Contrary to the common belief, spicy foods offer several health benefits, including augmenting life span. So next time when you eat spicy food in any Asian restaurant rest assured that you are contributing to your health.
According to a recent study, regular consumption of spicy foods may help to live longer. The study found that spicy foods were beneficial for both men and women. The study, which included 500,000 Chinese and continued for seven years, also found that people who consumed spicy foods about six or seven times every week lived longer compared to those who only ate spicy food once a week. Interestingly, even eating spicy foods once a week also helped to increase lifespan, albeit a little, Three Insights reported.
At the end of the study, researchers found that participants who consumed spicy food just once a week faced 10 percent reduced the risk of dying. On the other hand, the death risks of participants who ate spicy food three to seven times a week was reduced by 15 percent.
Aside from increasing life span, spicy foods also promote weight loss, by curbing appetite and accelerating metabolism. A study undertaken by researchers from Purdue University in 2011 found people felt more satiated after eating spicy foods. According to an earlier study, people consumed less fat after consuming high amounts of hot peppers.
Perhaps spicy foods have an effect on metabolism, Today quoted Dr. Gregory Thorkelson, an assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh, as saying. According to Dr. Thorkelson, this is the reason why one feels hot after eating spicy foods.
Spicy foods also help to alleviate pain. For instance, it has been found that capsaicin present in peppers promotes the secretion of endorphins, the body's opioids. However, most of the data related to the palliative properties of capsaicin are based on an external application of the chemical rather than consuming it orally.
Consumption of spicy foods also produces anti-inflammatory effects. According to available data, capsaicin may also be beneficial in autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Conditions like these are not very widespread in countries where people eat plenty of spicy foods.
Moreover, spicy foods also have antimicrobial effects. Several studies have shown that capsaicin has antibacterial effects, and perhaps, to a lesser degree, even antifungal effects. This is the reason why hot peppers have been used in the form of a food preservative.
