Some like it hot, especially when it comes to food. Surveys show one in five of us eat curry at least once a week, while UK demand for hot sauces loaded with fiery chilli flavors is on the rise, fueled by the popularity of celebrity-endorsed brands. , like Tingly Ted’s, launched by music megastar Ed Sheeran.
But can spicy food improve our health?
Compelling evidence comes from a recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition, which surveyed more than 50,000 adults about how often they ate fresh chillies, chilli sauce, or added dried chillies to their food.
The results showed that those who ate a spicy dish just once a week reduced the risk of a life-threatening ischemic stroke (where a clot forms in the narrow blood vessels of the skull, cutting off blood flow to the brain) by 13 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate spicy dishes.
And those who ate hot foods three times a week or more were almost 20 percent less likely to suffer a blockage, according to a study from Guangxi Medical University in China.
This effect was also particularly prominent in obese people, and obesity is a major risk factor for stroke; The researchers said: “Obese people may benefit from a higher frequency of consuming spicy foods.”
Ischemic strokes affect more than 100,000 people a year in the UK, killing more than a third and leaving many more permanently affected by speech problems and immobility.
One theory is that the health benefits are due to the effects of capsaicin, the ingredient that gives chili peppers their heat. Capsaicin increases metabolism, or the rate at which the body expends energy, by about 8 percent and, in turn, this prevents obesity.
Those who ate hot food three times a week or more were almost 20 percent less likely to suffer a blockage, according to a study from Guangxi Medical University in China.
In one of the largest studies on the health benefits of a spicy diet, researchers found that those who regularly ate dishes containing chili peppers were 26 percent less likely to die from heart disease than those who rarely or never ate them. .
And even those who suffer a stroke can still benefit: A study published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases in 2019 found that stroke patients who received a capsaicin supplement were much less likely to suffer from dysphagia, a condition that affects up to 80 percent of people. stroke victims, making it difficult to swallow food and drinks.
The pungent compound has been shown to stimulate receptors in the muscles of the throat, causing them to contract more easily, which helps with swallowing.
Dr Louise Flanagan, head of research at the Stroke Association, said: “More than 90,000 people survive a stroke each year in the UK, and its devastating impact can leave people unable to move, see, speak or even swallow.” We welcome studies like these, which look at modifiable stroke risk factors, such as diet. “But these studies have limitations, and people’s definition of ‘spicy’ may vary.”
Spicy food has been shown to benefit our well-being in other ways as well. For example, have you ever noticed how your stuffy nose seems to disappear when you enjoy a hot and spicy meal?
This is because the capsaicin in chili peppers releases a vapor that irritates the mucous membranes lining the nasal passages: this delicate layer traps incoming germs and releases mucus to remove them from the nose.
Capsaicin triggers the release of mucus, which can clear congestion and make breathing easier for a time.
In some countries, doctors prescribe a capsaicin-based nasal spray for non-allergic rhinitis, a condition that affects up to six million people in the UK and in which nasal congestion is caused by a cold or irritation from pollutants. like cigarette smoke.
In clinical trials, chilli sprays (which are not authorized in the UK) eradicated symptoms in around 40 per cent of patients.
Previous research suggests that chili peppers can reduce inflammation, which can affect the blood vessels around the heart and cause blockages that ultimately cause a heart attack.
But a study has found that eating too much spicy food could lower the temperature in the bedroom.
Chili peppers can also be good for the heart. In one of the largest studies on the health benefits of a spicy diet, reported in 2020 at the American Heart Association conference, researchers found that those who regularly ate dishes containing chili peppers were 26 percent less likely of dying of heart disease than those I rarely, if ever, ate.
The study, conducted by the Cleveland Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute in Ohio, analyzed the eating habits of more than 570,000 people who had participated in various studies on diet and health. Previous research suggests that chili peppers can reduce inflammation, which can affect the blood vessels around the heart and cause blockages that ultimately cause a heart attack.
But the American researchers stressed that it is too early to say for sure that eating spicy food saves lives, since their study did not take into account the amount or type of chili (some are hotter than others) that the volunteers ate.
Meanwhile, research suggests that eating chili peppers regularly may protect against dementia.
For example, a 2020 study on mice by scientists in Canada found that feeding them treats made with capsaicin protected against the formation of amyloid plaques, the harmful deposits thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s symptoms, including memory loss. and mood swings.
Writing in the journal Translational Psychiatry, the researchers said that in addition to blocking plaque formation, capsaicin appeared to dampen inflammation in the brain, also linked to cognitive decline.
But there’s still no certainty: another study by the University of South Australia in 2019 found that eating more than 50g of chili a day can double the risk of memory impairment and poor cognition.
Another study, conducted by the University of South Australia in 2019, found that eating more than 50g of chilli per day can double the risk of memory impairment and poor cognition.
The 15-year research, involving more than 4,500 volunteers, concluded that too much spicy food could actually damage brain cells, predisposing them to the onset of Alzheimer’s.
What is well accepted is that the capsaicin in chili peppers can relieve pain: it acts on pain-sensitive nerves, making them less sensitive. For example, a skin patch made with capsaicin is often used in the NHS to treat neuropathic pain, such as that suffered by people with diabetes, where poor circulation in the legs and feet can damage the nerves.
Studies show that the chili-based patch, which contains a liquid made from capsaicin that leaks out, can reduce neuropathic pain by up to 50 percent.
Even simply eating capsaicin regularly can increase our pain tolerance, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of Pain.
Researchers gave 60 students a sugary or chili-based snack and then measured their ability to withstand pain when their hands were immersed in ice water.
Those who received the spicy snack were able to withstand the pain longer and the effects lasted weeks after the test, suggesting that long-term pain tolerance improved.
Susan Brain, professor of pharmacology at King’s College London, says: “If you eat a hot chilli and feel burning, it’s the capsaicin that causes it by binding to and activating nerve fibers in the body that transmit pain signals.
“But that pain soon goes away when capsaicin desensitizes them.”
Not everything is positive news. In 2021, researchers at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine reviewed data from 16 previous studies on chili peppers and gastric tumors and found that those who ate them several times a week had a 50 percent higher risk of stomach cancer than those who ate them occasionally. , possibly because excessive intake of capsaicin can irritate the stomach lining.
And eating too much spicy food could lower the temperature in the bedroom. A recent study of 373 men found that those who ate spicy foods three times a week or more had a reduced libido and were two and a half times more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than those who ate hot dishes less than once a week. .
One reason may be the effect on male hormone levels.
In an article published in September in the journal Translational Andrology and Urology, researchers said: “Testosterone levels decreased significantly with an increase in the frequency of spicy food consumption.”
But scientists at South China University also suggested that eating a lot of spicy foods could be a marker of a fattening diet and obesity, both of which can reduce sexual desire.
Professor Brain says: “The moral here is to eat reasonable quantities; as part of a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, chillies certainly won’t do you any harm.”