There’s a tribe in a remote part of Bolivia that technically shouldn’t exist. They’re living with chronically high levels of inflammation, including C-reactive protein numbers that are practically off the charts.
By U.S. medical standards, they should all be dropping dead of heart attacks. Instead, modern disease is virtually unknown to these people. There’s essentially no diabetes… heart disease… heart attack… or stroke.
Now, a new report has revealed one major reason for this disease-defying feat. These Bolivian’s are literally aging MORE SLOWLY than the rest of us.
Scientists are desperately working to crack their secret to see what we can learn from them. But as far as I’m concerned, the answer is already hiding in plain sight.
Tribal secret to healthy aging WOWS science
On the one hand, the overall life expectancy of Bolivia’s Tsimane indigenous people isn’t good. Despite their impressive ability to dodge the diseases of aging that plague the rest of us, it tops out in the mid-50s.
But that’s mainly because of their remote location. There’s a high infant mortality rate and a lack of access to medical care during labor and delivery. Plus, there’s the ever-present threat of tropical infections.
In other words, the Tsimane battle health threats that have nothing to do with aging. But those folks who make it out of childhood unscathed have a life expectancy in the 70s – not too far from our own. And in many ways, these 70-something super-agers are often MUCH healthier than Americans who are decades younger.
For example, one mark of aging happens in the brain. As we get older, the brain tends to shrink. And that shrink occurs even faster in folks with higher levels of damaging inflammation.
But not for the Tsimane. The new study finds their brains shrink at a rate that’s about 70 percent slower. And that’s DESPITE those sky-high inflammation levels I mentioned earlier.
That’s not the only way they’re defeating aging and are “younger” where it matters, either. A report last year found that the typical 80-year-old Tsimane villager has the vascular health of a 50-something American.
And a landmark 2017 study in the Lancet found these tribe members have the lowest rate of coronary atherosclerosis ON THE PLANET.
So, they’re younger in the brain… younger in the blood vessels… and quite literally YOUNG at heart. And the Tsimane have managed to achieve this aging miracle despite living in a remote rainforest with virtually no access to medical care.
Heck, they don’t even have WiFi.
Scientists visit the age-defying tribe regularly to run tests. They’re hoping to spot what’s so special about these people so they can share their aging secrets with the rest of us. But I’ve got a pretty good idea of where to start.
TRIBAL SECRET #1: Be active.
There’s no Planet Fitness in the Bolivian rainforest. There are no Pelotons… no personal trainers… no yoga mats… and no spinning classes.
But the Tsimane people are naturally active. As hunter/farmer/foragers, the villagers remain active throughout each day.
Now you don’t need to hunt or farm or forage to take advantage of this aging secret, of course. But you DO need to avoid the siren call of the sofa. Instead, stay on your feet and move more throughout the day.
TRIBAL SECRET #2: No packaged foods.
None of these villagers are shopping in supermarkets. And they’re not getting Amazon deliveries, despite living in the ACTUAL Amazon.
They either grow their own food… find it… or kill it.
You don’t have to go to quite that extreme. But you CAN create your own version of an anti-aging diet by eliminating processed foods and all the toxins that go with them.
Instead, commit to the freshest and most natural diet you can follow. Stick to the outer aisles at the grocery store, choose organic when you can, and visit your local farmer’s market for the freshest produce around.
Need more convincing? Click here to discover how ultra-processed foods fast-forward aging.
TRIBAL SECRET #3: Dump unneeded meds.
You can’t just toss all your meds in the trash, of course. Sometimes a drug is the right choice for a medical issue you’re battling. And let’s face it, the average life expectancy of the Tsimane people would likely be a whole lot better if they had access to some of the basics we take for granted, such as antivirals for those tropical diseases.
But the Tsimane aren’t swallowing statins. They’re not popping blood pressure meds. And they’re not filling prescriptions for antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and sleeping pills. Because they don’t need to. Instead, they’re aging in slow motion.
So go ahead and make an appointment to go over your current prescriptions carefully with an integrative or naturopathic medicine doctor. He can help you decide what meds you really need and those you don’t. Plus, he can work with you to come up with a plan to help you ditch some of those currently necessary meds in the future too.
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