title: The Associations between a Capsaicin-Rich Diet and Blood Amyloid-β Levels and Cognitive Function.
abstract: 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 Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, remains unknown.
  
  
  
  To investigate the correlations of capsaicin intake with cognition and blood markers of AD.
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  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.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xian-Le
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Lin-Lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Qing-Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiu-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yan-Jiang
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002211:Capsaicin
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; amyloid-beta; capsaicin; cognitive function