Spicy Food Could Make You Live Longer, New Study Says

People of the world, spice up your life! Do you have a taste for Thai food, or can't get enough of curry? You may be in luck. A new study published in the British Medical Journal has discovered a strong link between consumption of spicy food and the reduction in mortality risk.The researchers studied the link irrespective of other causes of death. In conclusion: if you have a taste for spicy foods, you may live longer than your blander comrades.

Researchers studied thousands of Chinese men and women over a live period of time, and found that those who consumed spicy foods almost every day were 14 percent more likely to live longer. Researchers have long studied the health benefits of chile peppers; active consumers of spicy peppers may experience decreased appetites.

"The bioactive agents in spices have shown beneficial roles in obesity, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal conditions, various cancers, neurogenic bladder, and dermatological condition," researchers said. "Spices exhibit antibacterial activity and affect gut microbiota populations, which in humans have been recently related to risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver cirrhosis, and cancer... Spices may have a profound influence on morbidities and mortality in humans."