Are Spicy Foods Dangerous for Our Body?

Spicy foods are a mainstay of many cuisines around the world. In the western industrialized nations, a lot of people relish and seek out spicy foods while others don’t. The most notable bioactive plant compound in chili peppers is capsaicin, which is responsible for their unique, pungent (hot) taste and many of their health benefits. Are spicy foods dangerous? Does it harm our organs and body as a whole? If you enjoy eating spicy foods, you need to know what happens to your body.

When you eat spicy food, your taste buds do not taste the heat from the pepper directly. The receptors in your mouth and tongue that sense hot temperatures and pain are the same receptors that are irritated when consuming spicy foods, adding that once those receptors get irritated by the capsaicin, your brain thinks you are eating something hot and attempts to cool your body. Even though the temperature of the chili may be room temperature, the receptors in your mouth believe it’s actually heat, and your body starts sweating to return temperature to normalcy. The initial tongue fire isn’t the only way your body deals with spicy food. Pepper stays in the body from the time it is eaten until it leaves; this period is anything but comfortable for most people as mucus membranes found in the eyes, nose and throat are aggravated leading to watery eyes, a runny nose, and even sneezing during meal. In this case, spicy food seems dangerous rather than enjoyable. In this article we will enlighten you on some advantages and disadvantages of spicy foods.

Advantages of consuming spicy food

Expedite weight loss

A studies suggest spicy foods boost our metabolism. Our body heat is raised anytime we consume spicy foods. Some evidence suggests that capsaicin reduces calorie intake and appetite, but increases fat burning to promote weight loss.

Alleviate pain

The ingredient found in peppers is also found in body pain prescriptions. The presence of the chemical capsaicin in the body helps it to deny pain by binding with pain receptors (nerve endings that sense pain). Eating spicy foods can bring relive to headache and other mild discomforts.

Heart protection

Researches show that people who eat spicy foods have a lower risk of heart attack than those who don't. Capsaicin in pepper helps to avoid inflammation that causes heart diseases.

Disadvantages of spicy food

Burning sensation

Chili peppers are well known for their hot (pungent), burning flavor. The substance responsible is capsaicin, which binds to pain receptors and causes an intense burning sensation. If spicy food consumed is much, it causes severe pain, inflammation, swelling and redness.

Stomach pain and diarrhea

Eating chili pepper may cause intestinal distress in some people. Such symptoms may include painful diarrhea, cramps, burning sensation in the gut and abdominal pain. These symptoms are common in people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Risk of cancer

Observational studies link chili pepper consumption to an increased risk of cancer of the stomach and gallbladder. Also, red chili powder has been identified as a risk factor for mouth and throat cancer in India. Bear in mind that observational studies don't prove that chili peppers cause cancer, just that high amount consumers were more likely to get cancer.

Are spicy foods dangerous? When it is consumed excessively, it becomes detrimental to our organs and body as a whole. When consumed in moderation, its health benefits can be enjoyed. One might want to avoid the infamous ghost pepper altogether. There have been documented cases of people dying from consuming ghost peppers, the world’s hottest pepper. According to Dr. Paul Bosland, the founder of ghost pepper, 3 pounds of this chili can kill a 150-pound individual if consumed in a short enough amount of time.

It is quite essential to pay attention to one's own tolerance levels when eating spicy foods, because it can either make or mar you.