Eating spicy food more frequently as part of a daily diet is associated with a lower risk of death, suggests a new study published in The British Medical Journal.
This is an observational study so no definitive conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, but the authors call for more research that may “lead to updated dietary recommendations and development of functional foods”.
Participants in a recent survey who ate spicy foods almost every day had a relative 14% lower risk of death compared to those who consumed spicy foods less than once a week.
Frequent consumption of spicy foods was also linked to a lower risk of death from cancer, and ischaemic heart and respiratory system diseases, and this was more evident in women than men.
People often get worried when I talk about adding fresh chillies to my dishes, however, most of the time, it is just a subtle hint of chilli that can be noted and nothing overpowering.
Red chilli powder, made from crushed red, dried Kashmiri chillies give an excellent addition of flavour to most Indian dishes without being too overpowering.
Many people back home in India make their own red chilli powder but here, I find that it’s okay to buy the ready, ground powder and it lasts for about 2 months in an airtight container away from sunlight.
Leave a Reply