Longevity and spicy chili pepper

According to the research, presented at the American Heart Association's 2020 Scientific Sessions, those who include chili peppers in their diet may benefit from a significantly reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer. This result is not entirely surprising, considering previous studies that have already highlighted the positive effects of consuming chili peppers, mainly attributed to the presence of capsaicin, the compound responsible for the characteristic spicy flavor.

The researchers conducted an analysis of 570,000 people from the United States, Italy, China and Iran, selecting 4,729 studies from five major global health databases. This approach allowed them to compare the results between those who consume chili peppers regularly and those who rarely or never do so.

The results were surprising: compared to those who consume chili peppers "rarely" or "never", those who introduce them into their diet enjoy a relative reduction of 26% in cardiovascular mortality, 23% in cancer mortality and 25% of mortality from all causes.

Dr. Bo Xu, cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute in Ohio and senior author of the study, highlighted the unexpected positive finding, suggesting that dietary factors may play a key role in overall health. However, he also specified that the exact reasons and mechanisms underlying these findings still remain unknown.

Despite the promising results, experts warn that further, more in-depth research is needed to fully understand the compounds responsible for chili pepper's positive effects, beyond capsaicin. Therefore, at the moment, it is not possible to say with certainty that the consumption of chili peppers can prolong life and reduce deaths, particularly due to cardiovascular or cancer factors.

The Calabrians ignore the existence of this study and continue to exaggerate in the consumption of chilli pepper in every typical product.