February 21, 2019
Can bringing the heat to the dinner table, in the form of spicy dishes, also help bring extra years to your lifespan? We take a look at the benefits that capsaicin, the active ingredient in foods such as chillies that make them spicy, can have on the body as well as a number of tests that have been carried out to discover whether there is any truth in the claim, or whether it is simply an old wives’ tale.
We know that spicy food can have a number of health benefits such as aiding weight loss, preventing cancer and lowering blood pressure, all of which would definitely seem to aid toward a longer and healthier life. But how often do you have to eat spicy food in order to feel the benefits?
A study from the University of Vermont found that people who ate hot chilli peppers had a 13% reduced risk of dying during the time the study was conducted when compared to those who didn’t eat spicy foods at all.
Another study from China surveyed 500,000 people and found that those that ate spicy food once a week or more were around 10% less likely to die throughout the seven-year follow-up period when compared to these who partook in the survey who ate no spicy foods.
Unfortunately, the study threw up a number of problems. The majority of people tested who claimed to eat spicy food every week, more likely than not happened to be young, male and married, whilst those who didn’t, were more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, have lower income and receive less education.
Although the results of these studies may not be crystal clear, we know that spicy food does have a number of beneficial properties that, whilst it may not be able to extend our lifespan, can make our time here much more enjoyable, healthier and most importantly, delicious.
For delicious spicy dishes near you, visit Royal Nawaab halal restaurant in Manchester today.
