Hot chilli may be the spice of a longer life

SPICING up your life with frequent doses of chilli could halve the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke, research suggests.

The study of almost 23,000 Italians found that regular consumers had 40 per cent fewer fatal heart attacks and 61 per cent fewer deadly strokes.

Overall, those eating the spice at least four times a week had mortality rates almost a quarter lower, the study found. The spicy food is rich in capsaicin, a compound which has been linked to improved heart function, reduced inflammation and slowing the spread of cancer cells.

Dr Marialaura Bonaccio, of the Institute for Research, Hospitalisation and Health Care Neuromed, based in Molise, Italy, said: “An interesting fact is that protection from mortality risk was independent of the type of diet people followed.

“In other words, someone can follow the healthy Mediterranean

diet, someone else can eat less healthily, but for all of them chilli pepper has a protective effect.”

Her team tracked volunteers who were taking part in an Italian health project called the Moli-sani study.

Those who ate chilli at least four times a week were much less likely to die over the next eight years.

The analysis, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, is the first to explore the spice in relation to death rates in a European population.

It is commonly used in Italian cuisine and has been praised for its therapeutic virtues for centuries. Recent studies have shown chilli pepper protects against cancer and diabetes, acts as a painkiller, combats obesity and boosts gut bacteria.

The study was observational – meaning it did not prove that the dietary habits led to the improved mortality rates.

Overall, around 4 per cent of all those in the study died during the eight years they were tracked.