Study: Spicy Foods Might Help You Live Longer

There's good news for people who delight in singeing their taste buds. New research shows that fiery foods such as chili peppers might actually help people live longer.

During the study, researchers analyzed the spicy food consumption of nearly half a million people between the ages of 30 and 70, excluding people who had cancer, heart disease or stroke. They then reviewed the records of 20,224 people who died during a seven-year follow-up period and discovered that the subjects who ate spicy foods six to seven times a week had a 14 percent lower risk of premature death for all causes than people who ate spicy foods less than once a week (the most common sources of spicy foods were fresh and dried chili peppers). Additionally, people who ate spicy food frequently also showed a lower risk of death from cancer as well as ischemic heart and respiratory system diseases.

So what causes this unexpected health benefit? The researchers think that it's capsaicin, a bioactive ingredient in chili peppers that has been tied to health perks such as increased fat burning.

Before you rush out to order extra-spicy kung pao chicken, however, keep in mind that spicy foods can also be irritants for people with incontinence or overactive bladders. They can also aggravate colds or sinus infections.

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