Eating spicy foods regularly may extend lifespan

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

Eating spicy foods regularly may lower the risk of death from cancer, ischemic disease, and respiratory disease, according to a new observational study published in The BMJ.

For the study, researchers in China analyzed data from a prospective cohort study that included 487,375 adults from various various in China. All participants were between ages 30 and 70 and completed questionnaires about their health and consumption of red meat, vegetables, alcohol, and spicy foods. Participants were followed for an average of 7.2 years.

Results showed that consumption of spicy food 3 to 7 days a week was associated with a 14% reduced risk of death during the follow-up period compared with participants who consumed spicy foods less than once a week. Eating spicy foods once or twice a week was linked with a 10% reduced risk of death compared with those who ate it less than once a week.

Researchers also found that frequent consumption of spicy foods was associated with a reduced risk of death from cancer, ischemic heart disease, and respiratory diseases. This effect was more strongly observed in women than men.