Student Article
Can Eating Chili Peppers Help You Live Longer?
Spicy (adjective): Having a strong, hot flavor.
Capsaicin (noun): A natural chemical that makes chili peppers spicy.
Heart disease (noun): A health problem that affects how the heart works.
Cancer (noun): A disease where cells grow in a harmful way in the body.
Did you know that spicy food might help you live longer?
The secret ingredient: capsaicin
A new study shows that eating chili peppers might help people live longer and stay healthier. Chili peppers are spicy and get their heat from something called capsaicin. This special ingredient may help protect our bodies in many ways.
What the study found about chili eaters
Scientists looked at health records from over 570,000 people in countries like the United States, Italy, China, and Iran. They found that people who ate chili peppers often were less likely to die from heart disease or cancer. In fact, they had a 25% lower chance of dying from any cause!
What we still don’t know (yet)
Capsaicin may help by reducing swelling in the body, fighting damage from harmful chemicals, and helping control blood sugar. Still, doctors aren’t sure exactly why chili peppers help. They say we need more studies to find out how much chili to eat and which kinds are best.
So, should you eat more spice?
We don’t know everything yet, but adding a little spice to your food might be good for your health!
© Jason Goodyer / Our Media
Spicy (adjective): Having a strong, hot flavor.
Capsaicin (noun): A natural chemical that makes chili peppers spicy.
Heart disease (noun): A health problem that affects how the heart works.
Cancer (noun): A disease where cells grow in a harmful way in the body.