There are people who like spicy food but can't stand spicy food, there are those who like and can stand spicy food, and there are those who don't like and can't stand spicy food at all. There are many ingredients that make food spicy, such as chili sauce, cayenne pepper, regular chili, or pepper. Which one do you like?

Actually, spicy food has its own benefits for the body, the explanation can be read here. However, on the other hand, it can also be bad for our health. In this article, Fitie will specifically discuss the risks of consuming spicy foods.

Causes of Spicy Food

The pungency of food comes from a compound called capsaicin. The more it is, the spicier the flavor will be. Each person will have a different level of tolerance to capsaicin, some are easily spicy and some are not. However, this tolerance level can also change over time. That's why some people become more resistant to spiciness.

Capsaicin can make your mouth and tongue feel like they are on fire, but not like being exposed to a high-temperature flame. When a person eats something that contains capsaicin, such as chili, pepper or paprika, the pain sensor sends a signal to the brain that feels like a burning sensation. If the brain thinks that the food is hot and painful, then you will avoid it.

Not only in the mouth and tongue, capsaicin also causes a similar response if it comes into contact with the skin, eyes or hands. When that happens, the body signals the brain to activate a cooling mechanism. So, we're not just tasting spicy food, we're actually feeling it.

Capsaicin is the compound that causes food to be spicy

Risks of Eating Spicy Food

The pain or discomfort of eating spicy food can cause irritation, inflammation and pain in the digestive system. This is because the body recognizes capsaicin as a toxin and tries to get rid of it. As a result, a person experiences abdominal pain, diarrhea, chest pain, headache, and severe vomiting. The burning of the esophagus and throat is caused by rising stomach acid.

In more severe cases, a person may have to be rushed to the hospital. This usually happens because a person is not used to eating food at high heat levels, such as the samyang challenge, one chip challenge, or mukbang spicy food. Pain in the digestive system usually arises due to several things, such as:

• Unaccustomed to eating spicy food

• Pre-existing problems in the digestive system, such as inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, ulcer, esophagitis

• Sensitive to capsaicin due to genetics

• Eating foods that contain large amounts of capsaicin

Spicy food will cause gastrointestinal irritation, inflammation, or pain

Myths and facts about spicy food

• Spicy foods do not cause ulcers, but worsen pre-existing ulcers. Spicy foods can actually prevent ulcers by stopping the growth of H.pylori bacteria. Capsaicin is also actually alkaline, so it does not add acid. So it's different.

• Spicy food does not directly cause death. The likelihood of chili peppers taking someone's life is very small. This is because the lethal reaction usually occurs when the consumption is very excessive, which is not necessarily achieved.

• Spicy food does not directly cause appendicitis, but will only worsen the pain when previously suffering from the disease. Therefore, they are advised to avoid spicy foods.

In conclusion, the compound that makes food spicy is called capsaicin. The more it is, the spicier the flavor. Consumption of spicy food does not directly cause a disease, but it can irritate the digestive system and aggravate the symptoms of pre-existing gastrointestinal diseases.

Ladies, can you stand spicy food or not?

Let's download the Fitie application now to get tips and other interesting information!