Does eating spicy food help you live longer?
Eating spicy food regularly is linked to a lower chance of dying early, but whether it is the cause is not yet known. With stomach cancer, a little may be beneficial while a lot could actually be harmful, so moderation is key.
Eating spicy food every day is linked to a lower chance of dying early. In a large Chinese population study involving more than 487,000 people, daily consumption of spicy food was associated with 14% fewer deaths compared with people who ate spicy food less than once a week. An American study found a similar figure among people who regularly ate hot red chilli peppers: a 13% lower chance of dying over nearly nineteen years of follow-up. Four large population studies combined, from the US, China, Italy and Iran, confirmed this picture: 12% fewer deaths overall and even 18% fewer deaths from heart disease among people who regularly ate spicy food.
These are associations, not proven causes. It is quite possible that people who eat a lot of spicy food also live more healthily in other ways. At the same time, there is a plausible explanation: the active substance capsaicin appears to have beneficial effects on weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. Among people who drink alcohol, the positive association was weaker than among people who do not.
Researchers also see an interesting pattern when it comes to weight. Higher chilli consumption was linked to less excess weight, with a dose-dependent relationship: the more chilli, the lower the risk of obesity. People who ate more than 50 grams per day had a 27% lower chance of being overweight or obese.
There is one important caveat around cancer. Eating a small amount of chilli pepper appears to lower the risk of stomach cancer, but eating a large amount may actually increase it. Many studies combined also show that eating spicy food is linked to higher rates of oesophageal, stomach and gallbladder cancer. This sits in direct contrast to the beneficial effects on the chance of dying early and heart disease, and makes the overall picture more nuanced.
This answer draws on several large studies involving more than 500,000 people in total, plus a broad overview of multiple cancer-risk analyses. The links with dying early are remarkably consistent across countries and studies, but they remain links: no one was deliberately put into a spicy-food group, so we cannot say spicy food is the direct cause. The cancer risk comes from a less well-developed area of research: the scientists behind that overview rate their own evidence as thin and contradictory. The idea that a compound in chilli peppers is responsible is plausible but has not yet been shown to be a direct cause in people.
Does eating less help you live longer?
In laboratory animals the effect on lifespan is well established, but in healthy humans direct evidence is lacking. A moderate and sustainable eating pattern is wiser than extreme restriction; discuss major changes to your diet with a dietitian or doctor.
Does the timing of your meals affect how long you live?
The timing of your meals is associated with biological ageing and risk of death, but cause and effect have not been proven. Eating early, a nightly fasting window of at least 13 hours and a regular eating pattern appear to be the best choices based on what is currently known.
Does the Mediterranean diet help you live longer?
People who closely follow the Mediterranean diet die prematurely less often on average, although a cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been definitively proven. The strongest signal is seen in older adults and in deaths from heart and blood vessel disease, and the diet is in any case safe and broadly applicable.
Do you live longer on a vegetarian or plant-based diet?
A good-quality plant-based diet is linked to fewer early deaths. But strictly vegetarian or vegan eating has not been proven to be better than a varied diet that includes occasional meat or fish.
Are beans and legumes good for a long life?
Many large studies in people consistently point in the same direction: eating more legumes is linked to a lower risk of dying. For most people, a daily serving of legumes is well supported by the evidence. Older adults should also pay attention to whether they are getting enough protein overall.
Which diet is best supported by evidence for a long, healthy life?
For anyone looking to use diet to invest in a long and healthy life, the Mediterranean diet is currently the best-supported choice. Large human studies consistently show positive effects on both cardiovascular health and cognitive health.