Finishing touch on presidency SPICE OF LIFE
Chili peppers may promote longevity: study
SOME LIKE it hot — and those who do could live longer because of it.
Eating chili peppers has been tied to living longer in a new study published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.
More than 16,000 adults were surveyed on their background, eating habits and health from 1988 to 1994, and were later monitored for a period of 18 years.
Total mortality rates for patients who consumed chili peppers were 21.6%, compared to 33.6% for those who didn’t.
It’s still unclear what exactly causes the hot peppers to extend life, the authors say, but they note that capsaicin may be the miracle worker.
Capsaicin, the component that makes a chili hot, can affect the body in many ways: It can break down fat and store it for energy in various organs, protecting against plaque buildup, high cholesterol and obesity. This, in turn, can reduce hypertension and type 2 diabetes, as well as deactivate some regulators of cellular growth, which could stop tumors.
Some varieties of hot peppers also contain B, C and pro-A vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
The study specifically asked participants whether they ate “hot red chili peppers,” but that doesn’t rule out the possibility that hot green and yellow peppers don’t pack the same benefits, the authors write.
The PLoS ONE study referred to two prior studies that supported the belief that hot peppers were key to longevity.
A 2009 study in India noted an inverse relationship between spice production and cancer.
A 2006 study conducted in China noted an inverse relationship between chili pepper consumption and mortality from all causes — including cancer and cardiovascular disease.