Food products with globally-inspired flavors are a big trend. And there are a lot of spicy options around the world, like Ethiopian berbere, with its cayenne and red chilies, sriracha sauce’s chili-garlic blend and the smokey spice of chipotle seasoning. But taste-buds aren’t the only beneficiaries of these sweat-inducing delights. Life-spans may also be lengthened by the consumption of spicy foods, according to a team of scientists at Harvard.
News Drill Down
- According to Time, the researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health “looked at questionnaire data from about half a million adults all across China.” A 10% decrease in the chance of death was reported for individuals who ate spicy dishes once or twice a week.
- Science.Mic reports that study authors also note the benefits of capsaicin, an ingredient in chili peppers, such as “anti-obesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive effects.”
- Food Product Design notes that “fresh and dried chile peppers were the most commonly used spices reported by the Chinese study population.” And while spicy food isn’t as popular in the U.S. as it is in other parts of the world, the taste for “more culturally diverse foods” is driving the development of new spicy food products.
Reading List
Time: “The Intriguing Link Between Spicy Food and a Longer Life”
Science.Mic: “Study Finds People Who Eat More Spicy Foods Have a Reduced Risk of Premature Death”
Food Product Design: “Eating Spicy Foods Helps You Live Longer”
Search for spicy ingredients on Prospector…
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