Hot pepper adds magical flavor and heat to your dishes. Eating them is also linked to health benefits. According to research, hot pepper might also help to reduce pain. New research suggests that having spicy food helps you live longer. Scientists from the University of Vermont conducted this study. They found that consuming hot red chili peppers is linked to mortality. It reduces almost 13 percent in total mortality.
Spices like hot pepper have been believed to be beneficial for treating various diseases for centuries. But, only one study from China has suggested that chili pepper consumption is associated with mortality.
Scientists used data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Almost 16,000 Americans were followed for up to 23 years. According to hot red chili pepper consumption, scientists examined the participants’ baseline characteristics.
They found that hot red chili pepper consumers tended to be younger. Such consumers tended to be white, Mexican-American, and married. They smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and consume more vegetables and meat. They had lower HDL cholesterol, lower income, and less education.
Scientists said, “Although the mechanism by which peppers could delay mortality is far from certain, Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels, which are primary receptors for pungent agents such as capsaicin (the principal component in chili peppers), may in part be responsible for the observed relationship.”
The capsaicin in the hot pepper plays a role in cellular and molecular mechanisms. It prevents obesity and modulates coronary blood flow.
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Medical student Mustafa Chopan said, “Because our study adds to the generalizability of previous findings, chili pepper or even spicy food consumption may become a dietary recommendation and/or fuel further research in the form of clinical trials.“
Journal Reference
- Mustafa Chopan, Benjamin Littenberg. The Association of Hot Red Chili Pepper Consumption and Mortality: A Large Population-Based Cohort Study. PLOS ONE, 2017; 12 (1): e0169876 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169876
