The Tsimane Amazon tribe where people age better - BBC World Service

This is the Maniqui River, in the Bolivian Amazon. The area is home to the Tsimane, a relatively isolated nomadic people in the north of the country with a particular characteristic: Many of the older members of this community maintain exceptional physical and mental vigour until very old age. Something that has attracted the attention of scientists.

They allowed us to enter their territory, but not before undertaking a long trip that took several hours by road and canoe. This is Martina Canchi Nate. She is the first Tsimane grandmother to welcome us.

That vitality that we were warned about left us breathless in a short time. . .

And several times, we had to ask for a break from Martina's rhythm. Age seems irrelevant here. .

. But once at her home, after a drink of “chicha” and a brief rest, Martina answered the question we asked in the jungle. And she looked for her ID to show us that she is, officially, 84 years old.

Who helps her? , we ask. She answers in her native language that, although her children support her, she is the one who does all the housework.

Two studies published between 2017 and 2023 found that the arteries of these older people are much younger than those of people of the same age in other countries. And that their brains also age more slowly. In the town of San Borja, the closest to the Tsimane territory, American anthropologist Hillard Kaplan has been studying the health of this ethnic group for two decades.

And several researchers from the community itself work in its study center. When they compared the data to other populations around the world, they discovered that the Tsimane had the best arterial health. One of the things you could say is that a 75-year-old Tsimane's arteries are more like a 50-year-old American's arteries Kaplan and his colleagues found that 85% of these older people had zero risk of heart disease And that half of those over 80 did not even have signs of calcification in their arteries, one of the main indicators of arterial disease.

They also did not have problems with obesity, hypertension, or hyperglycaemia. But what is the secret of their good health? A key factor is their diet.

Husband and wife Hilda and Pablo invited us to harvest rice in their field. This is what the Tsimane have done ancestrally, basing their diet on fishing, hunting and gathering. Here it is not impossible to find sugar, flour or other processed foods, but their access is very limited.

. . and we rarely saw these products.

The same with cigarettes or alcohol. They told us that they don't even chew coca leaves, a tradition in other ethnic groups in Bolivia. Although they hunt and raise animals, carbohydrates dominate three quarters of their diet: cassava, bananas, corn, rice, fruits, seeds.

. . But many Tsimane do not know their ages precisely.

They told us that they are guided by records of Christian missions in the area or by how long they have known each other. We accompanied Juan Gutierrez on a day of hunting. The physical routine of the older Tsimane is another determining factor in their health.

Grandparents like Juan walk, on average, 17,000 steps per day. In Europe the average is approximately 16,000 thousand steps per day. He is one of the 705 community volunteers whose health is studied.

Diet and physical activity mean that the older Tsimane have 70% less muscle atrophy than people of the same age in the United Kingdom, Japan or the United States. And just like their arteries, scientists found that their brain also ages more slowly. The fact that surprised the researchers is that the loss of brain function is 40% slower in the Tsimane.

Dementia, particularly Alzheimer's, is less frequent. We met Fermín in another village. He is 78 years old, and he tells us that the pain in his feet stops him from hunting.

He tells us that he is cleaning his arrows to prevent moisture from damaging them. . .

He trusts that he will use them again. Modern medical care is a privilege that does not exist in the jungle, although there are organisations that assist them. Despite their great physical condition, the older Tsimane constantly suffer from inflammation or parasitic diseases, detected in 100% of the volunteers.

When they need medical assistance, they have to travel to the city, something relatively new for them. Dr Daniel Rodríguez is a member of the team that studies the aging of the Tsimane. Scientists highlight the very tough conditions the Tsimane people must endure.

For years, life expectancy was hampered by high maternal and child mortality. When the studies began, life expectancy was around 45 years. But this exposure to infectious and parasitic diseases could be a third key factor in the longevity of the Tsimane.

For this reason, experts are studying how their immune system, which is more balanced against bacteria and parasites, protects them from arterial diseases. While walking in the jungle, the Tsimane with whom we spoke agreed on something: their territory, and their customs, are changing. This approach to the urban world is alleviating many of their problems, but it has an impact.

Doctors have noticed changes such as increased weight and cholesterol. And diabetes, which was something previously uncommon, is beginning to appear. But despite the changes, the Tsimane feel proud to know that their ancestral lifestyle is now a health reference beyond the forest.