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Chilli intake is inversely associated with hypertension among adults
Abstract
Background & aims:
This study aimed to examine the association between chilli intake and the incidence of hypertension in a Chinese adult population.
Methods:
Adults aged 20-75 years in the China Health and Nutrition Survey were followed from 1991 to 2011. Dietary data were collected during home visits using a 3-day food record in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011. Cox regression was used in the analysis. Blood pressure was measured at each data collection point.
Results:
13,670 adults were followed for a median of 9.0 years. During 132,089 person years of follow-up 4040 subjects developed hypertension. Chilli consumption was inversely associated with the incidence of hypertension. The incidence rate of hypertension was 30.5, 33.4, 31.9, and 24.0 per 1000 person years among those who consumed no chilli or 1-20, 20.1-50, ≥50.1 g/day respectively. Adjusting for age, gender, energy intake, sodium and fat intake, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, those with increasing cumulative average chilli intake were less likely to develop hypertension: 0, 1-20, 20.1-50 and ≥50.1 g/day had a hazard ratio (HR) for hypertension of 1.00, 0.80 (95%CI 0.73-0.88), 0.81 (0.73-0.89) and 0.65 (0.57-0.75) (p for trend <0.001) respectively. The association was independent of overall dietary patterns and BMI. There was no significant interaction between chilli intake and gender, income, education and residence (urban/rural) in relation to the risk of hypertension.
Conclusions:
Chilli intake is inversely associated with the risk of developing hypertension in Chinese adults.
... The association between spicy food and hypertension has received considerable attention in recent years. However, the results from existing studies are similarly controversial [12,[16][17][18]. For example, while Ahuja and colleagues found that four weeks of regular chilli consumption had no obvious effects on blood pressure among healthy free-living individuals [16], Tingchao et al. reported that frequency of spicy food consumption was inversely associated with risk of hypertension in women [12]. ...
... Consistent with previous studies [12,28], participants who more frequently consumed spicy food were more likely to be young, male, current smokers, alcohol drinkers, and to more frequently eat meat and fruit. In contrast with an earlier study, indicating that individuals with high levels of spicy food consumption had lower BMI levels when compared with non-consumers [17], the present study documented that individuals who consumed spicy food more frequently seemed to have higher BMI and WC than non-consumers. This may reflect investigation of crude BMI values, without adjustment for age. ...
... This study concluded that four weeks of regular chilli consumption had no obvious beneficial or harmful effects on SBP or DBP, which was inconsistent with the present study. However, a prospective cohort involving 13,670 Chinese adults [17], with a median follow-up of 9.0-years, demonstrated Table 2 Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for hypertension associated with frequency of spicy food consumption among adults in Zhejiang ...
Background
Hypertension is a known risk factor for multiple chronic diseases. Existing literature on the association between frequency of spicy food consumption and hypertension shows mixed findings.
Methods
The analyses are based on the Tongxiang baseline dataset of the China Kadoorie Biobank prospective study, including data from electronic questionnaires, physical measurements and blood sample collection. A total of 53,916 participants aged 30–79 years were included in the final analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the association of spicy food consumption with hypertension, and multiple linear regression was performed to explore the association of spicy food consumption with systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Results
Of the 53,916 participants, 23,921 had prevalent hypertension. 12.3% of participants reported consuming spicy food weekly. Among female participants, after adjusting for socio-demographic status, lifestyle factors, BMI, waist circumference, sleep duration and snoring, when compared with females who never consumed spicy food, the odds ratios (95% CI) for hypertension were 1.02 (0.96–1.08), 0.90 (0.79–1.01), and 0.88 (0.78–0.99), respectively, for females who consumed spicy food less than once weekly, 1–2 times weekly, and ≥ 3 times weekly (Ptrend = 0.04). The corresponding odds ratios for males were 1.02 (0.95–1.09), 1.07 (0.95–1.20), and 0.91 (0.81–1.01), respectively (Ptrend = 0.39). Among current alcohol drinkers, compared to participants who never consumed spicy food, the odds ratio (95% CI) for hypertension among participants consuming spicy food daily was 0.98 (0.80–1.20). The corresponding figure for non-current drinkers was 0.72 (0.62–0.84). The association was stronger among non-current alcohol drinkers than among current drinkers (Pheterogeneity = 0.02).
Conclusions
Frequency of spicy food consumption is inversely associated with hypertension in females, but not in males.
... Recently, an increasing number of studies have identified both beneficial and adverse effects. It has been found that chili consumption is inversely related to mortality [14], obesity [15], and hypertension [16], but positively associated with poor cognition [17]. The binding of capsaicin, the active component of chili, to its receptor leads to inhibition of vascular oxidative stress [18], reduced energy intake, increased energy expenditure, and enhanced fat oxidation [19][20][21][22][23]. ...
... However, this assertion has not been investigated in humans, and no population studies have assessed the association between chili consumption and CKD. Chili intake has been shown to be inversely associated with the risk of obesity [15] and hypertension [16] in the Chinese population. Compared with non-consumers, those with chili intake above 50 g/day had 27% and 35% reduced risk of developing obesity and hypertension, respectively. ...
... In the analysis, the cumulative mean chili intake was recoded into four groups: non-consumers, 1-20 g/day, 20.1-50 g/day, and ≥50.1 g/day. The use of the cut-off was based on our previous paper as well as the serving size [16]. The serving size in the context of Chinese food is a Liang (1 Liang = 50 g). ...
We aimed to assess the association between chili consumption and kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Data from 8429 adults attending the China Health and Nutrition Survey were used. Chili intake was assessed using a 3 day, 24 h food record in combination with household food inventory between 1991 and 2009. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, as measured in 2009. Logistic regression was used to assess the association. Of the 8429 participants, 1008 (12.0%) fit the definition of CKD. The prevalence of CKD was 13.1% in non-consumers of chili and 7.4% among those with chili intake above 50 g/day. After adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors (i.e., smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity), dietary patterns, and chronic conditions, the odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) for CKD across chili consumption levels of none, 1–20 g/day, 20.1–50 g/day, ≥50.1 g/day were 1.00 (reference), 0.82 (0.67–1.01), 0.83 (0.65–1.05), and 0.51 (0.35–0.75), respectively (p for trend 0.001). There was no interaction between chili intake with gender, income, urbanization, hypertension, obesity, or diabetes. This longitudinal large population-based study suggests that chili consumption is inversely associated with CKD, independent of lifestyle, hypertension, obesity, and overall dietary patterns.
... In certain regions of China such as Sichuan and Hunan, almost one in three adults consume spicy food, including chili, daily [7]. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that chili consumption is inversely related to mortality [7], obesity [8], and hypertension [9]. ...
... We have previously reported that chili consumption was inversely associated with the risk of obesity [8] and hypertension [9]. It is well known that hypertension adversely affects cognitive function [20]. ...
... Cumulative mean chili intake was recoded into four groups: Non-consumers, 1-20 g/day, 20-50 g/day and >50 g/day. We choose this cut off based on our previous paper as well as the serving size [9]. The serving size in the context of Chinese food is a Liang (1 Liang =50 g). ...
We aimed to examine the association between chili intake and cognitive function in Chinese adults. This is a longitudinal study of 4852 adults (age 63.4 ± 7.7) attending the China Health and Nutrition Survey during 1991 and 2006. Cognitive function was assessed in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006. In total, 3302 completed cognitive screening tests in at least two surveys. Chili intake was assessed by a 3-day food record during home visits in each survey between 1991 and 2006. Multivariable mixed linear regression and logistic regression were used. Chili intake was inversely related to cognitive function. In fully adjusted models, including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, compared with non-consumers, those whose cumulative average chili intake above 50 g/day had the regression coefficients (and 95% CI) for global cognitive function of −1.13 (−1.71–0.54). Compared with non-consumers, those with chili consumption above 50 g/day had the odds ratio (and 95% CI) of 2.12(1.63–2.77), 1.56(1.23–1.97) for self-reported poor memory and self-reported memory decline, respectively. The positive association between chili intake and cognitive decline was stronger among those with low BMI than those with high BMI. The longitudinal data indicate that higher chili intake is positively associated with cognitive decline in Chinese adults in both genders.
... Meta-analysis of clinical trials [23] showed no significant effect of red pepper/capsaicin on blood pressure (BP). Conversely, observational studies [24][25][26] demonstrated that spicy food is inversely associated with hypertension among adults. In addition, Harada et al. [27] illustrated that SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly lower among hypertensive volunteers after the administration of a mixture of capsaicin and isoflavone for 5 months. ...
... Lastly, in the previous two studies, the sample size of men may not be large enough to find a difference. A prospective cohort study [26] showed that people with increasing cumulative average chili intake were less likely to develop hypertension. Several animal experiments also demonstrated that capsaicin (the major pungent ingredient in spicy food) feeding had an antihypertensive effect in rats genetically predisposed to hypertension and mice induced by a highsalt diet [41][42][43]. ...
Background
While spicy food is believed to have cardiovascular-protective effects, its impact on hypertension remains uncertain due to conflicting findings from previous studies. This study aimed to explore the association between spicy food and hypertension in Sichuan Basin, China.
Methods
The baseline data of 43,657 residents aged 30–79 in the Sichuan Basin were analyzed including a questionnaire survey (e.g., sociodemographics, diet and lifestyle, medical history), medical examinations (e.g., height, body weight, and blood pressure), and clinical laboratory tests (e.g., blood and urine specimens). Participants were recruited by multi-stage, stratified cluster sampling in consideration of both sex ratio and age ratio between June 2018 and February 2019. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to explore the effect of spicy food on hypertension and multivariable linear regression was applied to estimate the effect of spicy food on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP).
Results
Concerning hypertension, negative associations with spicy food consumption were observed only in females: compared to those who do not eat spicy food, the odds ratios of consuming spicy food 6–7 days/week, consuming spicy food with strong strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were 0.886 (0.799, 0.982), 0.757 (0.587, 0.977), 0.632 (0.505, 0.792), respectively. No significant association was found in males (All P trends > 0.05). In the stratified analyses, participants in the subgroup who were 50 to 79 years old (OR, 95%CI: 0.814, 0.763, 0.869), habitually snored (OR, 95%CI: 0.899, 0.829, 0.976), had a BMI < 24 kg/m² (OR, 95%CI: 0.886, 0.810, 0.969), had a normal waist circumference (OR, 95%CI: 0.898, 0.810, 0.997), and had no dyslipidemia (OR, 95%CI: 0.897, 0.835, 0.964) showed a significantly stronger association. For SBP, consuming spicy food had negative effects in both genders, but the effect was smaller in males compared to females: among males, the β coefficients for consuming spicy food 1–2 days/week, weak strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were 0.931 (-1.832, -0.030), -0.639 (-1.247, -0.032), and − 2.952 (-4.413, -1.492), respectively; among females, the β coefficients for consuming spicy food 3–5 days/week, 6–7 days/week, weak strength, moderate strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were − 1.251 (-2.115, -0.388), -1.215 (-1.897, -0.534), -0.788 (-1.313, -0.263), -1.807 (-2.542, -1.072), and − 5.853 (-7.195, -4.512), respectively. For DBP, only a positive association between the years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio and DBP was found in males with β coefficient (95%CI ) of 1.300 (0.338, 2.263); Little association was found in females (all P trends > 0.05), except for a decrease of 0.591 mmHg ( 95%CI: -1.078, -0.105) in DBP among participants who consumed spicy food 1–2 days/week, compared to those who did not consume spicy food.
Conclusion
Spicy food may lower SBP and has an antihypertensive effect, particularly beneficial for women and individuals with fewer risk factors in the Sichuan Basin. Spicy food consumption may decrease DBP in women but increase it in men. Further multicenter prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.
... In this regard, in a Chinese longitudinal cohort, chili intake was associated with cognitive decline, particularly in those individuals with low BMI (137). The same group reported an inverse association between chili consumption and obesity and hypertension (138,139). Note that this study analyzed chili consumption, not capsaicin alone. ...
Dementia is a growing public health concern, with an estimated prevalence of 57 million adults worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) accounts for 60–80% of the cases. Clinical trials testing potential drugs and neuroprotective agents have proven futile, and currently approved drugs only provide symptomatic benefits. Emerging epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that lifestyle changes, including diet and physical activity, offer an alternative therapeutic route for slowing and preventing cognitive decline and dementia. Age is the single most common risk factor for dementia, and it is associated with slowing cellular bioenergetics and metabolic processes. Therefore, a nutrient-rich diet is critical for optimal brain health. Furthermore, type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for AD, and diets that reduce the risk of T2D may confer neuroprotection. Foods predominant in Mediterranean, MIND, and DASH diets, including fruits, leafy green vegetables, fish, nuts, and olive oil, may prevent or slow cognitive decline. The mechanisms by which these nutrients promote brain health, however, are not yet completely understood. Other dietary approaches and eating regimes, including ketogenic and intermittent fasting, are also emerging as beneficial for brain health. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, associated risk factors, and the potential neuroprotective pathways activated by several diets and eating regimes that have shown promising results in promoting brain health and preventing dementia.
... Meta-analyses and prospective studies suggested that spicy food could reduce diastolic blood pressure (weighted mean differences of −1.90 mmHg) [16], reduce total cholesterol level (overall standardized mean difference: −0.52) [17], and reduce the risk of overweight/obesity (hazard ratio: 0.73-0.81) [18]. According to previous studies, spicy food has the ability to control metabolic syndrome and related disorders such as high blood pressure, obesity, and disordered lipid and glucose profiles [19,20], which are risk factors for stroke [2]. ...
Little is known about the association between spicy food intake, dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) score, and incident stroke. This study aimed to explore the association of eating spicy food, DASH score, and their interaction with stroke incidence. We included 22,160 Han residents aged 30–79 in southwest China from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort. Three hundred and twelve cases were newly diagnosed with stroke by October 8, 2022, during a mean of 45.5 months of follow-up. Cox regression analyses showed that eating spicy food reduced stroke risk by 34% among people with low DASH scores (HR 0.66, 95%CI 0.45–0.97), while individuals with high DASH scores versus low DASH scores had a 46% lower stroke incidence among spicy food nonconsumers (HR 0.54, 95%CI 0.36–0.82). The HR of the multiplicative interactive term was 2.02 (95%CI 1.24–3.30) and the overall estimates of relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and the synergy index (S) were 0.54 (95%CI 0.24–0.83), 0.68 (95%CI 0.23–1.14), and 0.29 (95%CI 0.12–0.70), respectively. Consuming spicy food seems to be associated with lower stroke risk only in people who have a lower DASH score, while the beneficial effect of higher DASH scores seems to be found only among nonconsumers of spicy food, and a negative interaction may exist between them in southwestern Chinese aged 30–79. This study could provide scientific evidence for dietary guidance to reduce stroke risk.
... A comparable study was carried out in Malaysia in 2016 regarding gastritis and its relevance with dietary factors and in which it was found that the frequency of consumption of spicy food was the highest above all other factors [18]. A study reported male patients likely need to limit the consumption of spicy foods to control gastritis symptoms [19]. The current study found that people who consumed spicy food more frequently appeared to have greater BMI, in contrast to an earlier study that found people with high levels of spicy food consumption had lower BMI levels when compared with non-consumers [20]. ...
Introduction:
Chronic gastritis is one of the most prevalent disorders affecting individuals. It affects hundreds of millions of people in different ways around the world. The objective of the study was to estimate the spice intake and its relationship with the blood lipid level among patients with chronic gastritis in the outpatient department of tertiary care hospital.
Methodology:
The study design was a hospital-based cross-sectional study that was done in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The study population included 208 chronic gastritis patients between 20 and 60 years of age selected by systematic sampling. Detailed information on sociodemographic and lifestyle factors was collected using a questionnaire. Individual dietary intake data were collected by the detailed 24-hour dietary recall. Spice intake was calculated using Diet Calc Software. An independent t-test was used as a test for significance. The correlation was used to study the relationship between spicy food intake and dyslipidemia. P-value <0.05 was significant.
Results:
A total of 208 patients were enrolled in the study with a response rate of 91%. The mean age of the studied patients was 45.15 ± 9.27 years, with 46.6% males and 53.4% females. Almost half (45.7%) of the participants had "mild" spicy food in their diet and almost two-fifths (39.9%) of participants had a "moderate or middle" degree of spice in their food. The mean dietary intake of condiments and spices by the participants was 34.19 (±22.18) gm/day. The current study showed higher spice intake was significantly correlated with impaired lipid profile levels with Kendall's tau_b correlation coefficient of 0.17 (p=0.01).
Conclusion:
Because of the excessive use of spices in the Guntur region of Andhra Pradesh, people have grown accustomed to eating spicy food since childhood and therefore is at a higher risk of developing chronic gastritis, and dyslipidemia.
... Red chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a popular flavouring spice widely used in the diets of many communities and cultures worldwide [1]. According to a survey, approximately 30% of chilli pepper consumers in China consume over 50 g of it per day [2]. Globally, chilli pepper is known for its high nutritional value, health benefits, and medicinal properties. ...
Background
Red chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum; RP) is a popular spice containing the active compound capsaicin. Indigenous gut bacteria and metabolism can affect host health. The functions of capsaicin, including the regulation of metabolic health and anti-oxidant properties, may be correlated with the gut microbiota.Methods
To identify indigenous gut bacteria that are responsive to RP, Institute of Cancer Research mice fed a diet with no fibre or with 5% (w/w) RP for 14 days. Additionally, human stool samples collected from four healthy volunteers were incubated without (control) or with 2% (w/v) RP at 37 °C for 24 h. Microbiota in murine caecal samples and human faecal cultures were analysed using 16S rRNA (V4) amplicon sequencing.ResultsCompared with the microbiota in mice fed no-fibre diets, Lachnospiraceae spp.-, Muribaculaceae spp.-, and Phacaeicola vulgatus-like bacteria were defined as murine RP-responsive indigenous gut bacteria (RP-RIB). In the human faecal cultures, acetate and propionate levels were higher in RP cultures than in the control cultures. Subdoligranulum spp.-, Blautia spp.-, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii-, P. vulgatus-, and Prevotella copri-like bacteria were defined as human RP-RIB. Compared with control culture Fe-reducing power was increased in the culture with RP.ConclusionRP increases the amount of short-chain fatty acid–producing bacteria and beneficial gut bacteria in mouse and human faecal cultures. Overall, RP could have a positive effect on the host by altering the gut microbiota.
... Previous studies describing the association between spicy foods intake and the risk of CVD showed inconsistent results [11][12][13][14]. Some studies found that spicy food consumption was associated with lower risks of hypertension [15,16], obesity [17] and diabetes [18], and lower levels of lipids [8,19]. However, there is also evidence that spicy foods intake was positively associated with obesity indices such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in Chinese [20][21][22]. ...
Background
Evidence regarding the association of spicy foods intake with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors was less clear, especially in those with diabetes. We hereby examined the association of spicy foods intake with CVD risk factors in older Chinese.
Methods
Thirty thousand three hundred twenty-five participants (72.34% women) aged 50+ years were recruited in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study from 2003 to 2008. Information of spicy foods intake and disease history was collected by face-to-face interview. CVD risk factors were measured and treated as continuous variables. Diabetes was defined by a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes.
Results
Of 30,325 participants, 12.9% consumed spicy foods regularly. After adjusting for multiple confounders, participants who consumed spicy foods of 5–7 days/week, versus none, had higher body mass index (1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.42 kg/m²), waist circumference (2.80, 95% CI 2.18–3.41 cm), waist-to-hip ratio (0.010, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.015), systolic blood pressure (2.44, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.97 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (1.94, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.73 mmHg), FPG (0.310, 95% CI 0.188 to 0.432 mmol/L), triglycerides (0.185, 95% CI 0.096 to 0.273 mmol/L), and lower high-`density lipoprotein cholesterol (− 0.040, 95% CI − 0.069 to − 0.012 mmol/L). Similar results were found for the associations of spicy foods strength with CVD risk factors. The results attenuated slightly but not substantially across diabetes groups.
Conclusions
Our study showed that higher frequency and strength of spicy foods intake were associated with unfavorable cardiovascular disease risk profile in older people, and such associations did not vary by diabetes status. Whether the results were causal needs to be determined in further studies.
... The mechanism behind the therapeutic potential of chili pepper has been apprised in several hefty pieces of literature. Chili is effective against a great number of ailments such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchitis, macular degeneration, anemia, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, sinus infection, migraine, neurological disorders, menopausal problems, and digestive complications [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Figure 4 displays the pharmacological activities of chili pepper. Herein, the immense potential of chili in battling severe illnesses, as well as the mechanisms associated with health-promoting actions, have been illustrated in detail. ...
Since the start of history, natural medicine has been of great interest and attention to humankind. A heap of empirical research indicates that spices have undoubtedly made our lives more interesting and may also make them longer. Capsicum is a highly regarded indispensable spice all over the globe for its umpteen culinary and medicinal facets. It has been used for more than 7000 years in Mexico and is believed to have originated in tropical Central America. Mainly, this botanical contains a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B5, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and carotenoids. Interestingly, capsicum phenolic compounds are helpful in preventing and treating many ailments. So, it intends as a beneficial milestone in the pharmaceutical industry and a boon to humanity. This chapter highlights the tremendous pharmacological uses and health benefits of capsicum species and its active compounds in multifarious aspects.
... ich wellspring of minerals (Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium) and vitamins (Kaba et al., 2014). Chilli (Capsicum) is an important crop and is considered an almost indispensable spice in daily life (W. B. Paul;2013). The trace elements, minerals, and nutrients in their fruits have good health properties (R. Arimboor, 2015;G. Subha, 2017;Z. Shi, 2018 andA. Srivastava, 2019). This crop is grown year-round, seasonally independent (R. D. R. Elizanilda;. In Bangladesh, there are about 0.82 million hectares of char land (Ahmed et al., 1987). "Charland'' is the Bengali term, its English meaning is "Riverine Island" for mid-channel island that emerges periodically from riverbed as a consequenc ...
Intercropping is a farming practice involving two or more crop species, or genotypes, growing together and coexisting for a time. On the fringes of modern intensive agriculture, intercropping is important in many subsistence or low-input/resource-limited agricultural systems. Intercropping in order to improve land use efficiency, take advantage of intercropping facilitation and improve economic benefits. Also, linked with the higher yield, the associated higher amount of vegetables-legume by-product is preferred for animal feed or human consumption. The objective of this study is to find out the suitable groundnut – chilli intercropping system and increase productivity, economic and nutritional development of charland farmers of Bangladesh. In the experiment, intercropping system such as One row of chilli in between two normal rows of groundnut, two rows of chilli in between two normal rows of groundnut which was compared with sole groundnut and sole chilli production. Total yields of chilli /groundnut intercropping were higher than that of sole chilli and groundnut. chilli /groundnut intercropping is the efficient use of light because of complementary use of space between the chilli plants and the groundnut plants. Chilli /groundnut intercrop gross return and BCR per hectare were found higher than from sole crop system. The total yield of intercropped crops was greater than sole cropping shown by LER>1. The overall advantage of intercropping ranged from 71 to 81%. The highest land equivalent value of 81% was recorded from paired row chilli in between four normal rows of groundnut sowing arrangements indicated a yield advantage of 81% over sole crop.
... Indeed, capsaicin is one of the most studied natural products and food (spice) components in the context of metabolic disorders and related cardiovascular risk [3,54,55]. Epidemiological studies suggested that hot chili pepper consumption may positively affect some parameters of the metabolic syndrome, particularly hypertension and body fat [12,56]. A meta-analysis of clinical studies supported the notion that, especially at high doses, capsaicin positively affects energy expenditure and appetite regulation, though contradictory results were often observed in studies with subjects living with overweight and obesity [57]. ...
Capsaicinoids, the pungent principles of chili peppers and prototypical activators of the transient receptor potential of the vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) channel, which is a member of the expanded endocannabinoid system known as the endocannabinoidome (eCBome), counteract food intake and obesity. In this exploratory study, we examined the blood and stools from a subset of the participants in a cohort of reproductive-aged women with overweight/obesity who underwent a 12-week caloric restriction of 500 kcal/day with the administration of capsaicinoids (two capsules containing 100 mg of a capsicum annuum extract (CAE) each for a daily dose of 4 mg of capsaicinoids) or a placebo. Samples were collected immediately before and after the intervention, and plasma eCBome mediator levels (from 23 participants in total, 13 placebo and 10 CAE) and fecal microbiota taxa (from 15 participants in total, 9 placebo and 6 CAE) were profiled using LC–MS/MS and 16S metagenomic sequencing, respectively. CAE prevented the reduced caloric-intake-induced decrease in beneficial eCBome mediators, i.e., the TRPV1, GPR119 and/or PPARα agonists, N-oleoyl-ethanolamine, N-linoleoyl-ethanolamine and 2-oleoyl-glycerol, as well as the anti-inflammatory N-acyl-ethanolamines N-docosapentaenyl-ethanolamine and N-docosahexaenoyl-ethanolamine. CAE produced few but important alterations in the fecal microbiota, such as an increased relative abundance of the genus Flavonifractor, which is known to be inversely associated with obesity. Correlations between eCBome mediators and other potentially beneficial taxa were also observed, thus reinforcing the hypothesis of the existence of a link between the eCBome and the gut microbiome in obesity.
... Chilli is used in various forms such as dried, wet, smoked, whole, sliced, cubed, pureed (pastes) and extracts, and it is added to several dishes, including soups, stews and main dishes. Being a rich source of minerals, vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids and capsaicinoids (Rosa et al., 2002), the dietary intake of chilli is associated with health benefits such as reducing the risk of hypertension (Olatunji & Afolayan, 2018;Shi et al., 2018), obesity (Janssens et al., 2013;Tremblay et al., 2016) and mortality (Lv et al., 2015). ...
Consumer demand for clean‐label food products is increasing. Moreover, the production of ready‐to‐cook products have begun to include clean‐label efforts. Dried chilli, the raw material for chilli paste, is susceptible to contaminants such as mould dirt and pesticides that must be removed to maintain the safety and quality of products. In this review, trends related to processes involved in chilli paste production are highlighted. Improvements in preservation technology and the potential for using a clean‐label approach to produce premium‐quality chilli pastes were explored. Ultrasound washing and high‐pressure processing could be combined as part of a hurdle technique for processing chilli pastes that align with consumer values. Ultrasound washing disinfects and removes dirt pesticides and chemical residues present on dried chillies. High‐pressure treatments inactivate microorganisms and enzymes, which could extend the shelf‐life of chilli pastes. Additionally, organic acid and garlic can be used as natural preservatives to improve the formulation without using artificial ingredients. This clean‐label concept can be integrated into the hurdle strategy to produce chilli paste that fulfils the consumer demand for a safe, naturally nutritional product with an extended shelf‐life.
... Chilli (Capsicum) is an important crop and is considered an almost indispensable spice in daily life [1]. The trace elements, minerals, and nutrients in their fruits have good health properties [2][3][4][5]. This crop is grown year-round, seasonally independent [6]; particularly, in the Mekong Delta (MD), high-yield species often grow, such as ChanhPhong F1, ChanhPhong F4, DongtienVang, and MuiTen 207. ...
Destemming fresh chilli fruit (Capsicum) in large productivity is necessary, especially in the Mekong Delta region. Several studies have been done to solve this problem with high applicability, but a certain percentage of the output consisted of cracked fruits, thus reducing the quality of the system. The manual sorting results in high costs and low quality, so it is necessary that automatic grading is performed after destemming. This research focused on developing a method to identify and classify cracked chilli fruits caused by the destemming process. The convolution neural network (CNN) model was built and trained to identify cracks; then, appropriate control signals were sent to the actuator for classification. Image processing operations are supported by the OpenCV library, while the TensorFlow data structure is used as a database and the Keras application programming interface supports the construction and training of neural network models. Experiments were carried out in both the static and working conditions, which, respectively, achieved an accurate identification rate of 97 and 95.3%. In addition, a success rate of 93% was found even when the chilli body is wrinkled due to drying after storage time at 120 hours. Practical results demonstrate that the reliability of the model was useful and acceptable.
... Spicy food consumption and its nutrient substances, such as capsaicin and vitamins contained in chilli pepper, have been attracting increasing attention in recent years (Patowary et al. 2017;Bonaccio et al. 2019). Prospective studies have found that cumulative average chilli intake was inversely associated with overweight/obesity, diabetes, hypertension and mortality in the Chinese population (Lv et al. 2015;Shi et al. 2017;Shi et al. 2018). Moreover, capsaicin has shown its potential to treat rhinitis, diabetes, neurogenic bladder, various cancers, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and dermatologic diseases (Sharma et al. 2013;Fokkens et al. 2016;Sun et al. 2016;Zsiboras et al. 2018). ...
This study aimed to describe the characteristics and lifestyle differences of spicy food consumption in 0.5 million adults. Participants were recruited from 2004 to 2008 in the baseline research of the CKB study. Higher frequency and stronger pungency degree in spicy food positively correlated with preference for salty taste, eating snacks/deep-fried foods, tea/alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking. Among weekly tea/alcohol drinkers and current regular smokers, participants with a higher frequency of spicy food consumption or preference for stronger pungency degree were more likely to prefer strong tea, drink alcohol exceed the healthy amount, drink alcohol in the morning every day, smoke ≥ 40 cigarettes per day, consume a larger amount of tea leaves, alcohol and cigarettes each day, and start habitual tea/alcohol drinking or smoking at an earlier age. Differences existed in lifestyle factors related to major chronic diseases according to spicy food consumption frequency and pungency degree among the Chinese population.
... Hot peppers and other spices have traditionally been used to color, flavor, and preserve foods because of their typical color, pungency, taste, aroma, and composition (4,9). Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated potential health benefits associated with the consumption of spicy foods (4,19). A recent population-based prospective cohort study showed that consumption of hot red chili pepper was associated with reduced mortality (9). ...
Consumption of spicy foods and hot sauces is currently a popular trend worldwide. Shelf-stable acidified sauces are commonly hot-filled to ensure commercial sterility, but cold-fill-hold processes might also be suitable if microbial safety and stability are ensured. For this study, model acidified hot pepper sauces were developed and characterized. The effects of sauce pH and of two different organic acids on the survival of Pichia manshurica and Lactobacillus curvatus isolated from contaminated commercial hot sauces and on pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes were assessed. Full factorial designs with three levels for pH (3.2, 3.5, and 3.9) and two for organic acid (citric and acetic) were used to determine the effects of these factors and their interactions on the survival of the microorganisms. Commercially sterile sauces were independently inoculated and kept at ambient temperature. Microbial counts were determined at different sampling times, depending on the treatment evaluated. Sauces acidified to pH 3.2 with citric or acetic acid were inoculated with cocktails of five strains or serotypes of the three pertinent pathogens, and inactivation curves were determined. Trials were performed in triplicate. A greater than 5-log reduction of P. manshurica and L. curvatus was achieved in less than 6 h in sauces adjusted to pH 3.2 with acetic acid. Greater than 5-log reductions of pathogenic bacteria were achieved 0.5 h after inoculation in sauces acidified to pH 3.2 with acetic acid. In contrast, at least 48 h was required to guarantee the same inactivation for the most tolerant pathogen when citric acid was used. Thus, a cold-fill-hold process may be a suitable alternative for acidified hot pepper sauces. Based on survival of the microorganisms evaluated in this study, microbial safety and stability can be achieved by adjusting the pH to 3.2 or less by the addition of acetic acid.
HIGHLIGHTS
pH and acidifier influence safety and stability of cold-filled acidified sauces.
Safe and stable cold-filled sauces were obtained at pH 3.2 with acetic acid.
Results help establish science-based conditions for cold-filled products.
Alkaloids are considered major secondary plant metabolites and are found mostly in plants. Some alkaloids are used as a spice in foodstuffs such as fenugreek, black pepper, and long pepper. These spices have large quantities of alkaloidal compounds. Trigonelline is a major alkaloidal compound present in fenugreek seeds, and piperine is present in peppers. Black pepper has a long history of usage in traditional medicines all throughout the world as well as food and condiments (Kaltner et al., 2020). In the Piperaceae, or pepper family, there are about 2,000 species in the Piper genus (Durant-Archibold et al., 2018). Only a few spices from the genus Piper include alkaloids, the biggest class of nitrogenous natural chemical substances. The two species that are most well-known are Piper longum and Piper nigrum, also known as pippali and black pepper, respectively. This genus contains piperidine-type alkaloids (Martha Perez Gutierrez et al., 2013). Numerous traditional medical systems, including traditional Chinese medicine, the Indian Ayurvedic system, and folkloric medicines of Latin America and the West Indies, have used plants from the genus Piper as a cure (Zaveri et al., 2010). Another alkaloid-containing species we have included in this chapter is a short-living and annual medicinal herb Trigonella foenum-graecum belonging to the Fabaceae family. Its major alkaloids are Trigonelline and 4-hydroxy-isoleucine (Nagulapalli Venkata et al., 2017).
This chapter provides an overview of food spices containing alkaloids as major chemical compounds. The major focus is on the sources, traditional uses, and phyto-pharmacological properties of food spices containing alkaloids.
So‘ngi yillarda dunyoning ko‘plab mamlakatlari iqtisodiy jihatdan istiqbolli potensialga ega qalampir o‘simligini yetishtirish hamda an’anaviy va zamonaviy tibbiyotdagi ahamiyani o‘rganishga e’tibor qaratmoqda. Ushbu maqolada madaniylashtirilgan qalampir (Capsicum) turlarining botanik tavsifi, farmakologik xususiyatlari, an’anaviy va zamonaviy tibbiyotda turli kasalliklarni oldini olish hamda davolovchi ta’siridan foydalanish bo‘yicha olib borilgan ilmiy-amaliy tadqiqot natijalari, oziq-ovqat sanoatida ishtaha ochuvchi muhim ziravor sifatidagi ahamiyati, dunyoning turli mintaqalarida uni yetishtirishga oid statistik ma’lumotlar hamda fitokimyoviy tarkibini o‘rganish bo‘yicha olib borilgan ilmiy tadqiqot ishlari muhokamasi bayon qilingan.
Background: Spicy food has cardiovascular-protective effects, but its effect on hypertension is uncertain. This study aimed to explore the association between spicy food and hypertension as well as specific types of blood pressure in Sichuan Basin, China.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the Sichuan Basin baseline dataset from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) study, including data from electronic questionnaires, medical examinations, and clinical laboratory tests. A total of 43,657 residents aged 30–79 years were included in the final analysis. Multiple logistic regression was performed to explore the effect of spicy food on hypertension and multiple linear regression was applied to estimate the effect of spicy food on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP).
Results: For hypertension, negative associations were found only in females: compared to those who do not eat spicy food, the odds ratios of consuming spicy food 6-7 days/week, consuming spicy food with strong strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were 0.886 (0.799, 0.982), 0.757 (0.587, 0.977), 0.632 (0.505, 0.792), respectively. For SBP, negative effects of consuming spicy food were found in both genders: among males, the β coefficients of 1-2 days/week, weak strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were 0.931 (-1.832, -0.030), -0.639 (-1.247, -0.032), and -2.952 (-4.413, -1.492), respectively; among females, the β coefficients of 3-5 days/week, 6-7 days/week, weak strength, moderate strength, and years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio were -1.251 (-2.115, -0.388), -1.215 (-1.897, -0.534), -0.788 (-1.313, -0.263), -1.807 (-2.542, -1.072), and -5.853 (-7.195, -4.512), respectively. Conversely, higher years of eating spicy food-to-age ratio was found to be related to a higher DBP with β coefficients of 1.300 (0.338, 2.263).
Conclusion: Spicy food consumption is inversely related to hypertension among 30–79 years in Sichuan Basin, especially in females. The protective effect of spicy food appears to be on SBP.
Background: Evidence regarding the association of spicy foods intake with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors was less clear, especially in those with diabetes. We hereby examined the association of spicy foods intake with CVD risk factors in older Chinese.
Methods: 30,325 participants (72.34% women) aged 50+ years were recruited in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study from 2003 to 2008. Information of spicy foods intake and disease history was collected by face-to-face interview and CVD risk factors were measured. Diabetes was defined by a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes.
Results: Of 30,325 participants, 12.9% consumed spicy foods regularly. After adjusting for multiple confounders, participants who consumed spicy foods of 5-7 days/week, versus none, had higher body mass index (1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.42 kg/m²), waist circumference (2.78, 95% CI 2.17-3.39 cm), waist-to-hip ratio (0.010, 95% CI 0.006 to 0.014), systolic blood pressure (2.44, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.97 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (1.19, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.73 mmHg), FPG (0.304, 95% CI 0.182 to 0.426 mmol/L), triglycerides (0.184, 95% CI 0.095 to 0.273 mmol/L), and lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.041, 95% CI -0.069 to -0.012 mmol/L). Similar results were found for the associations of spicy foods strength with CVD risk factors. The results attenuated slightly but not substantially by diabetes status.
Conclusions: Our study showed that higher frequency and strength of spicy foods intake were associated with unfavorable cardiovascular disease risk profile in older people, and such associations did not vary by diabetes status. Whether the results were causal needs to be determined in further studies.
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between spicy food (chilli pepper, chilli sauce, or chilli oil) consumption with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Medline and EMBASE were searched from their inception until February 2020 to identify relevant prospective cohort studies. Hazard ratios (HRs)/relative risk (RRs) were pooled via random-effect meta-analysis. Of the 4387 citations identified, 4 studies (from the United States, China, Italy, and Iran) were included in the meta-analysis. The included studies involved a total of 564 748 adults (aged ≥18 years; 51.2% female) followed over a median duration of 9.7 years. The pooled data suggested that compared with people who did not regularly consume spicy food (none/<1 d/wk), regular consumers of spicy food experienced a 12% (HR/RR pooled 0.88, 95% CI, 0.86-0.90; I ² = 0%) lower risk of all-cause mortality. Moreover, spicy food consumption was associated with significant reduction in the risk of death from cardiac diseases (HR/RR pooled 0.82, 0.73-0.91; I ² = 0%), but not from cerebrovascular disorders (HR/RR pooled 0.79, 0.53-1.17; I ² = 72.2%). In conclusion, available epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of spicy chilli food is associated with reduced risk of all-cause as well as heart disease–related mortality. Further studies in different populations are needed to confirm this association.
Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide), a well-known vanilloid, which is the main spicy component in chili peppers, showing several biological activities and the potential applications range from food flavorings to therapeutics. Traditional extraction of capsaicin by organic solvents was time-consuming, some new methods such as aqueous two-phase method and ionic liquid extraction method have been developed. During past few decades, an ample variety of biological effects of capsaicin have been evaluated. Capsaicin can be used in biofilms and antifouling coatings due to its antimicrobial activity, allowing it has a promising application in food packaging, food preservation, marine environment and dental therapy. Capsaicin also play a crucial role in metabolic disorders, including weight loss, pressure lowing and insulin reduction effects. In addition, capsaicin was identified effective on preventing human cancers, such as lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation of tumor cells. Previous research also suggest the positive effects of capsaicin on pain relief and cognitive impairment. Capsaicin, the agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), could selectively activate TRPV1, inducing Ca2+ influx and related signaling pathways. Recently, gut microbiota was also involved in some diseases therapeutics, but its influence on the effects of capsaicin still need to be deeply studied. In this review, different extraction and purification methods of capsaicin, its biological activities and pharmacological effects were systematically summarized, as well as the possible mechanisms were also deeply discussed. This article will give an updated and better understanding of capsaicin-related biological effects and provide theoretical basis for its further research and applications in human health and manufacture development.
Obesity and overweight have become a serious health problem in the world, which are linked to a varity of metabolic disorders. Phytochemicals with weight-loss effect have been widely studied for past few decades. Capsaicin is the major bioactive component in red chili peppers with many beneficial functions. Its anti-obesity effects have been evaluated extensively using different model systems, including cell models, animal models and human subjects. In this paper, anti-obesity effects of capsaicin are reviewed and the underlying mechanisms are characterized.
The evidence base for the health effects of spice consumption is insufficient, with only one large population-based study and no reports from Europe or North America. Our objective was to analyze the association between consumption of hot red chili peppers and mortality, using a population-based prospective cohort from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) III, a representative sample of US noninstitutionalized adults, in which participants were surveyed from 1988 to 1994. The frequency of hot red chili pepper consumption was measured in 16,179 participants at least 18 years of age. Total and cause-specific mortality were the main outcome measures. During 273,877 person-years of follow-up (median 18.9 years), a total of 4,946 deaths were observed. Total mortality for participants who consumed hot red chili peppers was 21.6% compared to 33.6% for those who did not (absolute risk reduction of 12%; relative risk of 0.64). Adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics, the hazard ratio was 0.87 (P = 0.01; 95% Confidence Interval 0.77, 0.97). Consumption of hot red chili peppers was associated with a 13% reduction in the instantaneous hazard of death. Similar, but statistically nonsignificant trends were seen for deaths from vascular disease, but not from other causes. In this large population-based prospective study, the consumption of hot red chili pepper was associated with reduced mortality. Hot red chili peppers may be a beneficial component of the diet.
Rhinitis is a multifactorial disease characterized by symptoms of sneezing, rhinorrhea, postnasal drip, and nasal congestion. Non-allergic rhinitis is characterized by rhinitis symptoms without systemic sensitization of infectious etiology. Based on endotypes, we can categorize non-allergic rhinitis into an inflammatory endotype with usually eosinophilic inflammation encompassing at least NARES and LAR and part of the drug induced rhinitis (e.g., aspirin intolerance) and a neurogenic endotype encompassing idiopathic rhinitis, gustatory rhinitis, and rhinitis of the elderly. Patients with idiopathic rhinitis have a higher baseline TRPV1 expression in the nasal mucosa than healthy controls. Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the active component of chili peppers, plants of the genus Capsicum. Capsaicin is unique among naturally occurring irritant compounds because the initial neuronal excitation evoked by it is followed by a long-lasting refractory period, during which the previously excited neurons are no longer responsive to a broad range of stimuli. Patients with idiopathic rhinitis benefit from intranasal treatment with capsaicin. Expression of TRPV1 is reduced in patients with idiopathic rhinitis after capsaicin treatment. Recently, in a Cochrane review, the effectiveness of capsaicin in the management of idiopathic rhinitis was evaluated and the authors concluded that given that many other options do not work well in non-allergic rhinitis, capsaicin is a reasonable option to try under physician supervision. Capsaicin has not been shown to be effective in allergic rhinitis nor in other forms of non-allergic rhinitis like the inflammatory endotypes or other neurogenic endotypes like rhinitis of the elderly or smoking induced rhinitis.
Chili peppers have a long history of use for flavoring, coloring, and preserving food, as well as for medical purposes. The increased use of chili peppers in food is very popular worldwide. Capsaicin is the major pungent bioactivator in chili peppers. The beneficial effects of capsaicin on cardiovascular function and metabolic regulation have been validated in experimental and population studies. The receptor for capsaicin is called the transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1). TRPV1 is ubiquitously distributed in the brain, sensory nerves, dorsal root ganglia, bladder, gut, and blood vessels. Activation of TRPV1 leads to increased intracellular calcium signaling and, subsequently, various physiological effects. TRPV1 is well known for its prominent roles in inflammation, oxidation stress, and pain sensation. Recently, TRPV1 was found to play critical roles in cardiovascular function and metabolic homeostasis. Experimental studies demonstrated that activation of TRPV1 by capsaicin could ameliorate obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Additionally, TRPV1 activation preserved the function of cardiometabolic organs. Furthermore, population studies also confirmed the beneficial effects of capsaicin on human health. The habitual consumption of spicy foods was inversely associated with both total and certain causes of specific mortality after adjustment for other known or potential risk factors. The enjoyment of spicy flavors in food was associated with a lower prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. These results suggest that capsaicin and TRPV1 may be potential targets for the management of cardiometabolic vascular diseases and their related target organs dysfunction.
Hypertension is a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney disease. To lower blood pressure (BP), several lifestyle changes are recommended such as weight loss, exercise, and following a healthy diet. Investigating the effect of single nutrients may have positive results, but food is consumed as part of a whole diet, resulting in nutrient interactions. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of dietary patterns on BP in adults. Studies that were published between January 1999 and June 2014 were retrieved using Scopus, Web of Science, and the MEDLINE database. Seventeen randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The results suggest that healthy dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, Nordic diet, and Mediterranean diet significantly lowered systolic BP and diastolic BP by 4.26 mm Hg and 2.38 mm Hg, respectively. These diets are rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, fish, and dairy and low in meat, sweets, and alcohol. Lifestyle factors such as exercise and weight loss in combination with dietary changes may also reduce BP. Further research is needed to establish the effect of dietary patterns on BP in different cultures other than those identified in this review. The review was registered on PROSPERO (International prospective register of systematic reviews) as CRD42015016272.
Background
Chili consumption may have a beneficial effect on muscle strength in the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between frequency of chili consumption and handgrip strength in adults.
Design
Population-based cross-sectional study.
Setting
This study used baseline data from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study.
Participants
A total of 3 717 subjects were recruited to the study. Frequency of chili consumption during the previous month was assessed using a valid self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Analysis of covariance was used to examine the relationship between muscle strength and frequency of chili consumption. Handgrip strength was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer.
Results
After adjustment for potential confounding factors, significant relationships were observed between different categories of chili consumption and handgrip strength in males, the means (95% confidence interval) for handgrip strength across chili consumption categories were 44.7 (42.1, 47.2) for < one time/week; 45.5 (42.9, 48.1) for one time/week; and 45.8 (43.3, 48.4) for ≥ 2-3 times/week (P for trend < 0.01). Similar results were not observed with sweet pepper consumption.
Conclusions
This study reveals a positive correlation between frequency of chili consumption and muscle strength in adult males. Further studies are necessary in order to determine whether there is a causal relationship between chili consumption frequency and muscle strength.
Objective To examine the associations between the regular consumption of spicy foods and total and cause specific mortality.
Design Population based prospective cohort study.
Setting China Kadoorie Biobank in which participants from 10 geographically diverse areas across China were enrolled between 2004 and 2008.
Participants 199 293 men and 288 082 women aged 30 to 79 years at baseline after excluding participants with cancer, heart disease, and stroke at baseline.
Main exposure measures Consumption frequency of spicy foods, self reported once at baseline.
Main outcome measures Total and cause specific mortality.
Results During 3 500 004 person years of follow-up between 2004 and 2013 (median 7.2 years), a total of 11 820 men and 8404 women died. Absolute mortality rates according to spicy food consumption categories were 6.1, 4.4, 4.3, and 5.8 deaths per 1000 person years for participants who ate spicy foods less than once a week, 1 or 2, 3 to 5, and 6 or 7 days a week, respectively. Spicy food consumption showed highly consistent inverse associations with total mortality among both men and women after adjustment for other known or potential risk factors. In the whole cohort, compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week, the adjusted hazard ratios for death were 0.90 (95% confidence interval 0.84 to 0.96), 0.86 (0.80 to 0.92), and 0.86 (0.82 to 0.90) for those who ate spicy food 1 or 2, 3 to 5, and 6 or 7 days a week, respectively. Compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week, those who consumed spicy foods 6 or 7 days a week showed a 14% relative risk reduction in total mortality. The inverse association between spicy food consumption and total mortality was stronger in those who did not consume alcohol than those who did (P=0.033 for interaction). Inverse associations were also observed for deaths due to cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and respiratory diseases.
Conclusion In this large prospective study, the habitual consumption of spicy foods was inversely associated with total and certain cause specific mortality, independent of other risk factors of death.
Insulin resistance is a major characteristic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Recent studies have shown a metabolic role of capsaicin that may be mediated via the transient receptor potential vanilloid type (TRPV)-1 channel. In this study, TRPV1 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice (as controls) were fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and metabolic studies were performed to measure insulin and leptin action. The TRPV1 KO mice became more obese than the WT mice after HFD, partly attributed to altered energy balance and leptin resistance in the KO mice. The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp experiment showed that the TRPV1 KO mice were more insulin resistant after HFD because of the ∼40% reduction in glucose metabolism in the white and brown adipose tissue, compared with that in the WT mice. Leptin treatment failed to suppress food intake, and leptin-mediated hypothalamic signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 activity was blunted in the TRPV1 KO mice. We also found that the TRPV1 KO mice were more obese and insulin resistant than the WT mice at 9 mo of age. Taken together, these results indicate that lacking TRPV1 exacerbates the obesity and insulin resistance associated with an HFD and aging, and our findings further suggest that TRPV1 has a major role in regulating glucose metabolism and hypothalamic leptin's effects in obesity.-Lee, E., Jung, D. Y., Kim, J. H., Patel, P. R., Hu, X., Lee, Y., Azuma, Y., Wang, H.-F., Tsitsilianos, N., Shafiq, U., Kwon, J. Y., Lee, H. J., Lee, K. W., Kim, J. K. Transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 channel regulates diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, and leptin resistance.
© FASEB.
Increased physical fitness is protective against cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that increased fitness would be inversely associated with hypertension.
We examined the association of fitness with prevalent and incident hypertension in 57 284 participants from The Henry Ford ExercIse Testing (FIT) Project (1991-2009). Fitness was measured during a clinician-referred treadmill stress test. Incident hypertension was defined as a new diagnosis of hypertension on 3 separate consecutive encounters derived from electronic medical records or administrative claims files. Analyses were performed with logistic regression or Cox proportional hazards models and were adjusted for hypertension risk factors. The mean age overall was 53 years, with 49% women and 29% black. Mean peak metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved was 9.2 (SD, 3.0). Fitness was inversely associated with prevalent hypertension even after adjustment (≥12 METs versus <6 METs; OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.80). During a median follow-up period of 4.4 years (interquartile range: 2.2 to 7.7 years), there were 8053 new cases of hypertension (36.4% of 22 109 participants without baseline hypertension). The unadjusted 5-year cumulative incidences across categories of METs (<6, 6 to 9, 10 to 11, and ≥12) were 49%, 41%, 30%, and 21%. After adjustment, participants achieving ≥12 METs had a 20% lower risk of incident hypertension compared to participants achieving <6 METs (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.89). This relationship was preserved across strata of age, sex, race, obesity, resting blood pressure, and diabetes.
Higher fitness is associated with a lower probability of prevalent and incident hypertension independent of baseline risk factors.
© 2014 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.
Abstract Some studies have indicated that the consumption of chili-containing foods can influence iron absorption and affect serum insulin and glucose concentrations, which may help to alleviate diabetes or prediabetes. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between chili food habits with iron status and insulin resistance in the Chinese population. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric data, and chili food habit data collected from 8433 adults (aged 18 to 99), in 2009, as part of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, a large-scale longitudinal, household-based survey in China. Chili food habits were assessed using chili food eating frequencies (no eating, sometimes eating, often eating, and usually eating) and chili food types (a little bit hot, moderately hot, and very hot). Fasting serum ferritin, insulin, and fasting plasma glucose were also measured. The Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA-IR) was used to estimate insulin resistance. Compared with the chili eating group, the no eating group had higher HOMA-IR levels for both men and women (P<.05). There were significant differences in HOMA-IR (P<.05) for both men and women and in ferritin (P<.001) for women according to different chili food types. However, there was no significant difference in the ferritin level and HOMA-IR components for different chili food eating frequencies in both gender groups. Chili food habits, especially the different hot levels of chili food, were associated with iron status and insulin resistance in the Chinese population. Additional studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms of action and to establish causal inference.
China's food consumption patterns and eating and cooking behaviours changed dramatically between 1991 and 2011. Macronutrient composition has shifted towards fats, and protein and sodium intakes remain high and potassium intake low. The rapid decline in intake of coarse grains and, later, of refined grains and increases in intake of edible oils and animal-source foods accompanied by major eating and cooking behaviour shifts are leading to what might be characterized as an unhealthy Western type of diet, often based on traditional recipes with major additions and changes. The most popular animal-source food is pork, and consumption of poultry and eggs is increasing. The changes in cooking and eating styles include a decrease in the proportion of food steamed, baked, or boiled, and an increase in snacking and eating away from home. Prior to the last decade, there was essentially no snacking in China except for hot water or green tea. Most recently, the intake of foods high in added sugar has increased. The dietary shifts are affected greatly by the country's urbanization. The future, as exemplified by the diet of the three mega cities, promises major growth in consumption of processed foods and beverages.
Background
Diabetic cardiovascular complications are characterised by oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is a regulator of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and can antagonise oxidative stress, but approaches that enhance the activity of UCP2 to inhibit ROS are scarce. Our previous studies show that activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) by capsaicin can prevent cardiometabolic disorders. In this study, we conducted experiments in vitro and in vivo to investigate the effect of capsaicin treatment on endothelial UCP2 and oxidative stress. We hypothesised that TRPV1 activation by capsaicin attenuates hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction through a UCP2-mediated antioxidant effect.
Methods
TRPV1-/-, UCP2 -/- and db/db mice, as well as matched wild type (WT) control mice, were included in this study. Some mice were subjected to dietary capsaicin for 14 weeks. Arteries isolated from mice and endothelial cells were cultured. Endothelial function was examined, and immunohistological and molecular analyses were performed.
Results
Under high-glucose conditions, TRPV1 expression and protein kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation were found to be decreased in the cultured endothelial cells, and the effects of high-glucose on these molecules were reversed by the administration of capsaicin. Furthermore, high-glucose exposure increased ROS production and reduced nitric oxide (NO) levels both in endothelial cells and in arteries that were evaluated respectively by dihydroethidium (DHE) and DAF-2 DA fluorescence. Capsaicin administration decreased the production of ROS, restored high-glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction through the activation of TRPV1 and acted in a UCP2-dependent manner in vivo. Administration of dietary capsaicin for 14 weeks increased the levels of PKA phosphorylation and UCP2 expression, ameliorated the vascular oxidative stress and increased NO levels observed in diabetic mice. Prolonged dietary administration of capsaicin promoted endothelium-dependent relaxation in diabetic mice. However, the beneficial effect of capsaicin on vasorelaxation was absent in the aortas of UCP2 -/- mice exposed to high-glucose levels.
Conclusion
TRPV1 activation by capsaicin might protect against hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction through a mechanism involving the PKA/UCP2 pathway.
Two studies were conducted to investigate the effects of red pepper (capsaicin) on feeding behaviour and energy intake. In the first study, the effects of dietary red pepper added to high-fat (HF) and high-carbohydrate (HC) meals on subsequent energy and macronutrient intakes were examined in thirteen Japanese female subjects. After the ingestion of a standardized dinner on the previous evening, the subjects ate an experimental breakfast (1883 kJ) of one of the following four types: (1) HF; (2) HF and red pepper (10 g); (3) HC; (4) HC and red pepper. Ad libitum energy and macronutrient intakes were measured at lunch-time. The HC breakfast significantly reduced the desire to eat and hunger after breakfast. The addition of red pepper to the HC breakfast also significantly decreased the desire to eat and hunger before lunch. Differences in diet composition at breakfast time did not affect energy and macronutrient intakes at lunch-time. However, the addition of red pepper to the breakfast significantly decreased protein and fat intakes at lunch-time. In Study 2, the effects of a red-pepper appetizer on subsequent energy and macronutrient intakes were examined in ten Caucasian male subjects. After ingesting a standardized breakfast, the subjects took an experimental appetizer (644 kJ) at lunch-time of one of the following two types: (1) mixed diet and appetizer; (2) mixed diet and red-pepper (6 g) appetizer. The addition of red pepper to the appetizer significantly reduced the cumulative ad libitum energy and carbohydrate intakes during the rest of the lunch and in the snack served several hours later. Moreover, the power spectral analysis of heart rate revealed that this effect of red pepper was associated with an increase in the ratio sympathetic: parasympathetic nervous system activity. These results indicate that the ingestion of red pepper decreases appetite and subsequent protein and fat intakes in Japanese females and energy intake in Caucasian males. Moreover, this effect might be related to an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity in Caucasian males.
Chilli peppers have been shown to enhance diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and reduce energy intake (EI) in some studies, but there are few data on other pungent spices. The primary aim of the present study was to test the acute effects of black pepper (pepper), ginger, horseradish and mustard in a meal on 4 h postprandial DIT. The secondary aim was to examine the effects on subjective appetite measures, ad libitum EI and energy balance. In a five-way placebo-controlled, single-blind, cross-over trial, twenty-two young (age 24·9 (sd 4·6) years), normal-weight (BMI 21·8 (sd 2·1) kg/m2) males were randomly assigned to receive a brunch meal with either pepper (1·3 g), ginger (20 g), horseradish (8·3 g), mustard (21 g) or no spices (placebo). The amounts of spices were chosen from pre-testing to make the meal spicy but palatable. No significant treatment effects were observed on DIT, but mustard produced DIT, which tended to be larger than that of placebo (14 %, 59 (se 3) v. 52 (se 2) kJ/h, respectively, P = 0·08). No other spice induced thermogenic effects approaching statistical significance. Subjective measures of appetite (P>0·85), ad libitum EI (P = 0·63) and energy balance (P = 0·67) also did not differ between the treatments. Finally, horseradish decreased heart rate (P = 0·048) and increased diastolic blood pressure (P = 0·049) compared with placebo. In conclusion, no reliable treatment effects on appetite, EI or energy balance were observed, although mustard tended to be thermogenic at this dose. Further studies should explore the possible strength and mechanisms of the potential thermogenic effect of mustard actives, and potential enhancement by, for example, combinations with other food components.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver is characterized by the fatty deformation and lipid deposition of hepatic parenchymal cells that are associated with cardiometabolic diseases. In this study, we report the effect of capsaicin on its receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) cation channel, in preventing fatty liver formation. Functional TRPV1 has been detected in hepatocytes and liver tissues. TRPV1 activation by capsaicin reduced lipid accumulation and triglyceride level in the liver from wild-type (WT) mice. However, these effects were absent in the liver from TRPV1(-/-) mice. Chronic dietary capsaicin increased the hepatic uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression in WT but not in TRPV1(-/-) mice (P < 0.01). We conclude that TRPV1 long-time activation might prevent high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice through upregulation of hepatic UCP2. Dietary capsaicin may represent a promising intervention in populations at high risk for fatty liver.
Consumption of spicy foods containing capsaicin, the major pungent principle in hot peppers, reportedly promotes negative energy balance. However, many individuals abstain from spicy foods due to the sensory burn and pain elicited by the capsaicin molecule. A potential alternative for nonusers of spicy foods who wish to exploit this energy balance property is consumption of nonpungent peppers rich in capsiate, a recently identified nonpungent capsaicin analog contained in CH-19 Sweet peppers. Capsiate activates transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) receptors in the gut but not in the oral cavity. This paper critically evaluates current knowledge on the thermogenic and appetitive effects of capsaicin and capsiate from foods and in supplemental form. Meta-analyses were performed on thermogenic outcomes, with a systematic review conducted for both thermogenic and appetitive outcomes. Evidence indicates that capsaicin and capsiate both augment energy expenditure and enhance fat oxidation, especially at high doses. Furthermore, the balance of the literature suggests that capsaicin and capsiate suppress orexigenic sensations. The magnitude of these effects is small. Purposeful inclusion of these compounds in the diet may aid weight management, albeit modestly.
This research journal article presents a detailed overview of a cohort profile of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) which allows for the monitoring and understanding of socio-economic and health change in China from 1989-2011. The author discusses the history and development of the CHNS as a result of the countrys transformations since Chinas reform and open policy. The CHNS was established with the goal to develop a multipurpose longitudinal survey that would allow the research group to examine a series of economic sociological demographic and health questions. The article describes the design of the survey to include in-depth coverage at the individual household and community levels though it was not designed to be representative of China but to be randomly selected and capture a range of economic and demographic circumstances. It provides data randomly from eight different provinces and rounds have been completed nearly every three years since 1989. Though they are very complex to determine with the survey response rates and attrition are assessed along with descriptions of changes in lost-to-follow-up rates. The article describes key finds and publications to be numerous including links to obesity from occupation and transportation; nutrition and chronic disease; and important policy results for agriculture and poverty reduction programs. Lastly the author provides a summary of the CHNSs strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for accessing the data and further information.
The effects of red pepper and caffeine ingestion on energy and macronutrient balances were examined in eight Caucasian male subjects. All subjects participated in two randomly assigned conditions: control and experimental (red pepper and caffeine). After ingesting a standardized breakfast, subjects ate three meals ad libitum (lunch, dinner and breakfast) and snacks which were served approximately 2 h after the lunch and dinner over a 24 h period. Two appetizers with or without 3 g red pepper) were given before lunch and dinner, and a drink (decaffeinated coffee with or without 200 mg caffeine) was served at all meals and snacks except for the after-dinner snack. It is also important to note that on the experimental day, 8.6 and 7.2 g red pepper were also added to lunch and dinner respectively. Red pepper and caffeine consumption significantly reduced the cumulative ad libitum energy intake and increased energy expenditure. The mean difference in energy balance between both conditions was 4000 kJ/d. Moreover, the power spectral analysis of heart rate suggested that this effect of red pepper was associated with an increase in sympathetic:parasympathetic nervous system activity ratio. These results indicate that the consumption of red pepper and caffeine can induce a considerable change in energy balance when individuals are given free access to foods.
The relative influence of diet and physical activity on body fatness remains uncertain.
The objective of the study was to investigate associations of dietary variables and physical activity with body fatness in urban Chinese adults.
We conducted a cross-sectional study in 130 weight-stable men and women aged 35-49 y. Subjects were selected from upper and lower tertiles of dietary fat and physical activity on the basis of screening questionnaires. Dietary intake was assessed by weighed food intake, physical activity level (PAL) was calculated as the ratio of predicted total energy expenditure (TEE) to predicted resting energy expenditure, and body composition was measured with the use of (2)H(2)O. Reported energy intake and predicted TEE were validated against TEE determined with the use of (2)H(2)(18)O (n = 73).
Body fatness was positively associated with dietary variety (ie, variety of ingredients) (partial r = 0.186, P = 0.039) and frequency of consuming restaurant foods (partial r = 0.237, P = 0.001) and negatively associated with PAL (partial r = -0.307, P = 0.001) in a multiple regression analysis that controlled for sex and confounders. The combined variance accounted for by dietary variety and restaurant food consumption (9.1%) was equivalent to that for PAL (9.4%). Neither dietary fat nor energy density predicted body fatness, but dietary energy density predicted within-subject day-to-day variation in reported energy intake (P < 0.001).
Dietary variety, frequency of restaurant food consumption, and PAL significantly predicted body fatness in urban Chinese adults, but dietary fat did not. These findings support previous studies in US adults and suggest that dietary variables other than fat have an important influence on adult body composition.
Background:
The frequency of spicy food intake has recently been associated with a reduced risk of mortality in the Chinese population. This study aimed to prospectively examine the association between chilli intake and the incidence of overweight/obesity in a Chinese adult population.
Methods:
Adults aged 20-75 years in the China Health and Nutrition Survey were followed between 1991 and 2011. Dietary data were collected during home visits using a 3-day food record in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011. Cox regression was used in the analysis. Overweight/obesity was defined as BMI ?25?kg/m2.
Results:
12?970 adults were followed for a median of 9 years. During 126?884 person years of follow-up, 3203 subjects developed overweight/obesity. The absolute incidence rate of overweight/obesity was 26.4, 22.3, 24.4, and 20.5 per 1000 person years among those who consumed no chilli or 1-20, 20.1-50, ?50.1?g/day respectively. Chilli consumption was therefore inversely associated with the incidence of overweight/obesity. After adjusting for age, gender, energy and fat intake, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical activity, those whose cumulative average chilli intake was 0, 1-20, 20.1-50 and ?50.1?g/day had a hazard ratio (HR) for overweight/obesity of 1.00, 0.81(95%CI 0.73-0.89), 0.77(0.69-0.86) and 0.73(0.63-0.84) (p for trend <0.001) respectively. There was no interaction between chilli intake and gender, income, education and residence (urban/rural) in relation to the risk of overweight/obesity.
Conclusions:
Chilli intake is inversely associated with the risk of becoming overweight/obese in Chinese adults.International Journal of Obesity accepted article preview online, 31 March 2017. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.88.
Background & aims:
Almost one in ten Chinese adults has chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the link between dietary patterns, dietary cadmium intake and CKD has not been studied in China.
Method:
Adults (n = 8429) in the China Health and Nutrition Survey who had at least one 3-day 24 h food record in combination with household food inventory in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, and 2009 and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measured in 2009. Dietary pattern was identified using factor analysis. CKD was defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2).
Results:
There were 641 (7.6%) cases of CKD in the sample. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle factors (i.e. smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity) and chronic conditions, the odds ratio (OR) for CKD was 4.05 (95%CI 2.91-5.63, p for trend <0.001) for extreme quartiles of estimated cumulative cadmium intake. A traditional southern dietary pattern (high intake of rice, pork, and vegetables, and low intake of wheat) was associated with more than four times increased prevalence of CKD (comparing extreme quartiles, OR 4.56, 95%CI 3.18-6.56). A modern dietary pattern (high intake of fruit, soy milk, egg, milk and deep fried products) was inversely associated with CKD (for extreme quartiles, OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.36-0.71). The association between dietary patterns and CKD were attenuated by cadmium intake.
Conclusion:
Traditional southern dietary pattern is positively associated, and modern dietary pattern is inversely associated, with CKD among Chinese adults. However, these associations can be partly attributed to cadmium contamination in parts of the food supply.
Background:
Studies on the association of fasting insulin concentrations or insulin resistance with subsequent risk of hypertension have yielded conflicting results.
Objective:
To quantitatively assess the association of fasting insulin concentrations or homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with incident hypertension in a general population by performing a meta-analysis.
Methods:
We searched the PubMed and Embase databases until August 31, 2016 for prospective observational studies investigating the elevated fasting insulin concentrations or HOMA-IR with subsequent risk of hypertension in the general population. Pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of hypertension was calculated for the highest versus the lowest category of fasting insulin or HOMA-IR.
Results:
Eleven studies involving 10,230 hypertension cases were identified from 55,059 participants. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled adjusted RR of hypertension was 1.54 (95% CI 1.34-1.76) for fasting insulin concentrations and 1.43 (95% CI 1.27-1.62) for HOMA-IR comparing the highest to the lowest category. Subgroup analysis results showed that the association of fasting insulin concentrations with subsequent risk of hypertension seemed more pronounced in women (RR 2.07; 95% CI 1.19-3.60) than in men (RR 1.48; 95% CI 1.17-1.88).
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis suggests that elevated fasting insulin concentrations or insulin resistance as estimated by homeostasis model assessment is independently associated with an exacerbated risk of hypertension in the general population. Early intervention of hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance may help clinicians to identify the high risk of hypertensive population.
This nutritional epidemiology study compares salt and sodium intake in China in 2000 and in 2009-2012.Noncommunicable diseases are increasing globally, with major socioeconomic implications.1 The World Health Organization2 proposed 9 noncommunicable disease–related targets, including 30% reduction in salt/sodium intake to reduce risk of hypertension.
Capsaicin is the molecule that is responsible for the pungency of hot peppers. It stimulates the sympathoadrenal system that mediates the thermogenic and anorexigenic effects of capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoids have been found to accentuate the impact of caloric restriction on body weight loss. Some studies have also shown that capsinoids, the non-pungent analogues of capsaicinoids, increase energy expenditure. Capsaicin supplementation attenuates or even prevents the increase in hunger and decrease in fullness as well as the decrease in energy expenditure and fat oxidation which normally result from energy restriction. These effects may postpone the occurrence of resistance to lose fat during a weight loss program and facilitate the maintenance of body weight in a post-obese state. Evidence also highlights the plausibility of an indirect effect of capsaicin on energy balance via its analgesic effects which may improve sleep and ultimately facilitate the regulation of energy balance. Although capsaicin intake appears to be a safe practice, further studies will be needed to ascertain the safety of regular long-term consumption. Additional research will also be useful to determine if capsaicinoids can attenuate some barriers to successful weight management by possibly improving the profile of feeding-related behaviors. Taken together, these observations reinforce the idea that consumption of capsaicinoids and capsinoids may be helpful to facilitate obesity management.International Journal of Obesity accepted article preview online, 21 December 2015. doi:10.1038/ijo.2015.253.
Background and purpose:
High-salt diet induces cardiac remodelling and leads to heart failure, which is closely related to cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. We investigated whether activation of TRP vanilloid (subtype 1) (TRPV1) channels by dietary capsaicin can, by ameliorating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction, prevent high-salt diet-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
Experimental approach:
Male wild-type (WT) and TRPV1(-/-) mice were fed a normal or high-salt diet with or without capsaicin for 6 months. Their cardiac parameters and endurance capacity were assessed. Mitochondrial respiration and oxygen consumption were measured using high-resolution respirometry. The expression levels of TRPV1, sirtuin 3 and NDUFA9 were detected in cardiac cells and tissues.
Key results:
Chronic high-salt diet caused cardiac hypertrophy and reduced physical activity in mice; both effects were ameliorated by capsaicin intake in WT but not in TRPV1(-/-) mice. TRPV1 knockout or high-salt diet significantly jeopardized the proficiency of mitochondrial Complex I oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reduced Complex I enzyme activity. Chronic dietary capsaicin increased cardiac mitochondrial sirtuin 3 expression, the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS, ATP production and Complex I enzyme activity in a TRPV1-dependent manner.
Conclusions and implications:
TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin can antagonize high-salt diet-mediated cardiac lesions by ameliorating its deleterious effect on the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS. TRPV1-mediated amendment of mitochondrial dysfunction may represent a novel target for management of early cardiac dysfunction.
This paper deals with the general problem of the acquisition of positive affective responses, by study of the reversal of an innate aversion to the irritant properties of chili pepper. Interviews, observations, and measurements were carried out in both Mexico and the United States. Exposure to gradually increasing levels of chili in food seems to be a sufficient condition for preference development. Chili likers are not insensitive to the irritation that it produces. They come to like the same burning sensation that deters animals and humans that dislike chili; there is a clear hedonic shift. This could be produced by association with positive events, including enhancement of the taste of bland foods, postingestional effects, or social rewards. It is also possible that the initial negative response to chili pepper is essential for the eventual liking. Chili stimulates an innate sensory warning system but is not harmful. The enjoyment of the irritation may result from the user's appreciation that the sensation and the body's defensive reaction to it are harmless. Eating of chili, riding on roller coasters, taking very hot baths, and many other human activities can be considered instances of thrill seeking or enjoyment of constrained risks. Evidence for and against various explanations of chili ingestion is presented.
Some plant-based diets lower the cardiometabolic risks and prevalence of hypertension. New evidence implies a role for the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) cation channel in the pathogenesis of cardiometabolic diseases. Little is known about impact of chronic TRPV1 activation on the regulation of vascular function and blood pressure. Here we report that chronic TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin increases the phosphorylation of protein kinase A (PKA) and eNOS and thus production of nitric oxide (NO) in endothelial cells, which is calcium dependent. TRPV1 activation by capsaicin enhances endothelium-dependent relaxation in wild-type mice, an effect absent in TRPV1-deficient mice. Long-term stimulation of TRPV1 can activate PKA, which contributes to increased eNOS phosphorylation, improves vasorelaxation, and lowers blood pressure in genetically hypertensive rats. We conclude that TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin improves endothelial function. TRPV1-mediated increase in NO production may represent a promising target for therapeutic intervention of hypertension.
Many dietary factors or substances exert effects on the three components of energy balance, and one strategy for tackling weight gain could be to use the inherent properties of these substances. Here, we will review the evidence regarding nutritional factors with a potential impact on energy balance, such as wholegrain foods, dietary fiber and protein content, calcium, and certain spices. There is ample evidence to suggest that dietary protein, wholegrain, and fiber promote satiety and either reduce energy absorption or stimulate energy expenditure. Dietary calcium reduces fat absorption, and a sufficient intake may also prevent excessive hunger during weight loss diets. Chili and mustard have beneficial effects on energy balance, although the quantitative importance of this may be modest. Manipulation of diet composition with an aim to prevent weight gain and weight regain is a promising avenue of research.
Hypertension is a major global-health challenge because of its high prevalence and concomitant risks of cardiovascular disease. We estimated premature deaths attributable to increased blood pressure in China.
We did a prospective cohort study in a nationally representative sample of 169,871 Chinese adults aged 40 years and older. Blood pressure and other risk factors were measured at a baseline examination in 1991 and follow-up assessment was done in 1999-2000. Premature death was defined as mortality before age 72 years in men and 75 years in women, which were the average life expectancies in China in 2005. We calculated the numbers of total and premature deaths attributable to blood pressure using population-attributable risk, mortality, and the population size of China in 2005.
Hypertension and prehypertension were significantly associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (p<0.0001). We estimated that in 2005, 2.33 million (95% CI 2.21-2.45) cardiovascular deaths were attributable to increased blood pressure in China: 2.11 million (2.03-2.20) in adults with hypertension and 0.22 million (0.19-0.25) in adults with prehypertension. Additionally, 1.27 million (1.18-1.36) premature cardiovascular deaths were attributable to raised blood pressure in China: 1.15 million (1.08-1.22) in adults with hypertension and 0.12 million (0.10-0.14) in adults with prehypertension. Most blood pressure-related deaths were caused by cerebrovascular diseases: 1.86 million (1.76-1.96) total deaths and 1.08 million (1.00-1.15) premature deaths.
Increased blood pressure is the leading preventable risk factor for premature mortality in the Chinese general population. Prevention and control of this condition should receive top public-health priority in China.
American Heart Association (USA); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (USA); Ministry of Health (China); and Ministry of Science and Technology (China).
Obesity-induced inflammation contributes to the development of obesity-related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated whether dietary capsaicin can reduce obesity-induced inflammation and metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. Male C57BL/6 obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks received a supplement of 0.015% capsaicin for a further 10 weeks and were compared with unsupplemented controls. Glucose intolerance was estimated by glucose tolerance tests. Transcripts of adipocytokine genes and the corresponding proteins were measured by reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and macrophage numbers were determined by flow cytometric analysis. Transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha, and PPARgamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) mRNAs were also measured by RT-PCR, and PPARalpha luciferase assays were performed. Dietary capsaicin lowered fasting glucose, insulin, leptin levels, and markedly reduced the impairment of glucose tolerance in obese mice. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin (IL)-6 mRNAs and proteins in adipose tissue and liver decreased markedly, as did macrophage infiltration, hepatic triglycerides, and TRPV-1 expression in adipose tissue. At the same time, the mRNA/protein of adiponectin in the adipose tissue and PPARalpha/PGC-1alpha mRNA in the liver increased. Moreover, luciferase assays revealed that capsaicin is capable of binding PPARalpha. Our data suggest that dietary capsaicin may reduce obesity-induced glucose intolerance by not only suppressing inflammatory responses but also enhancing fatty acid oxidation in adipose tissue and/or liver, both of which are important peripheral tissues affecting insulin resistance. The effects of capsaicin in adipose tissue and liver are related to its dual action on PPARalpha and TRPV-1 expression/activation.
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) reduces arterial blood pressure. Since administration of capsaicin and isoflavone increases serum levels of IGF-I by sensory neuron stimulation in subjects with alopecia, it is possible that administration of capsaicin and isoflavone reduces arterial blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and serum levels of IGF-I were determined before and at 1, 3, and 5 months after administration of capsaicin and isoflavone in 42 volunteers with alopecia, 29 normotensive and 13 hypertensive volunteers. Neither systolic nor diastolic BP changed in the normotensive volunteers after combined administration of capsaicin and isoflavone. In contrast, systolic and diastolic BP was significantly reduced in hypertensive volunteers after administration of capsaicin and isoflavone. Serum levels of IGF-I significantly increased in both normotensive and hypertensive volunteers after administration of capsaicin and isoflavone. These observations suggest that administration of capsaicin and isoflavone might reduce BP in hypertensive, but not in normotensive subjects, probably by increasing serum levels of IGF-I.
Since insulin resistance is thought to be the underlying mechanism for metabolic syndrome, affected individuals might be sensitive to a dietary sodium intervention. We aimed to examine the association between metabolic syndrome and salt sensitivity of blood pressure.
1906 Chinese participants without diabetes, aged 16 years or more, were selected to receive a low-sodium diet (51.3 mmol per day) for 7 days followed by a high-sodium diet (307.8 mmol per day) for an additional 7 days. Participants were excluded from the analysis if metabolic risk factor information was missing or if they did not complete their dietary interventions. Blood pressure was measured at baseline and on days 2, 5, 6, and 7 of each intervention. Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of three or more of: abdominal obesity, raised blood pressure, high triglyceride concentration, low HDL cholesterol, or high glucose. High salt sensitivity was defined as a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure of more than 5 mm Hg during low-sodium or an increase of more than 5 mm Hg during high-sodium intervention. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00721721.
Of the 1881 participants with information regarding metabolic syndrome, 283 had metabolic syndrome. 1853 participants completed the low-sodium diet and 1845 completed the high-sodium diet. Multivariable-adjusted mean changes in blood pressure were significantly greater in participants with metabolic syndrome than in those without on both low-sodium and high-sodium diets (p<0.0001 for all comparisons). Additionally, risk of salt sensitivity rose with increasing numbers of risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Compared with those with no risk factors, participants with four or five had a 3.54-fold increased odds (95% CI 2.05-6.11) of high salt-sensitivity during the low-sodium and a 3.13-fold increased odds (1.80-5.43) of high salt-sensitivity during the high-sodium intervention.
These results suggest that metabolic syndrome enhances blood pressure response to sodium intake. Reduction in sodium intake could be an especially important component in reducing blood pressure in patients with multiple risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
The present article aims to provide accurate estimates of the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in adults in China.
Data were obtained from sphygmomanometer measurements and an administered questionnaire from 141 892 Chinese adults >/=18 years of age who participated in the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey. In 2002, approximately 153 million Chinese adults were hypertensive. The prevalence was higher among men than women (20% versus 17%; P<0.001) and was higher in successive age groups. Overall, the prevalence of hypertension was higher in urban compared with rural areas in men (23% versus 18%; P<0.01) and women (18% versus 16%; P<0.001). Of the 24% affected individuals who were aware of their condition, 78% were treated and 19% were adequately controlled. Despite evidence to suggest improved levels of treatment in individuals with hypertension over the past decade, compared with estimates from 1991, the ratio of controlled to treated hypertension has remained largely unchanged at 1:4.
One in 6 Chinese adults is hypertensive, but only one quarter are aware of their condition. Despite increased rates of blood pressure-lowering treatment, few have their hypertension effectively controlled. National hypertension programs must focus on improving awareness in the wider community, as well as treatment and control, to prevent many tens of thousands of cardiovascular-related deaths.
Previous cohort studies of fat intake and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) have been inconsistent, probably due in part to methodological differences and various limitations, including inadequate dietary assessment and incomplete adjustment for total energy intake. The authors analyzed repeated assessment of diet from the Nurses' Health Study to examine the associations between intakes of four major types of fat (saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fats) and risk of CHD during 14 years of follow-up (1980-1994) by using alternative methods for energy adjustment. In particular, the authors compared four risk models for energy adjustment: the standard multivariate model, the energy-partition model, the nutrient residual model, and the multivariate nutrient density model. Within each model, the authors compared four different approaches for analyzing repeated dietary measurements: baseline diet only, the most recent diet, and two different algorithms for calculating cumulative average diets. The substantive results were consistent across all models; that is, higher intakes of saturated and trans fats were associated with increased risk of CHD, while higher intakes of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats were associated with reduced risk. When nutrients were considered as continuous variables, the four energy-adjustment methods yielded similar associationS. However, the interpretation of the relative risks differed across models. In addition, within each model, the methods using the cumulative averages in general yielded stronger associations than did those using either only baseline diet or the most recent diet. When the nutrients were categorized according to quintiles, the residual and the nutrient density models, which gave similar results, yielded statistically more significant tests for linear trend than did the standard and the partition models.