Chili peppers could help you live longer, study finds

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Scientists from Shandong University found that eating chili peppers could help people live longer.

Chili pepper has been used for the treatment and prevention of multiple diseases.

Recent studies on chili peppers have focused on their beneficial functions as potential anti-tumor, anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-obesity agents.

It has been found that capsaicin can act as a potential agent for anti-obesity caused by adipogenesis of cells and oxidative stress.

Scientists suggest that this is due to its abundance of bioactive components, such as carotenoids, which are well known for their antioxidant properties.

Several studies have examined the link between chili pepper intake and mortality, but the results have not been consistent.

In the current study, researchers aimed to clarify the association between chili pepper intake and all-cause and disease-specific death risks.

They reviewed published studies on the association between chili pepper intake and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific, and cancer-specific mortality.

These studies examined more than half a million people.

Among them, 31,527 died due to all causes, 10,184 died due to heart disease, and 9,868 died due to cancer.

The researchers found that compared to none or rare intake of chili pepper, consumption of chili pepper (ever or more than once a week) could strongly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, heart-specific mortality, and cancer-specific mortality.

Based on the findings, the team concludes that chili pepper intake could reduce the risk of all-cause, heart-specific, and cancer-specific mortality.

This suggests that chili pepper may be a beneficial ingredient in diets to help people live longer.

The research was published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research and conducted by Lili Yang et al.

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