People Who Eat Chili Peppers May Live Longer, Study Suggests

Not traditionally a fan of spicy foods? You may want to reconsider. Along with adding intense flavor to a dish, red chili peppers, research suggests, may also add a few years to your life. 

Red chili peppers have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and blood sugar-regulating1 properties. Some studies have even shown the food may be beneficial in protecting against certain types of cancer2. All of these health benefits have been linked to capsaicin, an active component in the pepper that gives it its distinctive spicy flavor. 

To further understand this phenomenon, researchers looked at 4,729 studies with more than 570,000 participants, which analyzed the outcomes of people who ate chili peppers. They found that people who ate chili peppers lowered their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 26%, cancer by 23%, and all causes by 25%. 

While the associations are promising, Xu says researchers are unclear exactly why chili peppers are linked to lower mortality rates. They're also unsure how many chili peppers, how often, and which variety people need to eat for these benefits. 

"Therefore, it is impossible to conclusively say that eating more chili pepper can prolong life and reduce deaths, especially from cardiovascular factors or cancer," he adds. More research is necessary to validate the findings and explain the connection.