Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort
Abstract Background Biological aging is a common starting point for many chronic diseases and multimorbidity. Spicy food consumption is showing a growing trend worldwide. However, the association of spicy food consumption with the comprehensive biological age (BA) and organ-specific BAs remains uncl...
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Nutrition Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01147-z |
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| author | Ning Zhang Feng Hong Yi Xiang Yuan Zhang Wen Qian Xuehui Zhang Liling Chen Zhuoma Duoji Xiong Xiao Xing Zhao |
| author_facet | Ning Zhang Feng Hong Yi Xiang Yuan Zhang Wen Qian Xuehui Zhang Liling Chen Zhuoma Duoji Xiong Xiao Xing Zhao |
| author_sort | Ning Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Biological aging is a common starting point for many chronic diseases and multimorbidity. Spicy food consumption is showing a growing trend worldwide. However, the association of spicy food consumption with the comprehensive biological age (BA) and organ-specific BAs remains unclear. Methods This study included 7874 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC), all participating in baseline and follow-up surveys. The CMEC was located in Southwest China, which has become one of the most prominent and typical regions regarding spicy food consumption in China and the world. We constructed comprehensive BA and organ-specific BAs based on composite indicators using the widely validated Klemera-Doubal method. The frequency of intake of spicy food was obtained by an electronic questionnaire. Follow-up analyses adjusted for baseline data were then employed to assess the longitudinal associations of spicy food consumption at baseline with both the comprehensive BA and the organ-specific BAs at follow-up. Results Compared with non-spicy consumers, spicy consumers showed a decrease in comprehensive BA acceleration, with adjusted β = −0.23 (− 0.60 to 0.13) for 1–2 days/week, β = −0.69 (− 1.10 to − 0.29) for 3–5 days/week and − 0.32 (− 0.63 to − 0.01) years for 6–7 days/week, respectively. Higher estimates were observed for metabolic and kidney BA accelerations than for cardiopulmonary and liver BA accelerations. Compared to non-spicy consumers, spicy consumers showed a decrease in metabolic BA acceleration (3–5 days/week: β = −0.76 (− 1.28 to − 0.24) years) and kidney BA acceleration (3–5 days/week: β = −1.89 (− 2.76 to − 1.02) years). Conclusion Spicy foods may have potential benefits for biological aging. Our findings highlight that spicy foods may slow comprehensive and organ-specific biological aging, especially metabolic and kidney biological aging. Graphical abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-50efff75ab9c4bcba033698304cc8b7b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1475-2891 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrition Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-50efff75ab9c4bcba033698304cc8b7b2025-08-20T01:52:25ZengBMCNutrition Journal1475-28912025-05-0124111110.1186/s12937-025-01147-zSpicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohortNing Zhang0Feng Hong1Yi Xiang2Yuan Zhang3Wen Qian4Xuehui Zhang5Liling Chen6Zhuoma Duoji7Xiong Xiao8Xing Zhao9West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan UniversitySchool of Public Health, the Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical UniversityWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan UniversityWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu Center for Disease Control and PreventionSchool of Public Health, Kunming Medical UniversityChongqing Municipal Center for Disease Control and PreventionTibet University Medical CollegeWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan UniversityWest China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan UniversityAbstract Background Biological aging is a common starting point for many chronic diseases and multimorbidity. Spicy food consumption is showing a growing trend worldwide. However, the association of spicy food consumption with the comprehensive biological age (BA) and organ-specific BAs remains unclear. Methods This study included 7874 participants from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC), all participating in baseline and follow-up surveys. The CMEC was located in Southwest China, which has become one of the most prominent and typical regions regarding spicy food consumption in China and the world. We constructed comprehensive BA and organ-specific BAs based on composite indicators using the widely validated Klemera-Doubal method. The frequency of intake of spicy food was obtained by an electronic questionnaire. Follow-up analyses adjusted for baseline data were then employed to assess the longitudinal associations of spicy food consumption at baseline with both the comprehensive BA and the organ-specific BAs at follow-up. Results Compared with non-spicy consumers, spicy consumers showed a decrease in comprehensive BA acceleration, with adjusted β = −0.23 (− 0.60 to 0.13) for 1–2 days/week, β = −0.69 (− 1.10 to − 0.29) for 3–5 days/week and − 0.32 (− 0.63 to − 0.01) years for 6–7 days/week, respectively. Higher estimates were observed for metabolic and kidney BA accelerations than for cardiopulmonary and liver BA accelerations. Compared to non-spicy consumers, spicy consumers showed a decrease in metabolic BA acceleration (3–5 days/week: β = −0.76 (− 1.28 to − 0.24) years) and kidney BA acceleration (3–5 days/week: β = −1.89 (− 2.76 to − 1.02) years). Conclusion Spicy foods may have potential benefits for biological aging. Our findings highlight that spicy foods may slow comprehensive and organ-specific biological aging, especially metabolic and kidney biological aging. Graphical abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01147-zSpicy foodBiological agingBiological age of multiple organ systemsFollow-up analyses adjusted for baseline |
| spellingShingle | Ning Zhang Feng Hong Yi Xiang Yuan Zhang Wen Qian Xuehui Zhang Liling Chen Zhuoma Duoji Xiong Xiao Xing Zhao Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort Nutrition Journal Spicy food Biological aging Biological age of multiple organ systems Follow-up analyses adjusted for baseline |
| title | Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort |
| title_full | Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort |
| title_fullStr | Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort |
| title_short | Spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems: a longitudinal analysis from the China Multi-Ethnic cohort |
| title_sort | spicy food consumption and biological aging across multiple organ systems a longitudinal analysis from the china multi ethnic cohort |
| topic | Spicy food Biological aging Biological age of multiple organ systems Follow-up analyses adjusted for baseline |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01147-z |
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