You bet.
A Chinese study on the spicy food consumption of nearly half a million people aged 30-70 has found that those who frequently consumed spicy food showed a lower risk of death from cancer, ischaemic heart disease and respiratory system diseases.
Fresh and dried chili peppers were the most consumed spices of those studied. The study found that people who ate spicy foods six or seven times a week had a 14 percent lower risk of death for all causes than those who ate spicy foods less than once per week.
Holistic healers have long touted the benefits of capsaicin, the bioactive ingredient in peppers, for its ability to fight infection and stimulate heart, kidney and lung function.
Capsaicin is found in cayenne, green or red chilli, spur, tobasco and in sweet peppers in lesser amounts. Typically speaking, the hotter the pepper the greater amount of capsaicin it contains.
