Eating more chili can live longer? The study found that eating chili regularly can reduce the risk of death, how much should you eat?

Uncle Zhang is 56 years old this year. Although he is a Cantonese, his eating habits are different from most Cantonese , that is, he likes spicy food very much.

When I was young, I worked abroad for a long time, and I gradually became able to accept all kinds of spicy food, even to the point where I didn’t like spicy food . Later, when I returned to Guangdong, I thought Cantonese food was too bland.

And 2 years ago, he was found to have high blood pressure during a routine physical examination. Since then, his wife has often refused to let him eat spicy food, "I often eat chili and my blood pressure will increase. 'It's gone!"

So Uncle Zhang can only satisfy his hunger by ordering a table of spicy dishes every time he goes out to meet his friends, although he will blush and his heart beats faster every time he finishes eating .

But then Uncle Zhang heard from a friend that chili peppers do not raise blood pressure at all, but can lower blood pressure! So Uncle Zhang was puzzled. Chili, which makes the heart beat faster every time you eat it, can actually lower blood pressure. Is it true or not?

1. Does eating chili often raise blood pressure or lower blood pressure?

I don’t know if you have discovered a situation, that is, “eating spicy food can be addictive”. Some people are obviously not very good at spicy food, but they can’t help but be greedy.

Why once you fall in love with "chili", you will be attracted by it?

Strictly speaking, spicy taste is not a comfortable experience. Once spicy food is ingested, it will cause pain.

For the brain, this kind of stimulation is equivalent to the onset of pain, and it may release the painkilling substance-endorphins, and this substance will bring people a pleasant feeling , which also causes many people to "dislike spicy food".

Does eating chili raise blood pressure or lower blood pressure?

In July 2021, a research team led by Professor Li Liming from the School of Public Health of Peking University used the data from the China Chronic Disease Prospective Research Project to analyze the data of 54,000 people in China.

The results showed that among women, compared with not eating spicy food every day, eating spicy food at least once a week can reduce the risk of hypertension by 10%. However, for men, eating spicy food every week has no significant difference in the change of hypertension.

In addition, the study found that among people who drink spicy food, compared with never eating spicy food, the risk of high blood pressure is only reduced by 2% when eating spicy food every day. But among non-drinkers, eating spicy food every day reduced the risk by 28% .

For people with high blood pressure, chili has high potassium content and is a good vegetable. However, excessive consumption of chili can cause the risk of constipation and put a strong pressure on blood vessels, so the amount of chili should be controlled when eating.

2. The study found that eating more peppers can lead to a longer life, really?

In the eyes of the public, eating too much chili is harmful to the human body, but scientific research has found that eating more chili can reduce the risk of death!

Published at the American Heart Association Scientific Annual Meeting, a large-scale international study from the United States, Italy, China and Iran, after incorporating the diet and death data of more than 570,000 people, found that people who like to eat chili live longer, And the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer is greatly reduced:

• 25% reduction in all-cause mortality;
• 26% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality;
• Cancer mortality was reduced by 23%.

According to research analysis, this may be related to the capsaicin contained in peppers. Capsaicin can release a variety of neuropeptides , thereby exerting anti-inflammatory, dilating blood vessels, and protecting gastric mucosa.

But when it comes to eating chili, everyone still does what they can, and eating chili one to two days a week can also observe beneficial effects.

With the in-depth research on chili, other effects of eating spicy food on the human body are also being discovered:

1. Reduce cancer risk

In a joint study by Oxford University, Harvard University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, a follow-up survey of 500,000 Chinese people was carried out for 8 years, and the results found that people who eat spicy food every day have a lower risk of cancer.

2. Prevent high blood pressure

A prospective study published by Professor Li Liming from the School of Public Health of Peking University found that eating spicy food every day can effectively prevent the occurrence of cancer, which may be related to the capsaicin in the pepper.

3. Increase appetite

The most important thing in people's diet is pepper, which can also play an appetizing role. The digestive enzymes in pepper can help protein breakdown, and some ingredients can also stimulate endorphins and increase appetite.

4. Protect cardiovascular

An experimental study conducted by Professor Zhu Zhiming, director of the Hypertension and Endocrinology Department of Chongqing Daping Hospital, found that capsaicin has a protective effect on blood vessels, and capsaicin can act on its specific target to promote the production of nitric oxide in the vascular endothelium, thereby dilating blood vessels to reduce blood pressure Purpose.

Because capsaicin can stimulate mucous membrane congestion and easily cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc., it is not suitable for people with weak digestive function, hemorrhoids, and chronic gastritis, esophagitis, etc. to eat chili.

3. Why do some people get diarrhea when they eat spicy food?

Eating spicy food is refreshing for a while, but after eating chili, many people will always have diarrhea. What's going on?

The capsaicin contained in peppers will bind to the capsaicin receptors in the body after entering the human body. When the capsaicin receptors are activated, in order to expel the capsaicin from the body as soon as possible, it will increase the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, and the gastrointestinal tract suddenly installs "Accelerator", uncontrolled for a while, defecation will become irregular.

If you want to eat chili healthily, you should pay attention to:

1. Do not eat spicy food on an empty stomach

Dr. Zhang Guoying from Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine said that eating peppers on an empty stomach can cause strong stimulation of the gastric mucosa and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

2. Ice milk can relieve spicy food

How to relieve after accidentally eating spicy food with greedy mouth and irritating the mouth and throat? You can drink some milk at this time.

The American Chemical Society pointed out that the casein in milk can reduce the attachment of capsaicin , which can effectively relieve the spicy stimulation.

3. Eat spicy food according to your ability

Eat spicy food according to your ability. For those who seldom eat spicy food on weekdays, don’t start with medium spicy and spicy. For people with gastric diseases, it is not recommended to eat too spicy food, otherwise it will easily irritate the stomach.

It is good to eat spicy food, but not too much. For those who do not eat spicy food, don’t force yourself to eat spicy food. The benefits of chili can also be compensated by other foods. You don’t have to eat chili to benefit.

References:

[1] "Does eating chili lower blood pressure or raise blood pressure?" After tracking and studying 54,000 people, the truth was discovered! ". Health Times. 2021-09-21

[2] "Eating Chili Often to Prolong Life? The latest evidence is here! ". Medical Endocrinology Channel. 2020-11-19

[3] "The more spicy the place, the more anorectal hospitals? How does eating spicy food affect the body, remember these points when eating spicy food for health! ". Health Times. 2022-08-19

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission