The Bolivian Tsimane tribe has the healthiest heart in the world. 8 out of 10 people have no risk of heart disease.
At the foot of the Andes Cordillera lives a people who risk making people jealous. The Tsimane still live off the fruits of their gathering and hunting. But it is not their diet that arouses the curiosity of researchers around the world. It is their heart. The healthiest in the world, according to the study published in the scientific journal The Lancet. In this traditional tribe, atherosclerosis is five times less common than in the United States.
Missing risk markers
A team of anthropologists and doctors traveled to Bolivia, on the Andean foothills. The researchers met more than 700 Tsimane adults there in 85 villages. These residents have agreed to undergo a CT scan to assess the presence of atherosclerotic plaque, a marker of cardiovascular risk. A whole range of health elements was noted during the visits.
The results leave no room for doubt. The Tsimane tribe is home to the healthiest hearts in the world. 85% of adults have no risk of developing heart disease and 13% are at low risk. This incredible health continues even in the elderly: after 75 years, two in three people still have no worrying signs.
“The indigenous Tsimane of South America have the lowest prevalence of atherosclerosis of any population studied so far”, summarizes Prof. Hillard Kaplan, anthropologist at the University of New Mexico (United States). In fact, the contrast with the United States is striking: only 14% of the population is not at risk of developing heart disease.
Wild pig, tapir and capybara
Nothing really rocket science to explain the excellent health of the Tsimane. This tribe is active most of the day. Sedentary lifestyle occupies half of the time in modern societies, against 10% among this traditional people. On average, men are active 6 to 7 hours a day, women 4 to 6 hours.
Not sedentary, therefore, but also irreproachable in terms of food. 72% of the Tsimane diet consists of unprocessed and high fiber carbohydrates. Rice, plantain, cassava, nuts and fruits thus represent the basis of meals. Animal proteins are added to it – wild pig, tapir and capybara for example. Piranhas and catfish often make an appearance on the menu. Finally, 38 grams of fat are absorbed per day but saturated fat represents only 11 grams.
Threatening modernity
It is therefore no surprise that the researchers observed the absence of death from infarction in the Tsimane villages. Inflammation, on the other hand, is high in half of the volunteers. “Inflammation is common among Tsimane people, but not associated with an increased risk of heart disease, and may be the conclusion of many infections,” said Prof. Randall Thompson, cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute (United States) .
But the Western way of life, more and more present among the Tsimane, threatens this world exception. Tobacco, for example, is a major cardiovascular risk factor. “Over the past five years, new roads and the introduction of motorized canoes have significantly increased market access in the neighboring town, and hence the purchase of sugar and cooking oil,” adds the Dr Ben Trumble, Arizona State University (USA). Elements which interfere with the traditional way of life of the Tsimane, and which could cost them their cardiovascular health.
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