Eat Spicy Food...You Could Live Longer!

Hey there! How’re you doing today? Well, I hope. Me? Thanks for asking. Lots of aches from moving, unloading boxes and most recently standing on a stepladder trying to change a light fixture that refused to cooperate. But a short break, a mug of coffee and a different approach won out. Speaking of coffee, help yourself to a mugful and a virtual mixed berry muffin or two, why don’t’cha? Watch it...they’re hot! On the subject of hot...

Adding those hot chilli peppers to your salads and burgers this summer might not be such a bad idea. According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, eating spicy foods may lower your risk of death from conditions like cancer, ischemic heart disease and respiratory disease. (One of my doctors in Thailand told me that it also helped lower cholesterol.)

Results from experimental research have hinted at the benefits of spices and their active components on health, but few studies have examined the effect in a large-scale population. So for this research, an international team at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences took data from 487,375 participants at the China Kadoorie Biobank, between the ages of 30 and 79, examining the link between daily consumption of spicy foods and the risk of death from various causes. 

The men and women were enrolled in the study from 2004 to 2008, and scientists followed up afterward to determine sicknesses and deaths. Each completed a questionnaire about their overall health, measurements, and diet —  like how often they consumed spicy foods, red meat, vegetables and alcohol. 

Participants were also asked to give a medical history; those with previous cancer, heart disease or stroke were excluded. In addition, researchers controlled for potential compounding factors like age, marital status, education level and physical activity. 

In the group, the median follow-up time was a little over seven years, and there were 20,224 deaths during the follow-up period. Among those who consumed spicy foods regularly, there seemed to be a protective effect. Eating a spicy dish once or twice a week was linked to a 10 percent lower chance of death, when compared to those who ate hot dishes less than once per week. Those who ate spicy foods three or more days a week saw a 14 percent reduced risk of death. This was a stronger effect than the one observed in those abstaining from alcohol.

These are the “striking” findings researchers were actually expecting to see, in line with previous research, although the potential powers of spicy food have rarely been discussed before, says Lu Qi, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

What might be going on here? “Spicy food or its active components have been related to improved inflammation, reduced body fat, or improved lipid profiles,” Qi tells Yahoo Health. Take fresh chilli, for instance, which is high in capsaicin and vitamin C.

“However, we know little about why these may occur,” he says. “More studies are definitely needed to clarify the mechanisms.”

Researchers will need to examine whether spicy food has a direct impact on human health, or whether consuming foods with high-heat content tends to come in conjunction with other smart lifestyle factors.

Bring on the heat!

“Say, Bob, do you ever have spicy food for breakfast?”

“Yup! Sometimes I’ll have a Thai omelette on rice for brekkie. Can’t possibly eat an omelette without a liberal dose of Siracha Sauce (this is NOT pronounced ‘si-RA-cha’ as the Americans call it . It is  ‘si-ra-CHA’ after the name of the Thai city where it all began).

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/health/sriracha-lovers-unite-life-extending-benefits-125874820522.html