Nutrition Association between capsaicin and cognitive function

Angela

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I'm sort of "off" studies like this. We've heard so many claims about so many substances helping one disease or another only to find out it wasn't true.

That said, I'm a late convert to hot chilis, but a convert none the less, partly because of the influence of my husband's Calabrian relatives, and partly because of the youtube videos by a Neapolitan cheft called Gennaro. (He's great, by the way!) I've learned that a little bit can significantly improve the taste of a lot of dishes. So, heck yeah, I'll add a little more...:)

http://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad151079

"[FONT=&quot]Abstract: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Background: Capsaicin-rich diets are common worldwide. Capsaicin has been shown to have favorable effects on various diseases including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, obesity, hypertension, cancer, and gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases. The impact of capsaicin on Alzheim[/FONT][FONT=&quot]er’s disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, remains unknown. Objective: To investigate the correlations of capsaicin intake with cognition and blood markers of AD. Methods: A total of 338 participants aged 40 years or older were enrolled from communities. Dietary habits regarding chili pepper consumption were collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Cognitive function was measured using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Blood amyloid-β (Aβ)40 and Aβ42 were measured with ELISA kits. Results: In univariate analysis, MMSE scores (r = 0.209, p < 0.001), serum Aβ40 levels (r = –0.149, p = 0.006), the ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40 (r = 0.11, p = 0.043) and total serum Aβ levels (r = –0.097, p = 0.075), but not serum Aβ42 levels (r = 0.17, p = 0.757), were significantly correlated with total capsaicin diet scores. In multivariate analysis, total capsaicin diet scores were positively associated with MMSE scores and inversely associated with serum Aβ40 levels, and total serum Aβ levels, but not serum Aβ42 levels and the ratio of Aβ42/Aβ40, after adjustment for age, gender, educational level, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a capsaicin-rich diet may exert favorable effects on AD blood biomarkers and cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly adults."[/FONT]
 

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