While eating an excess of chilli has been known to cause sweatiness, scorched throats and watery eyes, a new study suggests side effects might even include memory loss and dementia.

The study, which was conducted by the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Qatar University, showed that those who ate more than 50g of fresh or dried chilli a day (around three and a half tablespoons) had almost double the risk of developing memory decline and poor cognition.

More than 4500 participants took part in the study, which monitored the dietary habits, as well as the health and lifestyle of subjects over a 15-year period.

“Chilli consumption was found to be beneficial for body weight and blood pressure in our previous studies, however in this study, we found adverse effects on cognition among older adults,” said lead researcher Dr Zumin Chi from Qatar University.

“All foods can be beneficial in the right quantities and too much of any food can be poison,” said UniSA epidemiologist Dr Ming Li. “Generally, we should always aim to have a balanced diet that includes all kinds of foods combined.”

While researchers have highlighted a potential link between high chilli consumption and declining cognitive function, it is still yet to be verified.  Which means, there’s no need to cut down on your chilli condiments just yet.

“High chilli consumption may impact on neuronal viability and, as a consequence, cognitive function. However, this is highly speculative and requires further investigation,” the study concludes.