Los secretos de los indígenas tsimané, el pueblo originario de Bolivia
que tiene las arterias más sanas del mundo
Los
investigadores se sorprendieron al comprobar que los tsimané adultos carecen
del endurecimiento de las arterias que parece inevitable con la edad en otras
sociedades.
"Tienen menos aterosclerosis que las mujeres y
hombres japoneses que siguen una dieta extremadamente baja en grasas", le
dijo a BBC Mundo Chris Rowan, cardiólogo y uno de los investigadores que visitó
a los tsimané tres veces para este estudio.
"Su
edad vascular general es al menos una década más joven que la media de
cualquier otra población del mundo", añadió.
La aterosclerosis
coronaria es el endurecimiento que se produce en las paredes de las arterias
con la acumulación de grasa, colesterol y otras sustancias.
Con el tiempo se forman placas que pueden estrechar u obstruir las
arterias, dificultar el flujo de la sangre y provocar enfermedades del corazón.
Pero un
tsimané de 80 años tiene la misma edad vascular que un estadounidense de unos
55, según los resultados de la investigación.
El 85% de los adultos observados no tenían riesgo alguno de
cardiopatías. Y el secreto de sus saludables arterias radica, según los
investigadores, en su dieta y estilo de vida.
El secreto de los
tsimané en 5 claves
§ Actividad
física: los tsimané solo están inactivos el
10% del tiempo que pasan despiertos. Como media los hombres son físicamente
activos durante 6 o 7 horas al día, y las mujeres de 4 a 6. Esa actividad
física incluye la caza, la pesca, y la agricultura.
§ Dieta
muy baja en grasas: solo un 14% de lo que ingieren es
grasa y en ningún caso son grasas trans.
§ Dieta
alta en hidratos de carbono: constituyen un 72% de lo
que comen. Los principales alimentos son el arroz, el plátano o banano, el
maíz, la yuca o mandioca, la fruta y las nueces.
§ Dieta
libre de alimentos procesados: sus
principales fuentes de proteína y grasa son los animales que cazan o pescan y
los vegetales y frutas que cultivan o recolectan.
§ No
fuman: es muy raro entre la población estudiada
Pero su estilo de vida también cambia
A pesar de la notable salud arterial
de los tsimané, los investigadores observaron que sus
niveles de colesterol han aumentado gradualmente en los últimos cinco años, algo que
atribuyen a cambios recientes en su estilo de vida.
Con la llegada de nuevas carreteras y el uso de canoas motorizadas ahora
acceden mucho más fácilmente al mercado local donde pueden comprar azúcar,
harina y aceite para freír.
"Como resultado tienen que remar menos, así que son físicamente un
poco menos activos, y además tienen acceso a productos del mercado que antes
eran inaccesibles", le dijo a BBC Mundo Chris Rowan.
"Sus niveles de colesterol LDL pasaron de 72 a 90 o 100 en un
periodo de tiempo reducido", dijo Rowan.
Y por eso los científicos creen que la salud de las arterias de los
tsimané se debe al estilo de vida no a sus características genéticas.
¿Qué elementos
de su estilo de vida se pueden exportar?
La actividad física es uno de los más evidentes. En pasos diarios, los
investigadores calcularon que los hombres tsimané dan unos 17.500 y las mujeres
unos 15.500.
"Algunas personas tienen pulseras inteligentes del tipo Fitbit, y
aspiran a dar de 5.000 a 10.000 pasos al día. Pero nuestros datos sugieren que
esa cantidad probablemente no sea suficiente", comenta Rowan.
En general, "este estudio
demuestra que la aterosclerosis coronaria podría evitarse si la gente adoptara
algunos elementos del estilo de vida tsimané, manteniendo
muy bajos el colesterol LDL, la presión sanguínea y el azúcar, no fumando y
siendo físicamente activos", dijo el doctor Gregory S. Thomas, uno de
los cardiólogos que participó en el estudio, de Long Beach Memorial Medical
Centre.
¿Cómo se hizo el estudio?
Los investigadores visitaron 85 aldeas tsimané entre 2014 y 2015 y en
total estudiaron a 705 adultos de entre 40 y 94 años.
Los cardiólogos les hicieron un escáner tipo TAC (tomografía axial
computarizada) y analizaron su presión sanguínea, ritmo cardiaco, colesterol y
nivel de glucosa.
Los tsimané tuvieron que desplazarse hasta un hospital de la ciudad de
Trinidad para hacerse los TAC, así que los investigadores agradecieron su
participación dándoles herramientas como anzuelos para pescar o agujas para
calcetar.
Fuente : BBC
The secrets of the indigenous tsimane, the original people of Bolivia who has the healthiest arteries in the world
The arteries of the tsimane, an indigenous community living in the Bolivian Amazon, are the healthiest ever recorded in any population group in the world, according to a study published in The Lancet.
Researchers were surprised to see that adult Tsimané lack the hardening of arteries that seems inevitable with age in other societies.
"They have less atherosclerosis than Japanese women and men who follow an extremely low-fat diet," said Chris Rowan, a cardiologist and one of the researchers who visited the Tsimané three times for this study.
The arteries of the tsimane, an indigenous community living in the Bolivian Amazon, are the healthiest ever recorded in any population group in the world, according to a study published in The Lancet.
Researchers were surprised to see that adult Tsimané lack the hardening of arteries that seems inevitable with age in other societies.
"They have less atherosclerosis than Japanese women and men who follow an extremely low-fat diet," said Chris Rowan, a cardiologist and one of the researchers who visited the Tsimané three times for this study.
"Their overall vascular age is at least a decade younger than the average of any other population in the world," he added.
Coronary atherosclerosis is the hardening that occurs in the walls of arteries with the accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances.
Over time plaques develop that can narrow or clog arteries, hinder blood flow and cause heart disease.
But an 80-year-old tsimané has the same vascular age as an American about 55, according to the results of the research.
85% of the adults observed had no risk of heart disease. And the secret of their healthy arteries lies, according to researchers, in their diet and lifestyle.
Coronary atherosclerosis is the hardening that occurs in the walls of arteries with the accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances.
Over time plaques develop that can narrow or clog arteries, hinder blood flow and cause heart disease.
But an 80-year-old tsimané has the same vascular age as an American about 55, according to the results of the research.
85% of the adults observed had no risk of heart disease. And the secret of their healthy arteries lies, according to researchers, in their diet and lifestyle.
The secret of the tsimané in 5 keys
Physical activity: Tsimané are only inactive 10% of the time they spend awake. On average men are physically active for 6 or 7 hours a day, and women 4 to 6. That physical activity includes hunting, fishing, and farming.
Very low fat diet: only 14% of what they eat is fat and in no case are trans fats.
High carbohydrate diet: they make up 72% of what they eat. The main foods are rice, banana or bananas, corn, cassava or cassava, fruit and nuts.
Diet free of processed foods: their main sources of protein and fat are the animals they hunt or fish and the vegetables and fruits they grow or collect.
Do not smoke: it is very rare among the population studied
But their lifestyle also changes
Despite the remarkable arterial health of the tsimane, the researchers found that their cholesterol levels have gradually increased over the past five years, something they attribute to recent lifestyle changes.
With the advent of new roads and the use of motorized canoes, they now have a much easier access to the local market where they can buy sugar, flour and oil for frying.
"As a result they have to row less, so they are physically a little less active, and they also have access to market products that were previously inaccessible," BBC World told Chris Rowan.
"Their LDL cholesterol levels went from 72 to 90 or 100 in a reduced amount of time," Rowan said.
And so scientists believe that the health of the arteries of the tsimané is due to the lifestyle not its genetic characteristics.
Despite the remarkable arterial health of the tsimane, the researchers found that their cholesterol levels have gradually increased over the past five years, something they attribute to recent lifestyle changes.
With the advent of new roads and the use of motorized canoes, they now have a much easier access to the local market where they can buy sugar, flour and oil for frying.
"As a result they have to row less, so they are physically a little less active, and they also have access to market products that were previously inaccessible," BBC World told Chris Rowan.
"Their LDL cholesterol levels went from 72 to 90 or 100 in a reduced amount of time," Rowan said.
And so scientists believe that the health of the arteries of the tsimané is due to the lifestyle not its genetic characteristics.
What elements of your lifestyle can be exported?
Researchers visited 85 Tsimané villages between 2014 and 2015 and in total 705 adults between 40 and 94 years old were studied.
Cardiologists performed a CAT scan and analyzed their blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and glucose level.
The Tsimané had to move to a hospital in the city of Trinidad to get the TACs, so the researchers thanked them for their participation by giving them tools like fishing hooks or needles to fit.
Source: BBC
Cardiologists performed a CAT scan and analyzed their blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and glucose level.
The Tsimané had to move to a hospital in the city of Trinidad to get the TACs, so the researchers thanked them for their participation by giving them tools like fishing hooks or needles to fit.
Source: BBC
