Another good news for those who love red pepper in the kitchen. Yet another study on the healthy virtues of this spice would ensure that those who eat it are 25% less likely to die than those who do not consume it: this is the conclusion of a research presented by the American Heart Association for which a group of scientists reviewed 4,729 studies containing the health and dietary data of more than 570,000 people living in the United States, Italy, China and Iran.
Result? Compared with people who rarely or never ate chili peppers, the eaters were found to be 26% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease, 23% less likely to die of cancer, and 25% less likely to die of all causes. The study authors, however, caution that “more research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.”
The power of capsaicin. But why is chili pepper known as a “miracle” spice for health? Several previous studies have found that eating chili peppers has an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and blood glucose regulating effect thanks to capsaicin, the irritant chemical compound – in fact not everyone can eat chili peppers – for which the US chemist Wilbur Lincoln Scoville (1865 -1942) who devised an organoleptic test to measure the spiciness of chili peppers, was chosen years ago for an interactive Google Doodle.
One last piece of good news: a French study from a few years ago even concluded that men who love spicy food could have higher levels of testosterone, and therefore be particularly masculine types. On the other hand, the spiciest vegetable there is is among the foods considered aphrodisiacs.