Consumption of Chilies, but not Sweet Peppers, Is Positively Related to Handgrip Strength in an Adult Population.
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.



Population-based cross-sectional study.



This study used baseline data from the Tianjin Chronic Low-grade Systemic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study.



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.



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.



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.
Kaijun Niu, MD, PhD, Nutritional Epidemiology Institute and School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China, Tel: +86-22-83336613, E-mail address: nkj0809@gmail.com or niukaijun@tmu.edu.cn.
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged