Red hot chili peppers may prolong life: study

Some like it hot — and may live longer because of it.

Eating chili peppers has been tied to living longer in a new study published in the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS ONE.

More than 16,000 adults were surveyed on their background, eating habits and current health from 1988 to 1994, and were followed up on for a period of 18 years. Total mortality rates for patients who consumed chili peppers were 21.6% compared to 33.6% for those who didn’t.

It’s still unclear what exactly causes the hot peppers to extend life, states the PLoS study, but its authors notes that capsaicin may be the miracle worker.

Capsaicin, the component that makes a chili hot, can affect the body in many ways. It can metabolize fat breakdown and storage for energy in different organs, protecting against plaque buildup, high cholesterol and obesity. This, in turn, can also reduce hypertension and type 2 diabetes, as well as deactivate certain regulators of cellular growth, which could stop tumors. Different types of hot peppers also contain B, C and pro-A vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. 

The study specifically asked participants whether they ate “hot red chili peppers,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that hot green and yellow peppers don’t pack the same benefits.

The PLoS ONE study referred to two prior studies that supported the belief that hot peppers were key to longevity.

A 2009 study in India noted the inverse relationship between spice production and cancer, while a 2015 study conducted in China noted an inverse relationship between chili pepper consumption and mortality from all causes — including cancer and cardiovascular disease.