What happens to our bodies when we eat spicy food?

Many of us love spicy food, from the Chinese spicy chicken to kimchi and Tajin. The varieties of chilli peppers used in different spicy dishes may vary from country to country, but the spiciness remains the same.

And.

Even if you grew up eating spicy food, you may not know how it affects your health. In this article, I summarise the research on spicy food and share my favourite ways to add a kick to food.

What makes spicy food hot?

Spices can contain a variety of ingredients that give food a kick or a warming sensation. For example, wasabi, horseradish and mustard contain isothiocyanate, a volatile compound that gives them their pungent smell and ‘cleanses’ the sinuses.

However.

Usually, when talking about spicy food, spiciness is understood as the heat produced by capsaicin, a compound found abundantly in chilli peppers such as jalapeno.

Capsaicin can make the mouth and tongue feel like they are on fire. When you eat something spicy that contains capsaicin, pain sensors send a signal to the brain that resembles a burning sensation and can make the brain think that what you are eating is hot – your mouth “burns” and you try to avoid eating similar foods in the future.

But.

It’s just a protective reaction of the chilli peppers against animals that would otherwise eat them. Capsaicin can also cause a similar reaction if it comes into contact with the skin or eyes.

The concentration of capsaicin is measured using the Scoville scale. A typical jalapeno pepper contains 5000 Scoville units. The Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers used to make Paqui chips contain approximately 1,5 million and 1,2 million Scoville units respectively.

The health benefits of spicy food

Spicy foods have a number of health benefits, mainly related to the capsaicin they contain:

1. Capsaicin can increase energy expenditure and improve metabolism. It activates thermogenesis, the process of heat production in the body and thus, helps to burn more calories (capsaicin activates the sympathetic nervous system, which causes the release of catecholamines (e.g. adrenaline), which in turn stimulates energy expenditure). Studies have shown that taking capsaicin can cause a significant increase in metabolic rate during several hours after a meal.
2. Capsaicin can relieve pain. Capsaicin is commonly used in topical pain relief creams because of its ability to desensitise pain receptors. This process reduces the release of substance P (a neurotransmitter involved in sending pain signals to the brain). As a result, pain perception is reduced making capsaicin an effective chronic pain reliever.
3. Capsaicin has anti-inflammatory effects (mainly through activation of TRPV1 receptors, inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, blocking signalling pathways such as NF-κB and enhancing the body’s natural anti-inflammatory responses).
4. Capsaicin promotes cardiovascular health – It promotes blood vessel dilation, resulting in lower blood pressure. It also has lipid-lowering properties that help lower LDL cholesterol and may prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
5. Capsaicin is a powerful antioxidant that helps to reduce oxidative stress in the body (stimulates the production of antioxidant enzymes and inhibits oxidative damage of cells) thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
6. Eating spicy foods can promote satiety (by affecting the secretion of hunger hormones), which, in turn, can help control appetite and reduce total calorie intake. In addition, the thermogenic effect of capsaicin may help burn more calories.
7. Contrary to popular belief, moderate consumption of spicy foods can promote digestive health by stimulating gastric juice production and improving bowel motility.

Potential negative health effects of spicy food

Although spicy foods are beneficial to health in moderation, overconsumption can have negative effects on our health, for example:

1. Capsaicin can irritate the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion and abdominal discomfort. High doses of capsaicin can significantly increase gastric acid secretion, which in turn can aggravate diseases like gastritis or peptic ulcer.
2. Spicy foods can relax the lower oesophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to flow back into the oesophagus. This can cause heartburn, pain and discomfort in the chest area.
3. Capsaicin can over-stimulate the gut and interfere with normal digestive processes, for example, to cause diarrhoea (especially in people with gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome).
4. Some people may have allergic reactions to capsaicin or its related compounds, causing symptoms such as hives, swelling or breathing problems.
5. Very spicy foods can cause the release of adrenaline (epinephrine) (due to the sensation of heat), resulting in a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This is beneficial for most people, but can cause problems for people with cardiovascular disease.
6. Spicy food can aggravate the symptoms of haemorrhoids. Capsaicin can increase blood flow to the anal area, thus increasing the discomfort associated with haemorrhoids.

How to spice up your food?

Spicy food is an adventure.

And.

It doesn’t always mean a ‘burn’ in the mouth and hot flashes. Spicy spices, even in small amounts, can complement any dish and bring out the flavours of its ingredients.

If you haven’t been a fan of spicy food before, it’s best to start gradually. This will help you avoid overdoing it and make sure that spicy food doesn’t give you indigestion.

Start with milder peppers with less capsaicin such as Anaheim, Ancho, Poblano, Jalapeño, dried chilli peppers or pepper flakes.

1 Start with chilli oils or hot sauces

Cooking with fresh chilli peppers can be tricky as the food sometimes becomes hotter as it is being cooked. So instead of adding chopped fresh chilli, start with something more adaptable.

For example, with chilli oil or a hot sauce. Many chilli oils contain large flakes of dried chilli. They can be quite spicy. However, the oil itself is milder – use it at first.

And.

There are lots of different hot sauces. Use them with ready-made dishes – that way you can easily control how much sauce to add, and exactly which foods to add it to.

In other words, don’t add hot spices to the food as you cook it, but add them to the food on the plate – like wasabi with sushi.

2 Discover the variety of fresh peppers

Fresh peppers and chillies can give your food a completely different taste and texture (compared to dried ones).

Peppers are a very versatile fruit that can be used to add heat (jalapeño) or as a main ingredient in dishes such as stuffed peppers or pepper salad.

If you think a pepper is too hot, remove the seeds that are the hottest part of the pepper.

If you add finely chopped peppers while cooking, the food will be evenly hot, but if you add coarsely chopped peppers, it will be hotter in places and milder in others.

3 Start cooking with dried chili peppers

Dried chilli peppers contain the same amount of capsaicin as fresh, but the water has been lost, so their flavour is more concentrated.

In other words, be careful and do not overdo it. When adding chilli flakes or powder to a dish, start by stirring in a pinch or quarter of a teaspoon of the spice, and allow the food to moisten and ‘absorb’ the flavour and aroma before tasting.

You may add more flavour to whole dried chillies and chilli flakes by lightly toasting them in a dry or lightly oiled pan.

If the dish is too spicy, dilute it with water-resistant ingredients such as a few cups of cooked vegetables or broth, or serve it with side dishes such as pasta or rice.

Capsaicin binds to fat, so to reduce the hot sensation in your mouth, serve with a full-fat yoghurt sauce, sandwich, etc.

Key takeaways

Moderate amounts of spicy foods in the diet can have many health benefits.

However.

The response to capsaicin varies from person to person and some may experience discomfort and gastrointestinal upset.

In other words, spicy foods in moderation are healthy for most of us, but overdoing it can also pose health risks, especially for those who already have digestive disorders, acid reflux or sensitivity to spicy foods.

Some more tips:

• When handling hot peppers, it is advisable to wear latex gloves to prevent capsaicin from getting on your hands and try not to touch your face and eyes with them.
• Before using a spice, check how hot it is, for example by cutting off and tasting a very small piece of pepper.
• If your mouth starts to burn after tasting, choose coarse foods (such as crackers or bread) or thick, fatty foods (such as butter or whole milk yoghurt) to put out the fire. Water or fizzy drinks will only spread the burning all over your mouth.
• Acidic products such as lemon or lime juice, vinegar, fruit (such as tomatoes or avocados), oils or sour cream can reduce the heat.

Experiment, eat delicious, eat balanced, move and – be healthy!