Associations of spicy food flavour and intake frequency with blood lipid levels and risk of abnormal serum lipid levels in Chinese rural population: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the current study was to investigate associations between spicy food intake and serum lipids levels in Chinese rural population. DESIGN: Information on spicy food flavour and intake frequency was obtained using a two-item questionnaire survey. Dietary data were collected using a validated thirteen-item FFQ. Fasting blood samples were collected and measured for total cholesterol (TC), TAG, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between spicy food and serum lipids levels according to the spicy food flavour and intake frequency, respectively. SETTING: A cross-sectional study in Henan Province. PARTICIPANTS: 38 238 participants aged 18-79 years old. RESULTS: Spicy flavour and intake frequency were consistently associated with decreased TC and non-HDL-cholesterol levels but mildly associated with elevated TAG levels. Each level increment in spicy flavour was inversely associated with high TC (OR 0·91; 95 % CI 0·88, 0·93) and high non-HDL-cholesterol (OR 0·88; 95 % CI 0·85, 0·91) but positively associated with high TAG (OR 1·04; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·07). Similarly, 1-d increment in spicy food intake frequency was also inversely associated with high TC (OR 0·92; 95 % CI 0·91, 0·94) and high non-HDL-cholesterol (OR 0·91; 95 % CI 0·89, 0·93) but positively associated with high TAG (OR 1·04; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·06). CONCLUSIONS: Spicy food intake was mildly associated with increased risk of abnormal TAG level, significantly associated with decreased risk of abnormal TC and non-HDL levels. Spicy food intake may be contribute to the management of lipid levels.