Turns out, chili peppers don’t just set your mouth ablaze: “Spices and their bioactive ingredients, like capsaicin, may have beneficial antiobesity, antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, and antihypertensive effects,” says study coauthor Jun Lv, PhD, an associate professor at Peking University Health Science Center, in Beijing. (Check out these 10 foods that help fight inflammation naturally.) All those “anti’s” may protect you from cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases. Lv says spicy food compounds may also change your gut microbiome in health-promoting ways. The BMJ study—based on diet data from roughly half a million adults spread across China—defined “spicy” foods as those with chili peppers, chili oil, or other hot pepper–derived food ingredients. But other spices may also be beneficial. The study authors say people who eat hot peppers also tend to use spices like paprika, cumin, and black pepper in their cooking. Those spices deliver their own health benefits, which could account for some of the study’s observed health perks. MORE: 7 Things Your Poop Says About Your Health This is not the first study to hint at the health benefits of heat. Past research from Purdue University shows spicy foods can help control your appetite and fire up your metabolism. Some preliminary animal research shows that capsaicin—one of the superhot compounds in a chili—might also activate your body’s healthy brown fat cells, which burn calories. The big takeaway: If you like spicy foods—or spice in general—start adding more of it to your menu. Also, try to eat the freshest stuff possible; the research suggests fresh chili peppers offer more disease protection than dried chili peppers, chili oil, or chili sauce.
