Do you like spicy food? The science says it could help you live longer!

Chinese researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 500,000 people for 7 years and found that those who ate spicy foods one or two days a week had a 10% reduced risk of death compared with those who ate such meals less than once a week. The risk was 14% lower for those who opted for hot food between three and seven days a week.

The study published in BMJ said those who favoured spicy food had lower rates of heart disease, respiratory disease and cancer. The authors say that capsaicin, the main ingredient in chili peppers, had been found in other studies to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The researchers still need more evidence from other populations to verify these findings before they would contemplate any change in dietary advice.

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