Hot Stuff to Protect the Heart?

There’s good news about spicy food. Scientists in Hong Kong report that adding capsaicin compounds called capsaicinoids to high-cholesterol chow protected hamsters from high LDL cholesterol and from plaque in their arteries. Capsaicin is the hot stuff in chili peppers. Although the investigators warn that the research is too preliminary for people to count on capsaicin to protect their hearts, it might be an added bonus for people who like hot food.
[American Chemical Society Meetings, March, 2012]