This article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor level I Le Nguyen Hong Tram - A Gastroenterologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
Spicy food can harm the stomach if you eat too much chili. But if you know how to adjust the amount of chili just enough, this food still brings unexpected health benefits.
1. Uses of chili
Chili is a popular plant often used as a spice to make dishes more flavorful. The spicy taste in chili that we feel is capsaicin (a compound that causes redness and heat). Capsaicin in chili has the unique effect of attacking the energy center of cancer cells, thereby destroying malignant cells. At the same time, this substance also helps the body reduce blood pressure and lose weight. In addition, the spiciness in chili also causes the brain to secrete chemicals that relieve pain.
Some other useful substances in chili also help blood circulation, limiting the symptoms of platelet aggregation—the cause of myocardial infarction. According to many scientific studies, the hot substance in chili can be used as a medicine to treat arthritis.
2. Is eating chili harmful to the stomach?
It is indisputable that chili has practical health benefits. However, many people still believe that chili can be harmful and ask the question: Does eating chili cause stomach pain? Or should people with stomach pain eat bell peppers?
Although capsaicin in chili is a substance that causes redness and heat when exposed, if eaten in moderate amounts, our stomach can still protect itself. Therefore, using chili in daily meals in reasonable amounts is still considered safe for everyone's stomach. So, is eating a lot of chili harmful?
Like other foods, if we overeat, the substances in chili can have the opposite effect and negatively affect our health. Signs that are easy to recognize when the stomach has a bad reaction to chili are: Stomach inflammation, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, burning stomach or gastric juice from the stomach refluxing into the esophagus, burning behind the sternum. In some cases, eating too much chili can also cause digestive and intestinal problems because the capsaicin in chili can disrupt the digestive system, leading to the risk of diarrhea.
People with stomach ulcers or other stomach-related diseases should also be careful when using chili. In fact, chili can cause stomach pain and widen the ulcer area.
Thus, if you use chili properly when eating, it will bring many benefits. Users should limit their intake to avoid negative effects on the stomach in particular and health in general.
3. Things to note when eating chili to protect your health
Regarding the issue of eating chili in particular or whether spicy food causes stomach pain, experts have given some advice as follows:
- Do not eat too much chili. Eating too much chili not only affects the stomach but also overwhelms the flavor of the dish and makes it no longer delicious.
Do not eat chili on an empty stomach: To avoid harming the stomach, you should eat light foods such as cakes and starches before eating chili. - Cook chili before eating. This method will help reduce irritation in the oral mucosa and limit indigestion, bloating, and stomach pain.
- Use spicy dishes alternately with other dishes: Combining other dishes will help reduce the harmful effects of spicy taste.
- Eat spicy food when it's cold: It will help you avoid damage to your stomach, esophagus, and throat, burning your tongue and causing temporary taste paralysis.
- Cool down after eating spicy food: To reduce the spicy, hot feeling after eating, you can drink fresh milk, yogurt, cooling tea, or herbal tea. In addition, you should also use sour fruits to reduce the spicy taste on the tip of your tongue.
If you eat too much chili in your meal, spicy food can damage your stomach. But if you know how to adjust the amount of chili just enough, this food will still bring unexpected health benefits.
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