When I first began traveling the world to study traditional cultures, I noted something that seemed like a paradox at first…
The hotter the climate—and the closer you got to the equator—the spicier they prepare their foods.
So, this summer, I encourage you to follow this cultural example and try “bringing on the heat” by adding some healthy hot peppers to your cooking. They go great in homemade salsa, colorful salads, or even on your pasta!
Plus, a brand-new study shows regularly enjoying hot chili peppers can protect you against dying from any cause…as well as dying from cancer and heart disease, specifically.
I’ll tell you all about that important study in just a moment. But first, let’s back up to talk about the history of mighty hot peppers…
Hot peppers are packed with nutrients
Chili peppers originated from the Americas. From there, hot peppers spread to South and Southeast Asia, including South China (with some of the spiciest Hunan and Szechuan cooking on the planet). And in India and South Asia, hot chili powder became the star ingredient in curry—together with coriander, cumin, and turmeric (curcumin).
Of course, all peppers—including bell peppers used in salads—are excellent additions to your diet. They’re high in carotenoids, which account for their brilliant hues, as well as vitamin C and fiber.
However, unlike bell peppers, hot peppers also contain a compound called capsaicin. And this remarkable plant compound gives hot peppers their “heat”…but at the same time, it reduces inflammation in the body and relieves pain—especially joint pain.
Furthermore, large-scale scientific studies conducted in places like China (where people still eat lots of hot peppers) link capsaicin consumption with impressive benefits for health and longevity. And that point brings me back to the new study…
Hot pepper consumption linked to lower death rate
For the new research I mentioned at the beginning of this Dispatch, researchers analyzed the link between hot chili pepper consumption and health outcomes in more than half a million men and women from around the world.
Overall, compared to those who rarely or never ate hot peppers, those who regularly enjoyed them had a:
- 26 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
- 23 percent lower risk of dying from cancer.
- 25 percent lower risk of dying from any cause!
Of course, those findings didn’t surprise me one bit, as previous research shows capsaicin protects against atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and obesity—all conditions related to inflammation.
I suppose it’s just another one of Nature’s ingenious paradoxes that hot chili peppers can help reduce harmful “heat” in the body.
Enjoy the benefits of hot peppers year-round
So, this summer, put Nature’s ingenious paradox to work for you by including chili peppers in your meals a few times a week. You can sprinkle them into salads, soups, and marinades. Or—they make a great topping for chicken, burgers, or sausages hot off the grill.
You can also add some fresh, hot peppers to your pastas, as my Uncle Michele did.
At Sunday dinners in the summertime, just as the pasta was dished out, Uncle Michele would walk out back to his garden, pick a fresh hot pepper off the vine, cut it into pieces, and mix it into the tomato sauce on his plate. (He also marinated the peppers in olive oil and sealed them in glass jars for later, year-round enjoyment.)
Of course, there are many natural approaches for controlling inflammation in addition to eating hot peppers—including exercise routines, medical screenings, nutritional supplementation, and lifestyle interventions. You can learn all about the remarkably fast and easy ways to reverse the No. 1 cause of disease and aging in my online learning tool, Dr. Micozzi’s Protocol for Eliminating Deadly Inflammation. To learn more about this comprehensive learning tool, or to enroll today, simply click here now.
Source:
“People who eat chili pepper may live longer?” Newsroom, 11/9/2000. (newsroom.heart.org/news/people-who-eat-chili-pepper-may-live-longer)