Spicy Food: Could It Lower Your Death Risk?

If you like spicy foods, you're in luck. New findings published in the British Medical Journal reveal that a diet high in spicy dishes can reduce the risk of death by about 14 percent, specifically lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and respiratory issues.

"The findings are highly novel," said Lu Qi, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a press release. "To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first reporting a link between spicy food intake and mortality."

During the study, researchers reviewed health data for 487,375 people between the ages of 30 and 79 that was collected from 2004 to 2008 as part of the China Kadoorie Biobank. The researchers discounted people with a history of cancer, stroke and heart disease, finding that during a median follow-up of about 7 years, there were 11,820 deaths among men and 8,404 deaths among women.

Findings revealed that eating spicy foods about once or twice per week lowered the mortality risk by just about 10 percent, while eating it close to every day lowered the risk by about 14 percent.

However, researchers point out that more research will be needed in order to determine just exactly what's involved in spicy diets that make them so good for you. For instance, an editorial published with the study notes how Chinese diets rely heavily on spice. However, it's still unclear whether chill intake or chili is simply a marker for other beneficial yet unmeasured dietary components, researchers say.

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