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the dangers of consuming extra spicy food

LifeCare Diagnostic

August 6, 2019

What makes the food taste spicy?

Capsaicinoids are the class of compounds found in members of the pepper’s family. The most common capsaicinoid is capsaicin. It is a chemical component that present in peppers that create their spicy taste.

How Spicy Food Causes Diarrhea?

When you consume spicy food, the receptors in the mouth and tongue that sense hot temperatures and pain gets irritated. This tricks your brain into thinking that your mouth is on fire. As a response, our body releases own pain blocker known as endorphins. This causes you to have a happy feeling while eating spicy food. You will tend to eat more.

As the spicy food moves along the gut, the capsaicin molecule continues irritates the small intestine, causing extra mucus to be released into the intestine. This moves the food quickly than usual and reach the colon. Once it reaches the colon, the digestion speeds up due to the receptors are being stimulated aggressively. The colon continues to accelerate the whole process and stop absorbing water. This resulting in watery stools and diarrhea.

Sometime, people may feel that their anus is on fire during bowel motion. This is because the same receptor is being activated as the capsaicin molecule passing through.

Capsaicin also leads to other side effects such as triggering vomiting and esophageal tear, heartburn, worsen gastritis, irritates nose, mouth, and lungs as well as allergy and asthma.

Sometime, people may feel that their anus is on fire during bowel motion. This is because the same receptor is being activated as the capsaicin molecule passing through.

Capsaicin also leads to other side effects such as triggering vomiting and esophageal tear, heartburn, worsen gastritis, irritates nose, mouth, and lungs as well as allergy and asthma.

Written by Teen May Yen | Dietitian │ Lifecare Diagnostics Medical Centre

References

• Amanda Lawrence. (2019, July 29). Everything You Need to Know About Spicy Food and Diarrhea. Retrieved from Hacks4lives: https://www.hacks4lives.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spicy-food-and-diarrhea.html
• Billie Cohen. (2019, February 4). This Is Why Some People Love Spicy Food. Retrieved from MSN Lifestyle Eat This, Not That!: https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/nutrition/this-is-why-some-people-love-spicy-food/ar-BBQW739
• Brown, K. (2019, June 8). Why Eating Spicy Food Can Give You Diarrhea. Retrieved from verywell health: https://www.verywellhealth.com/why-does-spicy-food-cause-diarrhea-1088717
• Edwin McDonald. (2018, September 24). A hot topic: Are spicy foods healthy or dangerous? Retrieved from UChicago Medicine: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/2018/september/spicy-foods-healthy-or-dangerous
• Marius Lixandru. (2019, May 21). 7 Side Effects of Hot Chili Peppers. Retrieved from NatureWord Trustworthy Health Information Resource: https://www.natureword.com/7-side-effects-of-hot-chili-peppers/
• Markham Heid. (2019, April 17). Why Spicy Food Makes Your Nose Run—and Why It’s Great for You. Retrieved from Time: https://time.com/5566993/why-spicy-food-makes-your-nose-run/
• Uma Sharma. (2017, October 12). What happens to your brain and body when you eat a hot pepper. Retrieved from Business Insider Malaysia: https://www.businessinsider.my/eating-spicy-food-capsaicin-hot-pepper-side-effects-2017-10/

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