The Surprising Secret To Longevity This 111-Year-Old Man Swears By

Dexter Kruger might be the oldest living person with a Twitter account. He's definitely the oldest living person in Australia, after turning 111 on January 13 this year, and then living for 124 days more days to beat out Australia's previous oldest man, World War I veteran Jack Lockett, who lived to be 111 years and 123 days before he died in 2002, according to Australian news station ABC.

The best part is, Kruger is still mentally sharp. Melanie Calvert, the manager at Manager at Pinaroo Roma aged care facility where Kruger lives, told ABC, "He's probably one of the sharpest residents here. His memory is amazing and his cognitive functioning is unbelievable."

The supercentenarian — the name for someone who is 110 or older — even uses hashtags, like when he posted on Twitter in 2019, "When Twitter doesn't allow you to input your year of birth because it doesn't think anyone could be born before 1912 ... haha! #1910 #australiasoldestman #109yearsold."

The retired cattle rancher credits his longevity and good health to a few things, but the most interesting thing might be something a little unexpected.

"Chicken brains," Kruger said. "You know, chickens have a head. And in there, there's a brain. And they are delicious little things. There's only one little bite." The unusual snack isn't the only thing Dexter Kruger credits for his longevity though. He told ABC he was never much of a drinker or smoker, and he stayed active on his cattle ranch into the 1990s. He said, "I lived very close to nature and I ate mostly what I grew in the garden or the orchard or the farm."

Kruger's 74-year-old son, Greg Kruger, told ABC his dad always ate plenty of salt, sugar, and fat, but didn't consume much in the way of processed foods. He also lived a quiet life. "He didn't go around chasing the bright lights, he was happy being around horses and cattle," Greg said. 

But the secrets of longevity for supercentenarians vary greatly. Insider asked five of the oldest living people in 2016 what they think contributed to their long lives. The answers included oatmeal, being single, "eating delicious things," a positive attitude and compassion, learning to relax, following the Ten Commandments, and one 117-year-old woman said she has eaten two eggs a day since she was in her 20s — but does not eat meat. 

Yet according to Kruger, there is no singular, true secret to enjoying a long life. When ABC interviewed him on his 111th birthday he said, "There's no secret. Keep breathing, have three meals a day, and the time goes on."