A recent study in 500,000 Chinese people has found an association between consumption of spicy foods and living longer. The study, which followed people between the ages of 30 and 79 for seven years, found that those who ate spicy food 3 or more times per week were 14% less likely to die during the study period. This who ate spicy food 1 or 2 times per week were 10% less likely to die than the infrequent spice-eaters.
The researchers point out that this is a correlative finding, not a cause-and-effect study – but with the large number of participants, it is an interesting observation.
The spices the participants used were fresh and dried chilies, chili oil, and chili sauce.
So what is it about spicy food that may benefit health and longevity? Previous research has found that spicy food may reduce inflammation and change the composition of gut bacteria, so that may play a role. Or is there something in chili peppers that’s beneficial for our bodies?
Scientists don’t yet know for sure, but this finding ensures that more of this “hot” research is in the works.
You can see an abstract of the study at the BMJ website: http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4141 –
最近一項以五十萬人為調查對象的研究發現，食用辛辣食物和壽命長短有直接的關聯。在七年的調查期間，研究人員追蹤了五十萬由30到79歲的中國人，發現那些每星期吃三次或以上辛辣食物的人，在調查期間的死亡率較其他人低百分之十四。而每星期吃一至兩次辛辣食物的人，比不常吃辛辣食物的人的死亡率則低百分之十。
研究人員指出，調查結果顯示的是一個關聯關係，而不是因果關係。但由於調查對象爲數如此龐大，研究所顯示的結果的確值得參考。
調查對象所食用的香料包括新鮮及乾的辣椒、辣椒油及辣椒醬。
那麼這些辛辣香料中，有什麽成分是對人體有益及使人長壽的呢？以往的研究發現，辛辣食物可以減少炎症，並改變腸道細菌的結構，這可能是原因之一。又或者辣椒中的某些成分對人體特別有益?
科學家目前還未能肯定其原因，但這個發現可以確保，更多的「辛辣」研究將會繼續進行。
要了解更多有關資料，請參閲http://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4141