Uncle Chen is 62 years old this year. As a true Guangdong native, he has never been able to stomach ‘spicy’ food. But recently, he, who is fond of light eating, has changed like a different person. He insists on adding a bit of chili to his ordinary meals before he is willing to eat them. After a meal, the family is all sweating profusely from the spiciness, but he finds it very enjoyable.
During these joyous spicy meals, his stomach couldn’t bear it in the end. However, the frequent stomachaches and diarrhea did not stop him from eating spicy food. Seeing Uncle’s self-destructive behavior, his family is also puzzled. Why force yourself to eat something you can’t handle?
Uncle says that eating chili has many benefits, effective for lowering blood sugar. Since he already has high blood sugar levels, he says: “This isn’t self-harm, it’s self-treatment!”
Many people may be wondering when they see this, is eating spicy food really beneficial for blood sugar? Where does this idea come from?
1. People who love spicy food are less likely to get diabetes? True!
How many diabetes patients are there in China? According to statistics, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is as high as 11.2%, and in 2017 it was 10.4%. Some may say that the increase is not significant, but considering China’s large population, a 0.8% increase represents 10 million people. Therefore, preventing and treating diabetes has become a hot topic, with many studies proposing new ideas, such as how eating spicy food can improve diabetes. This is based on a new discovery from Ruijin Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University. This research covered over 200 million people from different provinces in China and collected data on diabetes risks associated with different dietary preferences. The results showed that those who enjoy fried foods, barbecues, and sweets have a positive correlation with diabetes risks, while eating spicy food can improve fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels to a certain extent.
Furthermore, the ‘numbness’ in chili may not reduce the incidence of diabetes, but by improving glucose metabolism, it can help control blood sugar levels. Additionally, capsaicin in chili can help lower fasting blood sugar levels and insulin levels.
However, research has its limitations. For example, the experimental groups in the study were people who enjoy ordering takeaway, which may not represent everyone. Also, although spicy foods can alleviate postprandial hyperinsulinemia, a diet high in spicy foods often comes with high oil and salt content, which can be detrimental to blood sugar and blood pressure if consumed frequently.
So, what is the relationship between eating spicy food and diabetes? Can it lower blood sugar?
Another study points out that chili peppers can further increase the number of insulin receptors, reduce insulin levels in the body, and prevent potential hyperinsulinemia, thus eating spicy food can help prevent postprandial hyperinsulinemia.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has also published relevant research, indicating that capsaicin can effectively lower fasting blood sugar levels and increase glucose metabolism, reducing insulin levels by around 35.8%.
However, it is not as simple as ‘eating more spicy food’ can prevent or treat diabetes. Specific situations need to be analyzed, as many diabetes patients are middle-aged and elderly individuals with weaker gastrointestinal tolerance, increasing the intake of stimulating foods like chili may cause other gastrointestinal discomfort or symptoms, so eating spicy food to control blood sugar is not suitable for everyone.
2. Eating spicy food regularly is a health boost! The benefits far outweigh what you think
Some people love spicy food, while others stay far away from it. The topic of whether eating spicy food is healthier is still debated. So, is eating spicy food really good for you?
A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology showed that people who love spicy food may live longer due to a lower risk of death. The study observed and compared the death risks of over 570,000 people from different countries based on their chili consumption. It found that compared to those who rarely eat spicy food, people who love spicy food have reduced risks of death from cancer by 8%, overall death by 13%, cardiovascular diseases by 17%, and stroke by 20%.
However, since this study is observational, it only indicates a connection between eating spicy food and the risk of death, but does not prove a causal relationship.
Other studies have also found many health benefits associated with eating spicy food. A study by a research team from Peking University and the University of Oxford, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, divided 512,715 middle-aged and elderly Chinese people according to their degree of chili consumption, and after 10 years of follow-up, found that those who ate more spicy food had reduced risks of three types of cancer.
According to the research data, as the frequency of eating spicy food increased, the risks of developing esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer also decreased gradually, indicating that eating spicy food may help reduce the risks of gastrointestinal cancers.
Moreover, people who love spicy food have a lower risk of hypertension. In a related study project involving over 54,000 people by Professor Li Liming from the School of Public Health at Peking University, it was found that among non-drinkers, the risk of hypertension was reduced by 28% by eating spicy food every day. Therefore, researchers pointed out that regularly consuming spicy food may have a preventive effect against hypertension.
3. Although chili peppers are good, it is more important to eat spicy food healthily
Of course, all studies have their limitations and biases due to different variables. Even for the same study, different conclusions may be drawn.
For instance, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition once indicated that eating too much spicy food may not always be beneficial and could lead to cognitive decline. According to the data, the risk of memory loss doubles and the risk of cognitive impairment increases by 56% in individuals who consume more than 50 grams of chili peppers per day compared to those who do not eat spicy food.
Additionally, eating spicy food may trigger allergic reactions in the body. Experiments have shown that some individuals may experience symptoms like hives, itching, and swelling after consuming spicy food.
Therefore, not everyone is suitable for eating spicy food.
Everything should be consumed in moderation to avoid health risks associated with indiscriminate consumption of spicy food. Here are four tips on how to eat spicy food healthily:
1. Avoid eating spicy food on an empty stomach
Eating spicy food on an empty stomach can directly stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to gastrointestinal side effects. Many people also tend to drink chilled beverages after eating spicy food to relieve the spiciness, but this combination of hot and cold stimuli can further damage the gastrointestinal blood vessels.
2. Eat spicy food with less oil
While chili peppers stimulate the appetite by enhancing taste buds, they should be consumed in moderation and not as part of high-oil or high-calorie dishes to prevent gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms.
3. Do not discard the seeds and veins of chili peppers
Many people remove the seeds and veins of chili peppers when cooking, thinking they are reducing the spiciness. However, this practice not only decreases the capsaicin content but also results in the loss of nearly half of the nutrients in chili peppers. The seeds and veins are where most of the nutrients are concentrated, so it is best to retain them to preserve the nutritional value of chili peppers.
4. Find effective ways to relieve the spiciness
Since capsaicin is poorly soluble in water, if you experience discomfort after eating spicy food, it is best to drink organic solvents for better relief, such as soy milk, fruit juice, sweet beverages, or whole milk.
Additionally, when using chili as a seasoning, it is advisable to reduce the proportion of oil and salt to avoid excessive intake of fats and sodium, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, eating spicy food healthily requires attention to the method.
References:
[1] “Those who often eat spicy food reduce the risk of three types of cancer.” Life Times. August 3, 2023.
[2] “People who eat spicy food regularly and those who never eat spicy food at all, whose bodies are healthier? The answer is surprising.” Chinese Medical Forum. June 10, 2023.
[3] “People who don’t eat spicy food are really missing out! Research shows: Eating a little spicy has 3 super benefits!” Henan Centers for Disease Control. June 20, 2023.
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