Moderate chili consumption linked to lower fatty liver disease risk

A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that consuming spicy foods with moderate heat levels several days a week may reduce the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The research involved 23,666 adults aged 25 to 60 from a multi-center physical examination database in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. Over an average follow-up period of 12.6 years, researchers observed that those who consumed spicy food one to two days per week had an 18.9 percent lower risk of NAFLD compared to those who never ate spicy food.

For individuals consuming spicy food three to five days a week, the risk reduction reached 33.2 percent, while those eating it six to seven days a week saw a 36.4 percent decrease. Daily consumption was associated with a 44.6 percent lower risk. However, the study noted that extremely high levels of spiciness did not show a direct correlation with reduced risk, and researchers have not yet determined why the benefits diminish at the highest heat levels.