The consumption of spicy food in daily diets have been found to be inversely associated with human mortality. However, whether intake of spices is the reason for reduced mortality, and whether capsaicin, the main bioactive component of spices, plays a major role, remain elusive. Here, we report that low concentration of capsaicin can indeed extend life span. Capsaicin had no effect on food consumption, reproductive fitness, or stress tolerance. However, it did appear to decrease the daytime activity of females. We hypothesize that this decrease in activity may be a contributing factor in the life span extending property of capsaicin.

中文翻译：

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辣椒素对长寿调节的性别特异性作用。

人们发现，日常饮食中辛辣食物的消费与人类死亡率成反比。但是，摄入香料是否是降低死亡率的原因，以及辣椒素（香料的主要生物活性成分）是否起着主要作用，目前尚不清楚。在这里，我们报道低浓度的辣椒素确实可以延长寿命。辣椒素对食物消耗，生殖健康或压力耐受性没有影响。然而，它似乎减少了女性的白天活动。我们假设这种活性的降低可能是辣椒素寿命延长特性的一个促成因素。