A recent study by researchers has revealed that those who eat more than 50g of chili a day face a higher risk of memory loss.
Eating lots of chili was also linked to a 56 per cent decline in memory over 15 years, the research revealed.
The study was led by Scientists at Qatar University, which also involved academics from the University of Southern Australia.
‘Chili consumption was found to be beneficial for body weight and blood pressure in our previous studies,’ lead author Dr Zumin Shi said.
‘However, in this study, we found adverse effects on cognition among older adults.’
A study of more than 4,500 people found those who consumed 50g of chili a day were twice as likely to complain of having a poor memory.
Scientists are unsure as to why the link exists, with some studies suggesting chili’s active component capsaicin could keep us sharp.
However, high doses of capsaicin have been used to ‘deactivate’ nerves that cause pain.
The researchers claim it could therefore affect nerve ‘viability’ but warned the theory is ‘highly speculative’.
