A remote tribe living on a subsistence diet and highly active lifestyle in order to survive in the rain forests of the Bolivian Amazon, has astounded scientists by having the healthiest arteries ever found in the world.
The Tsimane tribe are foragers and horticulturists, fairly similar to ancient man. Their subsistence lifestyle involves hunting, gathering, fishing and farming. The men are physically active for 6-7 hours of the day, while the women spend 4-6 hours of the day being physically active. They in effect spend only 10% of the day being inactive – while industrial populations on average are inactive for about 54% of their waking hours.
Studies have shown that the Tsimane tribe have the lowest prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) of any population studied so far. This is attributed to a lifestyle with a diet that is low in saturated fats and high in non-processed and fiber-rich carbohydrates, with fish and wild game; not smoking; and being highly active during the day.
According to Dr Gregory S Thomas, a senior cardiologist involved with the study, certain aspects of the Tsimane lifestyle can be adopted in order to avoid coronary atherosclerosis, such as keeping one’s LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar very low, not smoking and being physically active.
Sources:
Amazon tribe is healthiest. Published in Sunday Times on 19 March 2017, p.12.
Coronary atherosclerosis in indigenous South American Tsimane: a cross-sectional cohort study. Published in The Lancet on 17 March 2017. www.thelancet.com
Indigenous South American group has healthiest arteries of all populations yet studied, providing clues to healthy lifestyle. Published in Science Daily on 17 March 2017. www.sciencedaily.com
HEALTH INSIGHT
MARCH 2017
