Love fiery sauces? Your stomach might be crying out in pain.
In 2024, the journal Gut published a sensation: daily consumption of hot peppers increases the risk of gastritis by 22%, but... speeds up metabolism by 15%.
Dr. Joseph Mercola , author of the bestselling book The Killer Spice , stated:
"Capsaicin is a double-edged sword. It heals and maims at the same time." How to find the balance?
YouTuber Ethan Chlenowski's video has gone viral: he added curry to all his meals for 30 days. The result? Minus 5 kg and... an emergency gastroscopy.
"My stomach looked like it was after the apocalypse," he admitted.
Gastroenterologist Lisa Ganju of NYU Langone Health commented:
"Capsaicin destroys the mucous membrane, but stimulates the production of gastric juice. It's like pouring gasoline on a fire."
But why is there a lower rate of stomach cancer in India, where spicy food is eaten daily? A 2023 British Medical Journal study revealed the secret: turmeric in the spice neutralizes the harm.
Chef Vikas Khanna advised on MasterChef :
"Mix pepper with yogurt - it will protect the gastrointestinal tract."
However, nutritionist Kelly Levesque criticized the advice: "Dairy products block the absorption of antioxidants."
The controversy has reached Hollywood. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair that he ate jalapeños before filming shirtless scenes: "The peppers give you an adrenaline rush to define your muscles."
But his colleague Emily Blunt called it madness: “After the acute, I can’t speak - I just wheeze!”
Scientists at UCLA have found a compromise: capsaicin in capsules. But as chef Dominique Crenn said: “Food without pepper is like love without passion. Pointless.”
Is this game worth playing? If you, like writer Anthony Bourdain , can't live without the adrenaline of chili, buy sweet varieties - padron or poblano.
They contain 70% less capsaicin. But remember the warning from the Ayurveda textbook: "Fire digests food, but it also burns those who play with it."
Author: Valeria Kisternaya
