Although past research has indicated that adding spicy foods, such as chili peppers, to your diet is generally good for your health, a new study seems to indicate the opposite.
Cognitive decline linked to spicy diet
A longitudinal study involving 4,582 Chinese participants over the age of 55 has found that large amounts of chili peppers in your diet could hasten cognitive decline and increase your risk for dementia.
The research team discovered that those study participants who ate more than 50 grams of chili daily had nearly twice the risk of cognitive decline than participants who didn’t eat this much chili.
“Derived from dietary surveys, chili intake included both fresh and dried chili peppers,” explain the Qatar University researchers, “but did not include sweet capsicum or black pepper.”
Possible caveats
There may be other factors accounting for the correlation between a spicy diet and a greater dementia risk. For example, the scientists determined that:
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People who ate more chilis in their diet tended to have a lower BMI and income, and engaged in less exercise.
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People with a healthy BMI might be more sensitive to capsaicin, putting them at greater risk for cognitive decline.
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There was a significant difference in chili consumption relative to education level. In other words, while it may appear that people with a lower education level who eat a lot of chilis develop cognitive decline because of the chilis, it could actually be that a higher education helps stave off cognitive decline.
Because of these contributing factors, the researchers believe that more trials should be done in order to better assess the possible link between education level, chili consumption and the risk of cognitive decline and/or dementia.
Don’t stop eating spicy foods just because one study indicates there might be an increased risk of cognitive decline or dementia. More research is required to confirm these findings.
