If you like spicy foods, now you have one more reason to prefer them: New scientific research suggests that red hot peppers give longevity!
For many centuries, hot peppers have been considered beneficial for various diseases. A Chinese study in 2015 was the first to link these peppers to reduced mortality. Now, a new US study is coming to confirm the previous findings.
The study, published in the journal PLoS One, shows that regular consumption of hot red pepper promotes longevity. reducing by 13% mortality, mainly from a heart attack or stroke. Researchers at Vermont University looked at the eating habits of 16,000 Americans over a 23-year period. The study correlated the number of deaths and causes of deaths with the type of diet and found that lovers of hot red pepper they tend to live longer. In particular, the scientists observed that the mortality rate for those who regularly consumed hot peppers was 21,6%, while the corresponding percentage for those who did not consume spicy was 33,6%.
The biological link between hot peppers and reduced mortality remains unclear, but scientists speculate that capsaicin, its main ingredient that makes it so hot, helps improve blood circulation in the arteries and also has antimicrobial properties.