If you want to slow down the ageing process, enjoy great cardiovascular health and maintain a sharp brain in your later years, take a few food lessons from a small tribe in the Bolivian Amazon.
People from the Tsimane tribe, who have the healthiest cardiovascular systems of any recorded population in the world, may hold the secrets to the perfect diet that can prevent heart attacks, high cholesterol and cognitive decline.
According to research published in Journals of Gerontology, people in this isolated Amazonian tribe have lived with low levels of heart disease, hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, dementia and age-related cognitive decline for many years because of their unique high-carb and high-fibre diet.
While it’s somewhat ‘normal’ for our brains to lose volume and shrink with age, and for our cognitive abilities to decline, this Indigenous group have experienced a 70 per cent slower decrease in brain volume over their entire life compared to adults in the US and Europe. The slower rate of decline in brain volume also improved their brain’s resilience to ageing and atrophy.
Given these big gains in brain and heart health, it’s important to note the dietary secrets of the Tsimane people. Here are just some of them.
The food secrets to brain and heart health
Eat locally and seasonally
The Tsimane people were hunter-gatherers so they sourced their food by fishing, foraging and catching wild prey.
“The people from this tribe always ate locally and seasonally,” explains Amanda Maiorano, Accredited Practising Dietitian and recipe developer. “They had no other choice but to get their fish fresh from the local river or hunt local animals to eat. They only ate the foods they were able to gather locally as well.”
It’s important to note that despite the incredible health of this group’s brains and hearts, life expectancy was just 53 years old. Without great hospitals, sophisticated plumbing systems and fresh water, people died of inflammation linked to parasitic and bacterial infections.
While no one is suggesting that we should give up the luxuries of modern-day life (like quality health care or the ability to buy meat from a supermarket), eating food that’s locally sourced is always a good thing to ensure maximum freshness and nutrition. If the fruits and vegetables you eat are also in season, then you’re on a winning path.