by Bella
(Santa Cruz, Bolivia)
The Tsimane, the Bolivian community whose inhabitants age more slowly than the rest of the world
Scientific research reveals that this indigenous group has the lowest recorded rates of heart disease and brain deterioration. Their traditional way of life is sparking global interest in how to achieve healthier aging.
In the heart of the Bolivian Amazon, an indigenous community is capturing the attention of doctors and scientists from around the world. These are the Tsimane, also known as Tsimané or Chimane, who live in small family groups and maintain a traditional lifestyle based on agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering.
What makes them unique is not only their connection with nature, but also a finding that surprised the international scientific community: they age more slowly than the rest of the world's population.
In 2023, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published a study that revealed that older adults in this community show up to 70% less brain damage than adults of the same age in countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom, or the United States.
Meanwhile, The Lancet, one of the world's most renowned medical journals, reported that "an 80-year-old Tsimane has a vascular age similar to that of a 55-year-old American." In other words, their heart and arteries are much better preserved than in any other population analyzed so far.
These findings contradict many of the most widely held ideas in modern medicine, such as the belief that aging is always accompanied by heart disease or memory loss.
Cardiologist Randall C. Thompson, who analyzed the arteries of mummies from different civilizations, stated that "the accumulation of plaque in the arteries" is a common phenomenon throughout human history. But the Tsimane demonstrate that this need not necessarily be the case.
The evidence was conclusive. An international team used CT scans to evaluate 700 older Tsimane adults at the hospital in Trinidad, the capital of the Beni department. The results were astonishing: 87% of those over 70 had no signs of arteriosclerosis, one of the main causes of heart attacks. This is the lowest proportion recorded in studies of this type.
The central metric measured was the amount of calcium in the heart's arteries (an indicator of increased risk of heart disease). According to The Lancet, 85% of the 705 Tsimane analyzed had no calcium in their arteries, and only 3% had high levels considered concerning. Even among those over 75, 65% still had zero levels, something unprecedented in medical studies.
“We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study that included all self-identified Tsimane individuals aged 40 or older. Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed using coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring using non-contrast CT in Tsimane adults. CAC scores above 100 were considered representative of significant atherosclerotic disease,” the publication detailed.
The researchers also focused on brain status. Through imaging studies, they observed how much brain tissue the Tsimane lose over the years. The result was clear: they age more slowly at the brain level.
In this sense, their brains shrink less with age, a process that, in other populations, is often associated with memory problems or diseases such as Alzheimer's.
One of the experts leading this research is Hillard Kaplan, an anthropologist and professor at the University of Southern California. Speaking to BBC Mundo, he stated that "the Tsimane have less arteriosclerosis than Japanese women and men who follow an extremely low-fat diet."
It's worth noting that Kaplan has been studying this community for over 20 years with a team of scientists from US universities.
According to the researchers, the secret to this long-term health lies in their lifestyle. Their diet contains only 14% fat, with no industrial fats, and is very rich in fiber and natural carbohydrates. They eat mostly foods they grow or harvest themselves: plantains, cassava, rice, fruits, and seeds.
Furthermore, they don't consume alcohol or tobacco, and they walk long distances every day—between 10 and 12 kilometers—to fetch water, harvest, or hunt.
These routines have a direct impact on their health. The Tsimane have low blood pressure, healthy cholesterol, normal blood sugar levels, and a balanced body weight. Although they are exposed to many infectious diseases, they rarely experience other risk factors common in the rest of the world.
When comparing their habits with those of large cities, the difference is even more evident. While the Tsimane take more than 15,000 steps a day, in cities like Tokyo, London, or New York, the average age is less than 5,000. This difference, combined with a natural diet free of processed foods, helps explain why their bodies stay in good condition for longer.
For these reasons, the Tsimane have become a benchmark for doctors, epidemiologists, and scientists seeking to understand how people can live longer and healthier. Although replicating their lifestyle in urban settings may seem difficult, their habits offer valuable clues about what truly helps preserve the body over time.
Meanwhile, far from laboratories, clinics, and academic debates, the Tsimane continue their daily lives on the banks of the Beni River. They walk through the jungle, grow their crops, and maintain their customs. Untouched by the accelerated pace of modern life, their community demonstrates that another way of aging—more natural, more active, and healthier—is not only possible, but already exists.