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Statistics from the World Bank show that in 2013 the amount spent per person on health care in the US, where spicy food has a much lower profile, was $9,146, almost 25 times higher than China in the same year. However, despite the highest per capita health expenditure in the world, the average life expectancy in the US was 79, just four years longer than in China.
Although the Peking/Harvard survey was conducted relatively recently, its findings chime with ancient practices, such as Traditional Chinese medicine, which has a long history of using plant extracts to cure ailments and boost overall health.
He Juan, a profess or of TCM at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, said eating chili can boost the body's Yang, the more active and positive side of the competing forces of Yin and Yang, reduce blood and body fats and help the skin to retain its natural elasticity.
"That's why there are fewer overweight people in the spice-loving provinces of Sichuan and Hunan," she said, adding that the effectiveness varies according to the individual.
Although chili peppers were introduced to China in the latter half of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the fruit only really gained popularity during the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
"It's relatively a new food item here, but it has a lot of similarities with ginger, which many ancient TCM classics recommend as a healthy food," He said.
Cautionary words
Despite the excitement prompted by Lu's research, Chen Wanqing, director of the National Central Cancer Registry at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, sounded a note of caution. He warned that the onset and development of diseases, especially cancers, involve a number of risk factors. "It's never about a single factor, or one item of food. The findings of the study might hold true for some people, such as the participants in the survey, but the results may be different for other groups," he said.
Chen also pointed out that provinces such as Sichuan and Hunan, where spicy food is highly popular, have higher rates of esophageal and stomach cancers than places where chili peppers aren't eaten as frequently.
Moreover, it is difficult to evaluate the specific health benefits of eating chili because it is never served on its own in Chinese cuisine, and the places where chili is most popular have long occupied the middle rank in lists of longevity by province, he said.
A number of research projects have identified a correlation between spicy food and certain diseases. Research published in 1994 indicated that frequently eating spicy food may increase the risk of contracting stomach cancer, while research conducted in 2006 suggested that regular ingestion of capsaicin may accelerate the migration of breast cancer cells to other parts of the body. A 2010 study concluded that capsaicin is a co-carcinogen substance - that is, an agent that activates and strengthens-for skin cancer cells.
"It's common that one substance can reduce the risk of one type of cancer while increasing the risk of another," said Fang, of Peking University Cancer Hospital, citing the example that foods rich in calcium have been proven to be effective in preventing ovarian cancer, but may also increase the risk of contracting prostate cancer.
"People should not get carried away by the findings of this new research. The only dietary ingredients that have been extracted to produce drugs that combat cancer come from shitake mushrooms and coix seeds," she said.
Contact the writers at shanjuan@chinadaily.com.cn and chengyingqi@chinadaily.com.cn
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