A woman from Quang Binh province has sparked curiosity with her claim that she has not consumed food for more than 50 years and lives solely on water. However, this claim remains unverified and relies solely on her testimony without any supporting evidence.
The woman at the center of this story is Mrs. Bui Thi Loi, born in 1948 and living in Loc Ninh commune, Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province. Mrs. Loi, a caretaker at the local martyrs’ cemetery, was actively involved in the youth volunteer movement and was involved in rescuing soldiers.
In 1963, while helping wounded soldiers on a mountain with her team, Ms. Loi was struck by lightning and lost consciousness.
According to Mrs. Bui Thi Loi’s account, after the lightning strike, she was no longer hungry and lost the desire to eat. Concerned about her well-being, her companions prepared sugar water for her consumption.
According to the local news website dantri.com.vnOver the years, Ms. Loi’s eating patterns became irregular as she no longer felt hungry and subsisted mainly on fruit. From 1970 onwards she hardly ate anymore and was solely dependent on water.
Ms Loi expressed surprise at her condition, noting a lack of hunger, aversion to food smells and occasional nausea since the lightning incident, which lasted more than 50 years.
This lack of food caused problems during labor because she had no milk and had to find it from others. Despite cooking for her children every day, she did not eat herself, especially after her children moved for work, which caused her to stop cooking altogether.
Many people intrigued by Ms. Loi’s story visited her home. With her children gone, her kitchen lay unused, covered in dust, and her gas stove untouched. Her refrigerator contained only bottled water and soda, with no food.
Ms Loi disclosed that she relied on a monthly subsidy of about VND1.3 million, mainly for the purchase of water, with the surplus going to charities. Despite abstaining from food and relying solely on water, she claimed good health and absence of disease.
Mr. Tran Van Thanh, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Loc Ninh Municipality, expressed skepticism about confirming Ms. Loi’s dietary habits. The story remains rooted in rumors without substantiation or verification.
Local authorities observed only bottled water during their visits to Ms Loi’s home, noting the apparent unusability of her kitchen.
Doctors from the Nutrition Department of Vietnam-Cuba Dong Hoi Friendship Hospital recognized the prevalence of stories on social media about people who abstain from food and still maintain good health. However, verifying or clarifying the root cause behind such claims poses significant challenges.
