great going. Green chillies are good for health. I have heard it before too. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/2 "2016-08-05T06:42:15Z")
Good grief. Living like that, boiled food and a wooden pillow, I would have offed myself many years ago. Fuck the chilies. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/3 "2016-08-05T06:42:44Z")
What’s the evidence that he’s 120 years old? Most sources say that the oldest person in the world is 116 years old. Note also that the article gets it wrong about who’s generally accepted as being the oldest person. Jiroemon Kimura died three years ago: > **[Oldest people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people)** > > This is a list of tables of the oldest people in the world in ordinal ranks. To avoid including false or unconfirmed claims of old age, names here are restricted to those people whose ages have been validated by an international body dealing in longevity research, such as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) or Guinness World Records (GWR), and others who have otherwise been reliably sourced. > The longest documented and verified human lifespan is that of Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997)... ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/4 "2016-08-05T07:58:55Z")
I’ve heard that in parts of the world where births and deaths and the like are not thoroughly documented, that the practice exists of a person assuming the identity of their deceased parent in order to reap whatever government benefits the departed might have been entitled to. I’m not saying that that’s definitely what’s going on with the revered swami, but it’s certainly a possibility. (Green chilies are danged good, in any event.) ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/5 "2016-08-05T09:27:32Z")
It is late,I am tired and cranky. that given, I am a bit sceptical of an article reporting a 120 year old human and the only photo is a crappy picture of him getting a medical procedure. I tried to paste Google search for "Swami Sivananda " and “Sivananda Goswami” my dang iPad would not cooperate. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2016, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/6 "2016-08-05T12:58:37Z")
How can we doubt this story, given the secret of the green chiles? At least the swami didn’t swear by urine-drinking, [like the former prime minister of India](http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/their-wonder-drink-the-politics-of-promoting-urine/story-iotmNhAazkSryLBmbz9q1H.html). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/7 "2016-08-06T00:00:33Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’ve heard that in parts of the world where births and deaths and the like are not thoroughly documented, that the practice exists of a person assuming the identity of their deceased parent in order to reap whatever government benefits the departed might have been entitled to. > > I’m not saying that that’s definitely what’s going on with the revered swami, but it’s certainly a possibility. > > (Green chilies are danged good, in any event.) This. Most 110+ year olds are hanging onto life by the barest thread. It’s unlikely a 120 year old is “fighting fit”. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/8 "2016-08-06T00:03:42Z")
Interesting list here. No men in the top ten! > **[Oldest people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people#Ten_oldest_people_ever)** > > This is a list of tables of the oldest people in the world in ordinal ranks. To avoid including false or unconfirmed claims of old age, names here are restricted to those people whose ages have been validated by an international body dealing in longevity research, such as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) or Guinness World Records (GWR), and others who have otherwise been reliably sourced. > The longest documented and verified human lifespan is that of Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997)... ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/9 "2016-08-06T00:06:13Z")
He’s been exposed to the medical profession? His days are numbered. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/10 "2016-08-06T01:02:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve heard that in parts of the world where births and deaths and the like are not thoroughly documented, that the practice exists of a person assuming the identity of their deceased parent in order to reap whatever government benefits the departed might have been entitled to. > > I’m not saying that that’s definitely what’s going on with the revered swami, but it’s certainly a possibility. > > (Green chilies are danged good, in any event.) I’d guess something along these lines. However, severe caloric restriction has been shown to improve health and prolong life so living on a bit of boiled food now and again may indeed make you healthier. The question is whether you want to live a long time that way. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/11 "2016-08-06T03:01:06Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > He’s been exposed to the medical profession? His days are numbered. Right. Not everyone gets the expected outcome/experience from a doctor or from medical field. Many times it is very bad. Prevention is much better than cure… No stress n negativity. Trying to be happy. Eat less. Trying to eat boiled rather than fried food, green chillis, exercise, being conscious abt health… The swami has been doing all the right things. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/12 "2016-08-06T03:04:19Z")
So the final answer is Green Chillis? Half of new Mexico is gonna be pissed that they were wrong. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/13 "2016-08-06T03:08:04Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > It is late,I am tired and cranky. that given, I am a bit sceptical of an article reporting a 120 year old human and the only photo is a crappy picture of him getting a medical procedure. > > I tried to paste Google search for "Swami Sivananda " and “Sivananda Goswami” my dang iPad would not cooperate. here another pic > **['Oldest' man awaits his Aadhar number | Varanasi News - Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Oldest-man-awaits-his-Aadhar-number/articleshow/22390901.cms)** > > Swami Sivananda is 117 years old and runs an ashram in Kabir Nagar. Born on August 8, 1896, he has disciples all over the world and had been globe-tro ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/14 "2016-08-06T03:13:42Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > So the final answer is Green Chillis? Half of new Mexico is gonna be pissed that they were wrong. That would be a cayenne shame! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/15 "2016-08-06T03:25:51Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > He’s been exposed to the medical profession? His days are numbered. Seriously? You’d really prefer weed-paste poultices, water scooped from the stumps of trees struck by lightning, Ivy garlands picked at midnight from 100% Christian grave yards, and Possums swung by the tail over your head until you’re cured of your “Vapors” or any “French Pox”? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/16 "2016-08-06T03:52:58Z")
Swami: Would you like to live a long time? Here, eat this chili pepper. Tommy: Ancho? Swami: You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/17 "2016-08-06T03:58:25Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > However, severe caloric restriction has been shown to improve health and prolong life so living on a bit of boiled food now and again may indeed make you healthier. The question is whether you want to live a long time that way. Is the sole metric used to determine good health simply longevity? ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/18 "2016-08-07T20:34:10Z")
I saw a program a few years ago about people trying various life extension techniques. They had a 40 something guy who’d been on calorie restriction for years. He looked terrible, had zero sex drive and amongst other issues his bone density was that of a 80 year old. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/19 "2016-08-07T20:41:00Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > I saw a program a few years ago about people trying various life extension techniques. > > They had a 40 something guy who’d been on calorie restriction for years. > > He looked terrible, had zero sex drive and amongst other issues his bone density was that of a 80 year old. Does it count if you \*feel \*like 120? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811/20 "2016-11-15T05:13:34Z")
There is no 120-year-old man in India or anywhere else. I am more familiar with the _Times of India_ than I would like to be, and I would not believe anything they report. Only a very naive and gullible person would believe that story. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/120-year-old-found-fighting-fit-after-1st-check-up-in-life/761811.md?page=2)