Think twice before adding that extra splash of chili sauce or chopped jalapeno to your meal. New research shows that a spicy diet may be linked to dementia. A 15-year study of 4,582 Chinese adults over 55 found evidence of faster cognitive decline in those who consistently ate more than 50 grams of peppers per day. Amnesia was more significant if the pepper lovers were slim. The study showed that those who consumed more than 50 grams of pepper per day had almost double the risk of memory loss and poor cognition.
“Pepper consumption has been shown to be beneficial for body weight and blood pressure in our previous studies. However, in this study, we found negative effects on cognition in older adults,” the researcher says. Pepper use includes both fresh and dried chili peppers, but not sweet paprika or black pepper.
Capsaicin is the active component in pepper that is said to speed up metabolism and fat loss and inhibit vascular disease, but this is the first long-term study to investigate the association between chili intake and cognitive function.
Those who ate a lot of pepper had lower income and body mass index (BMI) and were more physically active compared to others. Researchers say that people of normal body weight may be more sensitive to pepper intake than overweight people, hence the impact on memory and weight. Educational levels may also play a role in cognitive decline and this link requires further investigation.
