Eating Spicy Food Could Add One Extra Year To You Life

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You love it or you hate it: spicy food. What’s so interesting about spice is that it’s not only a sensation you get to experience when eating a dish. As it turns out, there could be some serious health benefits to eating a spicy dish regularly.

However, what kind of health benefits are we talking about and how seriously can we take the research so far? Let’s find out!

Why Is Spicy Food So Popular?

Hot peppers are one of the world’s most widely used spices. In fact, about one in four people on the planet eat chilies daily. This raises an interesting question: why is spicy food so popular?

One popular suggestion is the endorphin hit. Endorphins are natural painkillers produced by the brain. However, there is no strong evidence to support this idea.

Another theory is that spicy food has antimicrobial properties, which was useful before refrigeration. Spicy food is often preferred in warmer climates, possibly because it makes us sweat and cools us down. Or maybe people just like the taste.

Family and Genetic Influence

Comparisons of identical and fraternal twins in studies suggest that genes may account for up to half of the variation in taste preferences. This is similar to the heritability of sweet and sour tastes (source).

Hormonal Factors

Researchers in France noted that men, in particular, liked spicy food and wondered if it was related to testosterone levels. They conducted a study with over 100 men, giving them mashed potatoes and asking them to add Tabasco sauce. They found that men with higher testosterone levels added more hot sauce (source). This might also explain a study that found a correlation between hot chili pepper consumption and muscle strength in adult males.

Spicy Foods and Lifespan

What does eating spicy foods do to our lifespan? A large study of half a million men and women in China found that those who regularly ate spicy foods had a 14 percent lower risk of premature death. (source). This could translate to about an extra year of life if the relationship is causal.

Observational studies have potential issues like reverse causality and confounding factors. For example, instead of spicy foods leading to less disease, maybe people with diseases eat less spicy food. However, the benefit remained even after excluding sick individuals, suggesting that reverse causality doesn’t explain it.

Replicating the Findings

Similar findings were observed in other countries. In the United States, there was a 13 percent reduction in the risk of premature death among spicy food eaters (source). This protective association remained even after accounting for Mexican-American ethnicity, known for their longevity advantage, possibly due to their high bean consumption.

In Italy, the results were even more striking, with a 23 percent lower all-cause mortality among those who consumed spicy foods (source). This translates to about two extra years of life. The authors concluded that minor dietary changes, such as adding chilies to one’s diet, could significantly improve health.

Global Studies on Spicy Food

So far, four major studies have all found the same thing: significantly lower risk of premature death among spicy food consumers. Black pepper and chili pepper consumption were associated with similar lifespan extensions as turmeric, even with just a pinch a day (source). Combining both seemed to offer even more benefits, possibly due to a compound in black pepper that boosts the bioavailability of curcumin in turmeric.

Why Might Spicy Extend Your Life?

The benefits of spicy food might be due to several factors. It could improve metabolism, reduce inflammation, and have antimicrobial properties. The exact mechanisms are still being studied, but the evidence suggests that adding a little spice to your diet could be a simple and effective way to enhance your health and longevity.

Stefan K.

Stefan has been vegan since 2019 and has been regularly working on his strength since the beginning of 2023. He’s on a mission to help other vegans get stronger and have all of them achieve the quality of life they deserve.