People who eat hot peppers can live longer – here’s why

People who eat hot peppers may be less likely to die from heart disease or cancer and may live longer than those who don’t eat them, according to new research to be presented at the 2020 Science Sessions of the ‘American Heart Association on Tuesday, November 17.

Previous research has shown that chili peppers may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and blood sugar-regulating effects due to capsaicin, the main chemical in chili peppers that gives food its spiciness. But this particular research analyzed over 4,729 studies from five of the world’s leading health databases, which led to some major findings.

Overall, the study analyzed the health and diet records of more than 570,000 people in the United States, Italy, China and Iran, comparing chili eaters to those who ate rarely or never. spicy food. The analysis found that people who ate chili peppers had a 26% lower risk of dying from heart disease, 23% less risk of death from cancer, and 25% less risk of dying from any cause.

Dr Bo Xu, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and lead author of the study, told Yahoo Life that experts believe the spicy ingredient in red peppers likely plays a role. “It’s probably related to capsaicin,” he says. But, he points out, his study didn’t look for the reason behind it – it just tried to find a connection.

Xu says he wanted to analyze the connection between chili peppers and health in the first place because he is interested in the role diet plays in heart health. “The Mediterranean diet was promoted for cardiovascular health and I was interested in seeing if specific food ingredients would be beneficial,” he says. “I’ve been eating chili peppers for a long time, so I wanted to look into that as well.”

Jamie Alan, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells Yahoo Life that the study is “really interesting.” But, like Xu, she notes that there are still many unanswered questions about why chili peppers appear to be related to health. However, she says, capsaicin appears to be an important factor.

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The Mayo Clinic has previously provided information on capsaicin, noting that the ingredient can help both heart health and boost the immune system and has been used in topical ointments for joint pain. “There could really be some important benefits you could have from eating hot peppers, especially in their ability to reduce some of these immune cell responses that are the root cause of atherosclerosis and heart attacks,” he said. said Dr DeLisa Fairweather, a heart disease researcher at Mayo Clinic on the site.

But before you run out and buy all the hot peppers you can find, know this: While there is a link between consuming chili peppers and a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, there is no evidence. that spicy foods reduce the risk. This means that it is possible that something else is entirely behind the reduced risk.

Another caveat to keep in mind, by Xu: The amount and type of chili that individuals consumed varied, making it difficult for researchers to say exactly how much, how often, and what type of chili you would have. need to enjoy it. . “Scientifically, if you were serious about answering the question of what type, how much and how often, a randomized controlled trial would be needed to answer that question,” he says.

At this point, says Alan, “it’s not clear if it’s actually chili peppers or if it’s an overall effect of the diet.” That said, chili peppers do have some known benefits. “Hot peppers have been shown to produce satiety and boost metabolism,” she says. “It is safe to say that there could be an advantage, even if you don’t know how much or what type of peppers to eat. “

If you’re not a fan of chili peppers, Xu says you shouldn’t force yourself to eat them – the data isn’t strong enough yet. “If you already eat chili peppers and love them, that encourages that,” he says. “We’re not going as far as giving recommendations yet, but I think that can at least encourage or encourage people to try chili peppers.

“It just goes to show that diet plays an important role in your overall health,” he adds.

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