Spicy Food May Be Good For Health - BMJ

After seven years of research the evidence, so far, makes it appear that spicy food is good for you. Especially chillies.

"While the research is still preliminary, it suggests spicy food may have all kinds of health benefits ranging from boosting metabolism and preventing gastric damage to reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.

The newest study, published this week in The BMJ, finds a link between regular consumption of spicy foods and a lower risk of death.

As far as these types of epidemiological studies go, this one is huge. It's based on dietary data of nearly 500,000 people from China....

The participants, who were enrolled in 2004-2008 and followed for a mean of 7.2 years, were asked to fill out a questionnaire that included general questions about their health and diet including how often they ate spicy foods. Out of 487,375 participants, 20,224 died during the study period.

After controlling for age, gender, level of education, marital status, alcohol consumption, smoking, health history, and other variables, the researchers found an inverse relationship between eating spicy foods and risk of death. Those who ate spicy foods 1-2 times a week had a 10 percent lower risk of death than those who rarely or never ate them, and those who ate them 3-7 times a week had a 14 percent lower risk of death.

The link was similar for both men and women. Frequent consumption of spicy foods was also linked to a lower risk of death from specific conditions: cancer, ischaemic heart and respiratory system diseases.

...their co-authors also wrote that their data shows that the associations they found for those diseases seem to be stronger for those who consumed fresh chili pepper than those who consumed dried chili, sauce or oil.

...the beneficial roles of capsaicin have been extensively reported in relation to anti-obesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-hypertensive effects...

...epidemiology unit of the University of Cambridge, said that the Chinese study has a number of strengths but that the dietary survey contained only "crudely measured" categories (red meat, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits) so it was unable to take into account other dietary habits that might have impacted the results, and that the quantity and strength of the chili consumed was also unknown.

...as a result the research should be "considered hypothesis generating, not definitive."

They say that the debate on the subject is "hotting up"!

 

That's OK @shiney but can we a get a Vindaloo Curry on prescription

@rosebay I am always chewing a small piece of raw ginger just love it

 

And you look it

That would be good with us getting free prescriptions . Youngster wouldn't get it as it's cheaper at the Indian than on prescription.

Vote Woo for Chancellor

 

Had a pack of Wasabi peas for a treat last night, they were hot, hot hot! A bit like rubbing raw horseradish in your eyes, but somehow moreish