Love spicy food? Congratulations, you might live longer because of it. A new study shows that eating red chili peppers regularly can help lower mortality rates, especially deaths caused by heart disease and stroke. This study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
A new study from the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 16,000 Americans, focusing on the participants' consumption of red chili peppers and their health conditions. The participants were tracked for up to 23 years.
The analysis showed that during the study period, the mortality rate for people who regularly ate red chili peppers was 21.6%, while for those who did not, it was 33.6%. After accounting for factors such as age, gender, lifestyle habits, and health conditions, the mortality rate for chili pepper eaters was 13% lower than for non-eaters.
The researchers say that while chili peppers may help extend lifespan, the underlying mechanism is not yet clear. They speculate that this might be because capsaicin in red chili peppers helps prevent obesity and regulate coronary artery blood flow, which could explain why people who regularly eat them have a lower risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Additionally, capsaicin has certain antibacterial properties that can improve the human gut microbiome, thereby contributing to better health.
Previously, a 2015 study published in the British Medical Journal also explored the link between eating spicy food and lower mortality rates. That study, involving nearly 500,000 Chinese people, found that over an average follow-up period of 7.2 years, those who ate spicy food one to two times a week had a 10% lower overall risk of death compared to those who did not.
Of course, not everyone is suitable for long-term spicy food consumption. For example, individuals with digestive issues such as poor gastrointestinal function should be cautious when eating red chili peppers.