There is good news for of hot and spicy food – the chili inside it can help you live . Researchers from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in the US have discovered that capsaicin, the ingredient in hot red chili peppers, may boost the , strengthen the system and help reduce high blood pressure and . They said people who regularly ate hot red chili peppers had a 13 per cent reduced of premature death compared with who did not eat them. They concluded that: "The consumption of hot red chili pepper was associated with reduced . Hot red chili peppers may be a beneficial of the diet."
The surveyed a total of 16,179 adults over a of six years. Survey participants answered questions on their health, lifestyle, income and eating . The researchers analysed the deaths that occurred in the 18 years following the . A total of 4,946 of the participants died. Of these, 21.6 per cent consumed chili compared with 33.6 per cent who did . This led the researchers to believe hot red chili peppers helped prolong . Britain's National Health Service urged people not to rely on "superfood" like chili to stay healthier. It said: "Eat a diet high in a variety of fruit and vegetables, limit salt, sugar and fat, stay active [and] avoid smoking."
