People who like spicy foods may eat less salt and have lower blood pressure, potentially reducing their risk of heart attacks and strokes, a study from China suggests. When people didn't care for spicy food, they consumed an average of 13.4 grams a day of salt, according to the study published in the journal Hypertension. But when people craved spicy dishes, their average salt intake was just 10.3 grams a day.
Systolic blood pressure - the "top" number showing how much pressure blood exerts against artery walls when the heart beats, was 8 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) lower for people with the greatest love of spicy foods than for individuals with the lowest tolerance for spice, the study also found. Diastolic blood pressure - the "bottom" number indicating how much pressure the blood exerts on artery walls when the heart is at rest between beats - was 5 mmHg lower for spice lovers.
"Our study shows that the enjoyment of spicy flavor is an important way to reduce salt intake and blood pressure, no matter the type of food and the amount of food," said senior study author Dr. Zhiming Zhu of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China. "We advise people to enjoy spicy food in their daily life as long as they can tolerate," Zhu said by email. "We do not recommend people who can't tolerate pungent of chili pepper consume spicy food frequently."
A high-salt diet has long been linked to higher odds of developing high blood pressure and heart disease as well as an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure. But determining the ideal amount of dietary salt is controversial because some research has also found an elevated risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and heart attacks in otherwise healthy people who consume too little salt.