What if you could eat your way to a longer life?
Hot peppers may not exactly be the key to total longevity but eating chili peppers could help you lower your risk of dying of stroke. At least that’s according to recent research. Normally, a stroke happens when a clot forms inside an artery. Unless you’re able to get quick medical attention, a stroke can sometimes be deadly. But now some experts believe eating chili peppers may at least somewhat reduce your risk of stroke fatality.
Previous research has shown eating spicy food each week helps reduce the risk of dying prematurely.
Stroke is just one of the diseases potentially impacted. In one particular study, those who consumed chili peppers more than four times a week were 61-percent less likely to die of certain diseases, including stroke. It’s not known whether eating chili peppers can actually prevent stroke and heart disease, however the capsaicin naturally found in hot peppers seems to promote better metabolic and vascular health. It’s thought, perhaps, capsaicin induces mild hypothermia, which may help reduce damage to the brain during a stroke and help with recovery.
While capsaicin definitely seems to have some real health benefits, you don’t want to go overboard in pepper consumption.
Like most things, even too much of a good thing can lead to poor results. Too much capsaicin could cause problems such as headaches, heartburn and abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or other undesirable side effects. Be sure and keep your doctor in the loop, but there may be a way to get the health benefits without overdoing it. Try working your way up the hot pepper scale slowly. This way you’re able to enjoy all the flavors and spice, and potentially build up your tolerance over time to try out hotter and hotter peppers.