{"id":4718,"date":"2022-02-14T13:16:12","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T19:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/?p=4718"},"modified":"2022-02-14T13:16:14","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T19:16:14","slug":"good-for-your-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/good-for-your-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Good For Your Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re looking for a hot date\non Valentine\u2019s Day, why not choose one that\u2019s good for your heart? And no, I\ndon\u2019t mean Paul Rudd or Idris Elba. I mean red hot chili peppers (not the band)!\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a study<\/a> published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology in 2019, Italian scientists observed that people who eat hot peppers 4 or more times per week were 40 percent less likely to die from heart attack and 60 percent less likely to die from cerebrovascular disease compared to those who do not consume chili peppers regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study was based on data from over 22,000 subjects and the results held true whether the rest of the diet was healthy or not. Health status was tracked over a period of 8 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another study with about the same number of subjects demonstrated a reduced risk of death in those who eat spicy foods six to seven days per week. This Chinese study<\/a> was published in the BMJ in 2015 showing a 14% relative risk reduction in death. The study spanned seven years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with most dietary observations,\nit\u2019s hard to draw a hard fast line between the specific properties of chili\npeppers and their positive effects. Is the microbiota of each person\u2019s gut the\nkey? Is it the antioxidant effect of capsaicin that does the trick? Is it the antiobesity\neffect of capsaicin? Does vitamin D have an effect in individuals with hypertension?\nAll of these may be a piece of the puzzle. And we may never put the puzzle\ntogether perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While that may mean we don\u2019t have\nenough information to formulate a soup that perfectly protects the heart, we\ncan rely on the take away that chili peppers have a positive effect even when\nthe rest of the diet is less than ideal. That gives us the opportunity to up\nour spice game on a regular basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no better day to get started than today! Add some cayenne to your chocolate covered strawberries, throw some spiced pecans in your brownies, or serve black cherry blooms<\/a> for happy hour. It\u2019s easy to keep it festive and make it healthy on Valentine\u2019s Day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To that I say, \u201cBring on the heat!\u201d Your heart with thank you for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My Heart Will be Filled With Love and My Tummy With Chocolate for Valentine’s Day<\/a><\/blockquote>