I’ve long thought that folks who eat spicy foods live longer, healthier, more active and happier lives. Now, after my own data mining survey of past university studies, I’ve found proof positive that eating spicy food is a boon to well being. Here are just a few of my findings…
Classic Chicken Curry: Go ahead, have another bowl…
And burn off some excess energy!
Spicy diet bestows longer life
An international team led by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences examined the association between consumption of spicy foods as part of a daily diet and the total risk and causes of death.
They data-mined questionnaire results from 487,375 participants, aged 30-79 years, from the China Kadoorie Biobank who were enrolled between 2004-2008 and followed up after 7.2 years. During that time there had been 22,224 deaths among the group.
Compared with participants who ate spicy foods less than once a week, those who consumed spicy foods 1 or 2 days a week were at a 10 percent reduced risk of early death, and those who ate spicy foods 3 to 5 and 6 or 7 days a week were at a 14 percent reduced risk of death. In other words, participants who ate spicy foods almost every day had a relative 14 percent lower risk of early death compared to those who consumed spicy foods less than once a week. Researchers say they don’t know why spicy foods help you cheat death – they just do.
Western researchers agree
Using National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) III data collected from more than 16,000 Americans who were followed for up to 23 years, medical student Mustafa Chopan and Dr. Benjamin Littenberg at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont found that consumption of hot red chili peppers is associated with a 13 percent reduction in total mortality – primarily in deaths due to heart disease or stroke.
Chopan and Littenberg suggest some possible explanations for red Chili Peppers’ health benefits. Among them are the fact that capsaicin is believed to play a role in cellular and molecular mechanisms that prevent obesity and modulate coronary blood flow, and also possesses antimicrobial properties that, “may indirectly affect the host by altering the gut microbiota.”
Chinese folks who ate more spicy food ate less Salt
“Previously, a pilot study found that trace amounts of capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their pungent smell [and spicy flavour], enhanced the perception of food being Salty,” said Senior Study Author Zhiming Zhu, Director of the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology at the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China. “We wanted to test whether this effect would also reduce salt consumption.”
The study enrolled 606 Chinese adults and determined their preferences for salty and spicy flavors. Researchers then linked those preferences to blood pressure.
Researchers found that the brain areas stimulated by Salt and spice overlapped, and that spice further increased brain activity in areas activated by Salt. That increased activity may make people more sensitive to Salt so that they can enjoy food with less of it.
On the blood pressure front, those who had a relatively high preference for spicy foods clocked significantly lower blood pressure readings than those who reported a low preference.
Rejoice in thermogenesis!
Chili Peppers can do more than just make you feel hot; the active chemical in Peppers can directly induce thermogenesis, the process by which cells convert energy into heat, according to a new study.
Capsaicin is the chemical in chili peppers that contributes to their spiciness. It stimulates a receptor found in sensory neurons, creating the heat sensation and subsequent reactions like redness and sweating. Dr. Yasser Mahmoud has found that capsaicin can create ‘heat’ in a direct manner by altering the activity of a muscle protein called SERCA.This effect, known as thermogenesis, is an important method of staying warm, and is most often seen in hibernating animals.
Mahmoud notes that capsaicin is the first natural compound known to augment the thermogenesis process.
Overweight and obese folks: Imagine being able to burn off excess energy just by eating some spicy food! It’s not that simple, of course, but go ahead and have another bowl of Curry!
There’s more..
Just Google ‘benefits of spicy foods’ and see what you get – 21.8 million hits!
The first thing you see in the links list is a compendium of 7 major benefits attributed to Spicy Foods created by researchers from MSN. They’re backed up by science, too…
~ Maggie J.