Spicy Food Linked to Lower Heart Disease and Mortality Risks

Large-scale studies in China and the United States have found that frequent consumption of spicy foods, which contain capsaicin, is associated with a reduced risk of death and cardiovascular disease. A British Medical Journal analysis of around 500,000 Chinese adults showed a 14% lower relative risk of mortality for those eating spicy foods six to seven times a week. A later U.S. study reported a similar 13% reduction in mortality.

Further Chinese research published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology followed 54,859 residents of Pengzhou, Sichuan, and a separate cohort of 486,335 participants over more than a decade. Both studies observed an 11%‑14% decrease in heart attacks, strokes, and related conditions among people who ate spicy food regularly, with moderate spiciness offering the greatest benefit. Researchers note that while the findings are encouraging, increasing spicy food intake should be done cautiously and as part of a balanced diet.

These results suggest capsaicin may protect the heart and gastrointestinal tract, challenging the common belief that spicy foods are harmful to the stomach.