Why do the Tsimane people in Amazon have the healthiest heart on the planet?

Researchers have confirmed that the Tsimane, a tribe living in tropical forests in Bolivia, has the healthiest heart on the planet. A high-carbohydrate and hard-working diet is said to be their secret.

According to Gizmodo technology site, researchers conducted a test to measure coronary artery calcification (CAC test) of 705 people of the Tsimane tribe . If a person has a CAC score of 100-400 points, that means he is at risk for mild, lower cardiovascular disease meaning it is okay.

Test results have shown an amazing thing. 596 out of 705 people, 85% of Tsimane participated in the test with a CAC score of 0. In addition, 89 people (13%) had a CAC score of 1-100 points and only 20 people (2%) had CAC score is greater than 100 points.

85% of Tsimane people do not have coronary artery calcification and 98% of them are not at risk of cardiovascular disease. It will not be too much to say that the Tsimane people are having the healthiest heart on the planet.

A Tsimane ethnic family in Bolivia.

Researchers say that what Tsimane people do is essentially the same as what doctors often recommend. The Tsimane people never smoke or drink alcohol. In addition, they also work hard. A Tsimane person walks an average of 16,000-17,000 steps a day. Even a person over 60 years old goes about 15,000 steps a day. Meanwhile, an average American only has about 5,000 steps a day.

The diet of the Tsimane ethnic group was discovered as follows:

1. 17% of their food comes from wild pigs, South American tapirs and capybara (the world's largest rodent in the Amazon).
2. 7% of diet comes from freshwater fish like piranhas or catfish.
3. Much of the rest comes from things they grow themselves like rice, corn, yams and bananas. They also eat a lot of fruits and nuts.

Inside:

1. 72% of the Tsimane's consumption comes from carbohydrates, compared with 52% for Americans.
2. 14% of calories consumed by Tsimane people come from fat compared to 34% of Americans. However, the Tsimane people consume less saturated fat.
3. 14% of calories consumed by both Tsimane and Americans come from protein. However, the Tsimane people consume more lean meat.

The high-carbohydrate diet is thought to be the secret to the incredible health of the Tsimane people. However, that doesn't mean you just need to eat as many carbohydrate-rich foods as they are. The researchers appreciated the hard work of Tsimane people in keeping a healthy heart.

"I mean, we should exercise more often, not just on weekends," said Michael Gurven, a professor at the University of California (USA). "Urbanization and specialization of the labor force are new risks to your heart. The truth is that the Tsimane people are less active because of new transport facilities such as motor boats and eating more processed foods, their cholesterol levels have increased ".

Meanwhile, Joep Perk, a cardiologist in Sweden, said: "There is a recent trend that genes are the cause of cardiovascular problems. This study confirms the diet. drinking and mobilizing is the deciding thing. "