The act of consuming Chili or hot pepper comes with many benefits unknown to man. It is not just used to spice up your food, it is also used to spice your life and make you healthier.

We all remember a tough uncle from our childhood that ate the spiciest food every day without fail. As we became adults, many of us gravitated to spicy food probably influenced by the people we saw during out formative years. And we have probably never asked ourselves if spicy food has any benefits.

A new study from the British Medical Journal says you could actually live longer than those that stay away from hot pepper.

In the same study, half-million people in China took part in the study and it was found that those who ate spicy foods as little as twice a week reduced their risk of death by 10 percent.

The data showed that the more the merrier.

Spicy food lovers who ate it six times a week reduced their risk of death by 14 percent. But that is not all. Below are other benefits of eating spicy food regularly.

Weight Control

Experts say one of the biggest benefits of eating spicy food comes from capsaicin. This natural chemical speeds up the metabolism by increasing heart rate and body temperature, according expert nutritionists, The best time to eat spicy food is with a heavier meal during lunch or dinner, they say. It will stimulate the digestive tract, they insist.

Fountain of Youth

As we have already seen above, the study found eating spicy food could help you live longer. But what about looking younger?

Experts say spicy food can slow down the aging process by increasing blood flow to the face and body. This makes skin look and feel more youthful.

Healing

As it turns out, spicy foods are an excellent way to relieve sinus congestion and open up the breathing airway.

According to some experts, spicy food not only helps people with sinus conditions potentially decrease their symptoms, but it also helps increase blood flow and overall circulation which improves healing properties.

Chili peppers have been noted as being medicinal, historically. Since they are chock full of vitamins like A and C, they can help boost the immune system and even fight the common cold.

Good heart

Spicy food acts as an antioxidant and blood thinner, which aids in the heart by improving cardiac blood vessel strength.

Anti-inflammatory

Experts believe that spicy food can help with pain and healing by increasing blood flow to an affected area. Finding spicy foods with the highest concentration of capsaicin is key. For example, raw chopped peppers would be very high in capsaicin and potentially the most beneficial.

Anti-bacterial

Who knew spicy food can actually kill stomach bacteria? Experts say peppers help prevent further infections throughout the body.

Temperature Regulation

One of the benefits of eating chilli is that it can heat up your body when it’s cold out and, surprisingly, can cool your body off when you are hot. Eating spicy food makes you sweat and sweating actually helps your body temperature regulate itself. So while it may seem strange, definitely put more heat on your food when the heat is on.