There’s science behind this: eating more spicy foods may make you live longer, according to a new study by The BMJ.
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Researchers found that mortality risk was 10 percent lower for those participants who ate spicy foods one-to-two days a week, and 14 percent lower for those who ate spicy foods three-to-seven days a week.
People who habitually eat spicy food also have lower risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart diseases.
Food rich in chili and other spices are said to help reduce risks of heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes.
To be clear, this new research found an “association” between death and spicy food consumption.
Dried and fresh chili peppers were the most frequently used spices in the foods consumed by Chinese people eating spicy foods regularly. The study points to the benefits of capsaicin, a bioactive ingredient in chili peppers, which has been previously linked to health perks such as increased fat burning.
Lu Qi, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues conducted dietary and health history surveys among 199,293 men and 288,082 women from 10 different regions in China. However, with enough research, the study may aid in updated dietary recommendations.
Flickr/dualdPeople who ate spicy food three to seven times a week reduced their death risk by nearly 15%. Of course, these studies are preliminary so there is no way of knowing what will come of these results.
Though the study wasn’t investigating cause and effect – merely asking people to fill in a questionnaire regarding their general health, measurements, diet and alcohol intake – the sheer size of the sample group adds veracity to the findings.
But talking about the influence of spicy food in prolonging healthy life, an global team of researchers analyzed 487,375 participants between the age of 30-79 years.
Past research has also suggested that other spices, such as curry and garlic, are protective against cancer and beneficial in the fight to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, Sandon pointed out.
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“Spicy food or its active components have been related to improved inflammation, reduced body adiposity, or improved lipid profiles”. “Should people eat spicy food?” wrote Dr. Nita Forouh of the University of Cambridge in an editorial that accompanied the study. “More studies are definitely needed to clarify the mechanisms”.
