In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleHealth Benefits of Eating Spicy FoodPotential DownsidesHow to Spice Up Your DishesFAQs

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

Health Benefits of Eating Spicy Food

Potential Downsides

How to Spice Up Your Dishes

FAQs

From Buffalo chicken to kimchi and Tajín, spicy food is a part of many different cultures. The type of chile pepper may vary, but the kick is still there. Even if you grew up eating spicy food, you may not know how it impacts your health. In this article, we sum up the research on spicy food and share our favorite ways to add heat to your plate.

Recipes for Spicy Foods That Boost Your Metabolism

You May Reduce Your Blood Pressure

When you have hypertension (high blood pressure), it’s generally recommended that you reduce the sodium in your diet. But what does that have to do with spicy food?

You May Have Better Heart Health

Spicy food may make you sweat, but it’s also good for your heart. A 2022 umbrella review inMolecular Nutrition & Food Researchfound an association between regularly eating spicy food and reduced risk of death from heart disease and stroke. This study found a correlation, not a causation, between the two, meaning we can’t be certain that the spicy food itself resulted in better heart health, but something about those who regularly eat spicy food led them to have reduced mortality rates.

This may be in part because ofimproved cholesterol numbers. “Although more conclusive studies are needed, eating spicy chiles rich in capsaicin is linked to increased levels of HDL cholesterol, which is protective against heart disease, and decreased LDL (the type of cholesterol responsible for heart disease),” saysAlice Figueroa, M.P.H, RDN, CDN, founder of Alice in Foodieland.

You May Feel More Satisfied

The powerful zing-and-zip flavor of spicy food may also affect your appetite. Spicy food may make you feel more satiated sooner, and this can actually help foster a positive relationship with food, says Figueroa: “Feeling both full and satiated is key to nurturing a balanced relationship with food.”

You May Have a Lower Mortality Risk

A greater intake of spicy food was associated with lower mortality rates, according to a 2021 meta-analysis in the journalAngiologythat accounted for more than 500,000 adults. Compared with people who did not eat spicy food, those who ate it more than once a week had a 12% lower risk of dying from any cause over the 10-year follow-up period. It may be that capsaicin acts against obesity, and therefore reduces the risk of diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) associated with obesity. In addition, capsaicin may also provide antioxidants, as well as improve the gut microbiome, both of which may help protect the body against disease, the researchers suggest.

You May Aggravate Gastric Reflux

Whether you have occasional acid reflux or full-fledged gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), know that spicy food is a known trigger, according to a 2021 review inPreventive Nutrition and Food Science. “Folks with heartburn or a condition like gastritis might want to be mindful of how often or how much spicy food they are eating, because it can be irritating,” saysZariel Grullón, RDN, CDN, of Love Your Chichos and co-founder of the bilingual virtual nutrition practiceRadicare.

You May Have Digestive Conditions

The potential for digestive side effects from spicy food are not limited to reflux. Figueroa cites a 2020 study in theJournal of Crohn’s and Colitis, which found that “a majority of people with IBD (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s) reported that spicy food triggered a relapse in symptoms.” In addition, if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you may also want to be mindful of eating spicy foods, as these may also aggravate your symptoms.

While you may be ready to dive headfirst into reaping the health benefits of spicy food, it’s probably best to start slow. For newbies to the heat, this gives you a chance to step back and check to make sure spicy foods aren’t causing you digestive distress.

Figueroa suggests starting with milder peppers that have less capsaicin, like Anaheim, ancho, poblano or jalapeño. You could also use dried chile or pepper flakes. Here are four fiery foods to add more heat to your meals:

The Bottom Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Spicy food may play a role in promoting heart health. Research shows a correlation between a higher intake of spicy food and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Studies have also found a relationship between spicy food intake, higher HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” kind of cholesterol) and lower blood pressure.

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