Chilli, the spicy fruit that can send people running for a glass of milk, could hold dementia-preventing powers, researchers at a Queensland university say.

University of Southern Queensland scientists will later this month study the cognitive impacts the molecule capsaicin, found in chillies, has on preventing dementia and other health conditions in people.

Researcher Edward Bliss said dementia has modifiable risk factors — including fat mass "around the belly" — and his previous published studies of the capsaicin molecule in animals found it helped address some of those risks.

Although, it also says:

"Interestingly, you'd think if chilli was protective against dementia, countries like India would have less dementia and they don't seem to, but that's possibly because there's not much exercise done in some of these countries and exercise is protective."

From this article:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-08/unisq-researches-impact-of-chilli-capsaicin-on-dementia/102701512

Spicy chilli to be probed for dementia-preventing capabilities

Chilli might turn up the heat on the food you eat but turn down the risk of dementia, researchers at one Queensland university say.