Scientists find it difficult to say what mechanisms are behind this phenomenon.
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People who regularly eat red hot peppers live longer and die less often from heart disease. This was shown by a study presented at the virtual conference of the American Heart Association, according to a press release. Scientists call this data preliminary.
Red pepper and capsaicin
Previous studies have shown that eating red hot peppers is associated with a reduced risk of death.
The active substance of red pepper is considered to be capsaicin. It was previously known that it can improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system and metabolism. Its protective properties in the context of atherosclerosis are also known. It is assumed that capsaicin has anti-cancer activity. However, whether these effects are significant enough to prolong human life is unknown today. At the same time, there are concerns that this substance in large doses can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.
What was discovered this time
To analyze the effect of red pepper on health, the authors studied more than 4,700 studies on this issue. The analysis included data on 570,000 people.
The scientists found that compared to people who rarely or never eat red hot peppers, those who eat them regularly:
- cardiovascular mortality is 26% lower;
- cancer mortality is 23% lower;
- all-cause mortality is 25% lower.
“The specific mechanisms that may explain our results are currently unknown. Therefore, it is impossible to reliably say that red pepper prolongs life and reduces the risk of death. More data from randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these preliminary data,” said Bo Xu, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and co-author of the study.