Did you know that eating more spicy foods may help you live longer? Researchers have found that spicy food has multiple health benefits.
If you’re interested in adding extra years to your life, learn more about these foods!
Spicy Food Science
A study, titled “Consumption of spicy foods and total and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study,” found that regularly eating spicy food may lead to longer lives. In this study, both men and women benefited from eating more spicy food.
Study participants who ate spicy food six or seven times a week lived longer than the participants who only ate it once a week. However, eating spicy food once a week still helped increase longevity.
The study included 500,000 people. Participants who ate spicy food once a week reduced the risk of dying by 10 percent. The participants who ate spicy food three to seven times a week reduced their risk of dying by 15 percent. Adding this type of food to your daily meals helps!
Try These Spicy Foods
1. Fresh chili pepper. Researchers found that fresh chili pepper has a stronger impact on health than dry or other forms of chili pepper. The fresh peppers yielded better results.
- Researchers believe the molecule capsaicin that is found in chili peppers is responsible for the longevity. They believe it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It may also help fight cancer, hypertension, and obesity.
2. Curry. Eating more curry has also been linked to longer life spans. Curry can include cayenne pepper that also has the capsaicin molecule. The other spices in curry also have health benefits.
3. Spicy soup. Soup can be a nutritious and healthy option that is easy to make. By adding spices such as peppers, you can increase the health benefits. You can also add an assortment of healthy vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and others.
4. Salsa. The spices and peppers in salsa may help you live longer. Peppers such as jalapenos, habaneros, and ghost chilies can add a dramatic kick to your salsa, and they can also help your health.
Adding More Spices to Your Meals
Get the most from spicier foods with these techniques:
1. Look for new ways to incorporate more spices into your meals. Can you add hot peppers to your favorite casserole? Will your stir fry benefit from chili peppers? Can you simply add spices to your scrambled eggs or omelets?
2. Find dishes that your entire family can enjoy. After all, it’s hard to get the benefits of the spices if you don’t actually eat the meal! Keep in mind that people have different tolerance levels for heat.
- You may want to gradually increase the spices in your meals, so you can adjust to them over time. Adding a large amount of peppers at once can make it difficult to tolerate.
3. Go with fresh spices, if possible, but other forms are still beneficial. Although fresh ingredients offer more health benefits according to researchers, you may not have them available at all times. In these cases, it’s better to substitute dry or powder forms than to go without. You can also try oils or other extracts.
4. Take precautions. If you’re cooking with spicy food at home, avoid touching your eyes or other body parts while handling hot peppers.
Spicy food has a variety of health benefits and is linked to longer life spans. However, before you change your diet, you may want to discuss it with your doctor.