Some like it hot – and that might be good for them

Do you like spicy food? The kind that makes your brows sweat and has you reaching for water? If so, you might live longer, according to new research. The new study will be presented next week at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2020. This meta-analysis of over 4,729 studies on chili peppers from five leading global health databases shows that “people who ate chili peppers had a 26 percent less risk of dying from heart disease, a 23 percent less risk of death from cancer and a 25 percent less risk of dying from any cause.”

The results intrigues scientists, who still don’t know the exact mechanism behind the effects of chili peppers on health. They surmise that the capsaicin – the main component in all hot peppers – plays a role. Since the studies did not control for the amount of peppers the study subjects ate, it is difficult to quantify the results. Another confounding factor is that it may be an entire dietary composition driving these results instead of just the fiery foods.

According to Jamie Alan, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, it is safe to say that “Chili peppers have been shown to produce satiety and they have also shown to boost metabolism,” both of which could play a part in overall health. So if you don’t like spicy peppers, there is not enough known about their health properties to warrant eating a lot of something you do not enjoy. But if you do like spicy foods, know that they are likely playing a positive role in your overall health.