A Sri Lankan man claims he has survived without food for the last five years.

Although experts believe humans can only live for two months without a meal, Kirby de Lanerolle insists he has only needed fresh air as nourishment.

The breatharian also claims his lifestyle - which he says harnesses light, wind and the 'vibrations of God' - can reverse the ageing process and make him immortal.

In an interview on TV show Taboo USA cited by The Sun, de Lanerolle said: 'There are energy sources out there that are greater than the food calories you are putting in your body.

'Calories come from photons and light and vibrations and wind. Anything can feed you if your energy centres are open.'

He admits to having eaten seven 500-calorie meals over the last ten months, but claims they made him feel ill.

He said: 'In this consciousness, when I do eat food, it makes me feel very tired. And my alertness goes away when I eat now.'

According to odditycentral.com, de Lanerolle was a drug addict at the age of 16.

But he has gone on to become a Gold medalist at the Junior National Level Championship for Rifle Shooting in 1995, winner of several boxing medals, Executive Advisor to the Ministry of Social Services in Sri Lanka and a successful entrepreneur.

He is also believed to be the only person known to have completed a marathon having only consumed water for three months.

He claims he owes his dramatic turnaround in fortunes to the breatharian lifestyle.

Around five years ago, he read about people who didn't eat for up to six years and didn't drink water for 40 days and 40 nights.

He was also convinced by the writings of a guru who said that cancer, diabetes and heart disease are caused by food.

He now wants to teach others to be breatharians, but experts are worried about his claims because some people have died trying adopt the lifestyle. (Mail Online)