ABC News Online Monday, October 10, 2005. 10:59am (AEST)

Chilli Conditions Ideal For A Good Night’s Sleep

A pilot study in Tasmania has found people might sleep better if they regularly eat chillies.

Researchers at the University of Tasmania have spent the past 18 months studying the potential health benefits of chillies on a group of 10 volunteers in Launceston.

Some in the group were given 15 grams of chilli each day, while others did not have any.

The results were compared to see what effect it had on the participant’s health and well-being.

Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences Dominic Geraghty says the results were promising.

“Chilli consumption may improve your sleep and, of course, the quality of your sleep very much also influences your cardiovascular health,” he said.

“We also found it appears to have very small effects on insulin levels, glucose levels.

“So all of these small things appear to have a bit of benefit for your cardiovascular and everything else that you’re supposed to be doing to keep you fit and healthy, it may help.”

Associate Professor Geraghty hopes the study will encourage more people to include chilli in their diet.

“Chilli might be a neutroceutical, in other words a naturally occurring agent that we can just take on a daily basis in a small amount and it may actually benefit our cardiovascular health,” he said.