新奇事件簿 吃红辣椒帮你更长寿（在线收听）

There is good news for lovers of hot and spicy food – the chili inside it can help you live longer. Researchers from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in the US have discovered that capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot red chili peppers, may boost the metabolism, strengthen the cardiovascular system and help reduce high blood pressure and obesity. They said people who regularly ate hot red chili peppers had a 13 per cent reduced risk of premature death compared with those who did not eat them. They concluded that: "The consumption of hot red chili pepper was associated with reduced mortality. Hot red chili peppers may be a beneficial component of the diet."

对于热爱辛辣食物的人来说，这是个好消息——食物中的红辣椒可以让你更长寿。来自美国佛蒙特大学医学院的研究人员发现，红辣椒中含有的辣椒素可以促进新陈代谢，增强心血管系统，降低血压和肥胖。他们表示，与不吃红辣椒的人相比，经常吃红辣椒的人早亡的风险可以降低13%。他们得出结论：“吃红辣椒与降低死亡率有关。红辣椒或许可以成为膳食的有益组成部分。”

The researchers surveyed a total of 16,179 adults over a period of six years. Survey participants answered questions on their health, lifestyle, income and eating habits. The researchers analysed the deaths that occurred in the 18 years following the survey. A total of 4,946 of the participants died. Of these, 21.6 per cent regularly consumed chili compared with 33.6 per cent who did not. This led the researchers to believe hot red chili peppers helped prolong life. Britain's National Health Service urged people not to rely on one "superfood" like chili to stay healthier. It said: "Eat a balanced diet high in a variety of fruit and vegetables, limit salt, sugar and saturated fat, stay active and avoid smoking."

研究人员在六年多的时间里调查了16179名成年人。参加者回答了关于健康，生活习惯，收入和饮食习惯等方面的问题。研究人员分析了调查后18年的时间里发生的死亡。共有4946人死亡。其中，21.6%的人经常吃红辣椒，而33.6%的人不经常吃。这让研究人员相信，吃红辣椒可以延长寿命。英国国民健康服务机构敦促人们不要依赖红辣椒等单一的“超级食物”来改善健康状况。该机构表示：“人们要保证饮食均衡，各种各样的水果蔬菜，限制盐，糖和饱和脂肪的摄入量，多运动，不要抽烟。”