Live data from Hacker News

Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

well.blogs.nytimes.com

81–90 of 122 posts

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#81
I'd love to have spicy food more often – but 2-4 days after a spicy dish, I can usually smell the pepper/byproducts coming out of my skin as a particular, somewhat unpleasant body odor. The odor can remain detectable even immediately after a shower. Red curry/chili-peppers seem the worst trigger. Only time (and maybe a good sweat) eventually clear it.

Does anyone know the chemical mechanisms causing this, and whether any other foods, combined with or after the spicy meal, could help more-quickly neutralize this lagged skin odor?

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#82
post #74
post #65

I don't understand why these studies never seem to control for height.

Are you saying short people who ate spicy food lived longer than everyone else?

There is a common link in all these longevity studies, whether it be women, mexican americans, people who eat spicy food, etc, and that is height, which has been shown to correlate negatively with longevity (not withstanding malnutrition).

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#83

I'd love to have spicy food more often – but 2-4 days after a spicy dish, I can usually smell the pepper/byproducts coming out of my skin as a particular, somewhat unpleasant body odor. The odor can remain detectable even immediately after a shower. Red curry/chili-peppers seem the worst trigger. Only time (and maybe a good sweat) eventually clear it. Does anyone know the chemical mechanisms causing this, and whether…

As with garlic sulfur compounds, the odor is due to substances your body can't metabolize, so it excretes them - most noticeably through your skin.

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#84

I'd love to have spicy food more often – but 2-4 days after a spicy dish, I can usually smell the pepper/byproducts coming out of my skin as a particular, somewhat unpleasant body odor. The odor can remain detectable even immediately after a shower. Red curry/chili-peppers seem the worst trigger. Only time (and maybe a good sweat) eventually clear it. Does anyone know the chemical mechanisms causing this, and whether…

As with garlic sulfur compounds, the odor is due to substances your body can't metabolize, so it excretes them - most noticeably through your skin.

I figured roughly that. But is there anything I can do to enable any metabolism of these compounds, or otherwise neutralize them? (Can some people metabolize them better? Would the right skin microbiome help? Etc...)

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#86

I'd love to have spicy food more often – but 2-4 days after a spicy dish, I can usually smell the pepper/byproducts coming out of my skin as a particular, somewhat unpleasant body odor. The odor can remain detectable even immediately after a shower. Red curry/chili-peppers seem the worst trigger. Only time (and maybe a good sweat) eventually clear it. Does anyone know the chemical mechanisms causing this, and whether…

I studied hold a Diploma of Western Herbal Medicine as issued in Australia.

The other commenter is likely correct about something you aren't (or are) metabolising.

One herb that can be intentionally used and also has this affect (peculiar body odour) if Fenugreek. Are you typically eating much of this?

For interest and discussion I'll paste in my notes on Fenugreek:

________________________

Fenugreek - scientific name Trigonellafoenum-graecum - Year 2 Term 1 Week 1 Cardiovascular System Continued

Fenugreek has a very broad and often under appreciated action including mucus dissolver, digestive tonic, nutritive in convalescence, lowering of blood glucose levels, galactogogue, anti-inflammatory, lymphatic decongestant and liver tonic. The liver tonic action is specifically helpful in improving liver fat metabolism and via this action Fenugreek assists in the lowering of cholesterol levels.

The colour of Fenugreek extract is similar to bile (doctrine of signatures) and although Fenugreek is only a very mild cholagogue it is well indicated in the patient with bile deficiency and raised blood cholesterol because it improves the liver's fat metabolism. A subset of patients with raised blood cholesterol have the problem due mainly to blood sugar disorders (typically hyperinsulinaemia for many years followed by exhaustion of the pancreas and relative insulin lack and or the development of insulin resistance. When the pancreas is exhausted and fails to secrete sufficient insulin levels to meet the bodies needs or when insulin resistance begins the patient has type 2 diabetes.) In all these stages of blood sugar dysregulation Fenugreek is well indicated to assist in controlling high blood glucose levels and to act as a liver tonic and cholesterol lowering agent. About 50% of all patients with raised blood cholesterol will have blood sugar dysregulation as part of the aetiology. The lymphatic system is also involved in fat metabolism and Fenugreek will improve the lymphatic involvement in cholesterol and lipid metabolism. Summary - Fenugreek is mainly indicated in raised blood cholesterol with bile deficient liver disorder, blood sugar regulation disorder or lymphatic circulatory congestion. The liver and lymphatic aspects are well illustrated in the iris analysis of high cholesterol patients with the characteristic yellow deposits over liver, gall bladder, lymphatic rosary and lymphatic overlay. Light coloured stools, digestive intolerance to fatty foods and erratic blood glucose levels are also indicators for Fenugreek in raised blood cholesterol. Fenugreek also has an empirical use to improve overall lipid metabolism and to act as a blood vessel detoxifier which will assist in the dissolving of atheroma deposits in the artery walls. This action is indicated in coronary artery atherosclerosis and in carotid artery atherosclerosis which has a propensity to lead to stroke when deposits dislodge from the carotid atheroma and are transported to the brain. The majority of these patients are current or past cigarette smokers who would not have developed the carotid artery disease if they has not smoked. Fenugreek tea (short decoction) is mildly active in improving liver, cholesterol, atheroma etc but the main preparation needed in these conditions is an extract 1: 1 or 1:2 taken over many months and years. The most commonly used CV combinations utilising Fenugreek are; raised blood cholesterol with liver dysfunction and bile deficiency - Fenugreek with Fringe Tree, Dandelion Root, Globe Artichoke, St Mary's Thistle (and usually Guggal Guggal / Garlic capsules) ; raised blood cholesterol with blood sugar disorder / elevated blood glucose Fenugreek with Goats Rue, Gymnea, Fringe Tree (and usually Guggal Guggal / Garlic capsules) ; raised blood cholesterol with marked lymphatic congestion Fenugreek with Echinacea angustifolia, Clivers (and usually Guggal Guggal / Garlic capsules). Refer to Year 1 Term 2 Week 1 Hepatics for more information of Fenugreek.

________________________

My notes go on further but comment length here is restrictive.

Definitely interested in what the HN community has to say about this sort of information.

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#87

I'd love to have spicy food more often – but 2-4 days after a spicy dish, I can usually smell the pepper/byproducts coming out of my skin as a particular, somewhat unpleasant body odor. The odor can remain detectable even immediately after a shower. Red curry/chili-peppers seem the worst trigger. Only time (and maybe a good sweat) eventually clear it. Does anyone know the chemical mechanisms causing this, and whether…

I studied hold a Diploma of Western Herbal Medicine as issued in Australia. The other commenter is likely correct about something you aren't (or are) metabolising. One herb that can be intentionally used and also has this affect (peculiar body odour) if Fenugreek. Are you typically eating much of this? For interest and discussion I'll paste in my notes on Fenugreek: ________________________ Fenugreek - scientific nam…

I've never intentionally had fenugreek, and my diet is simple enough that I doubt it could be a hidden ingredient in anything I eat.

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#88

Since some comments are trying to explain away the findings, here is a quote from the article about what variables were controlled for and the results: > After controlling for family medical history, age, education, diabetes, smoking and many other variables, the researchers found that compared with eating hot food, mainly chili peppers, less than once a week, having it once or twice a week resulted in a 10 percent r…

I just want to point out how terrible the wording is on that paragraph. While I understand what the author means, that is different from what they wrote. I wouldn't bring it up if it was something casual, but come on... this is on *.nytimes.com.

It's impossible to "reduce overall risk for death" - we're all going to die. One may, however, reduce overall risk for death within a given timeframe.

edit: now that I read it again, that first sentence is a total train-wreck.

Re: Eating Spicy Food Linked to a Longer Life

#90
post #31
post #24

One thing that I don't quite understand -- what is it about spicy food that makes it desirable? Esp. the super hot peppers? I know that I love them, but I can't really say why (after all, I normally try to avoid pain). The only thing I can think of is that part of the brain knows that the pain isn't "real" (that is, it isn't being caused by something that is damaging you), yet another part is releasing endorphins to…

I think the endorphin theory is a pretty common explanation, but I think for me and for many others it's largely about flavour. I enjoy the flavour of chili peppers, and I also enjoy how spiciness brings out other flavours in food and makes it richer and more interesting.

>I also enjoy how spiciness brings out other flavours in food and makes it richer and more interesting

What? I do like spicy food occasionally, but my main gripe with "very" spicy food is not how painful it is, but how the spiciness overwhelms all other flavors and it's the only thing you can taste. Like you might as well be eating chili paste because you can't taste anything else anyway.

Post reply on HN