SPICY FOOD FOR A LONGER LIFE
This is an
observational study so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and
effect, but the authors call for more research that may "lead to updated
dietary recommendations and development of functional foods."
Previous research has
suggested that beneficial effects of spices and their bioactive ingredient,
capsaicin, include anti-obesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammation and anticancer
properties.
So 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 undertook a
prospective study of 487,375 participants, aged 30-79 years, from the China
Kadoorie Biobank. Participants were enrolled between 2004-2008 and followed up
for morbidities and mortality.
All participants
completed a questionnaire about their general health, physical measurements,
and consumption of spicy foods, and red meat, vegetable and alcohol.
Participants with a
history of cancer, heart disease, and stroke were excluded from the study, and
factors such as age, marital status, level of education, and physical activity
were accounted for.
During a median
follow-up of 7.2 years, there were 20,224 deaths.
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% reduced risk of death (hazard
ratios for death was 0.90). And those who ate spicy foods 3 to 5 and 6 or 7
days a week were at a 14% reduced risk of death (hazard ratios for death 0.86,
and 0.86 respectively).*
In other words,
participants who ate spicy foods almost every day had a relative 14% lower risk
of death compared to those who consumed spicy foods less than once a week.
The association was
similar in both men and women, and was stronger in those who did not consume
alcohol.
Frequent consumption
of spicy foods was also linked to a lower risk of death from cancer, and
ischaemic heart and respiratory system diseases, and this was more evident in
women than men.
Fresh and dried chilli
peppers were the most commonly used spices in those who reported eating spicy
foods weekly, and further analysis showed those who consumed fresh chilli
tended to have a lower risk of death from cancer, ischaemic heart disease, and
diabetes.
Some of the bioactive
ingredients are likely to drive this association, the authors explain, adding
that fresh chilli is richer in capsaicin, vitamin C, and other nutrients. But
they caution against linking any of these with lowering the risk of death.
Should people eat
spicy food to improve health? In an accompanying editorial, Nita Forouhi from
the University of Cambridge says it is too early to tell, and calls for more
research to test whether these associations are the direct result of spicy food
intake or whether this is a marker for other dietary or lifestyle factors.
* A hazard ratio is a
measure of how often a particular event happens in one group compared to how
often it happens in another group, over time.
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