8 Surprising Pros And Cons Of Spicy Foods

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Many worldwide enjoy different types of spicy foods, and their variety and popularity are only likely to grow as time passes. Perhaps, you find joy in adding tobacco or other spicy sauces and spices to your food. They can provide some fire and amp-up flavours to your meals, but at the same time, there may be other things these could offer. You might be intrigued by these surprising pros and cons of spicy foods, not limited to only providing extra thrill or flame to your foods. 

In fact, it is known foods containing spicy elements such as garlic or ginger have been used for medicinal purposes over the years and possibly even to this moment. Spicy foods sound great and have numerous benefits. However, this could also depend on individuals. 

Unfortunately, those with a sensitive stomach and gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have unpleasant reactions to spicy foods. Also, others who consume more than a moderate amount of them could also have unwanted reactions. Knowing these surprising pros and cons of spicy foods can help you identify what you get from them and if they are potentially negatively impacting you.

Spicy foods are known to help decrease inflammation, especially the ones that are rich in a compound called capsaicin. Some foods containing capsaicin include chilly peppers, jalapeño peppers and commonly fruits or vegetables from the capsicum family. 

Capsaicin is considered to have anti-inflammation properties to help the body reduce inflammation and better defend against other infections and diseases. For instance, you might have had a time when you ate spicy foods, and your nose started running. Eating them can help you reduce nasal congestions, which could lead to inflammation and sinus pain. 

Another interesting pro of spicy foods is that they can support weight loss in various ways. Spicy foods are known to boost metabolism, particularly those that consist of capsaicin. This compound can increase your body heat and, in turn, use extra energy, speeding up metabolism to meet the additional process needs. 

Additionally, spicy foods can also affect your appetite levels and eating pace. Eating them has been considered to decrease the urge to overeat and consume certain types of food, such as sweet, salty and fatty foods. Furthermore, spicy foods tend to be eaten slower, which can have numerous benefits for the body, including supporting weight loss by helping you feel more satisfied without overeating.

You might have heard that eating could be associated with your mood. Consuming spicy foods can help improve your mood. Endorphins, considered to be feeling-good hormones, and serotonin, hormones that help regulate anxiety, depression and stress, are known to be elevated by spicy foods. The increases in these hormones could mean you can fight factors that might affect your moods better, like stress, and promote feel-good emotions. 

Also, sometimes physical conditions can impact your moods, such as if you feel uncomfortable due to pain or sinus congestion. Spicy foods, especially those with capsaicin, could help reduce inflammations and cause a running nose which may reduce nasal congestion along with the boost of hormones that helps you feel good. 

Read More: How Colours Can Influence Your Mood And Emotion

Eating efficient and healthy nutrients can impact the body to stay optimal and be strengthened against potential harm. Consuming spicy foods has been known to help boost immunity as they are often rich in nutrients such as vitamins A and C that promote a healthy immune system. Both of these nutrients are known to be antioxidants that help the body defend better against free radicals like air pollution and UV rays. 

Furthermore, vitamin A can enhance the immune system as it contains anti-inflammatory properties. On the other hand, vitamin C is considered to promote the activity of white blood cells and strengthen the immune system. Top of having rich nutrients that support the immune system to stay strong, spicy foods could increase blood circulation. It can allow the white blood cells to be transported throughout the body efficiently and help fight against harm better. 

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One of the most common cons of spicy food is that it can evoke pain sensations. You might have experienced this when you ate spicy foods where you felt burning sensations and even pain sensations, especially ones that you get from burns. Depending on individuals, this can vary, but you could say that your body reacts when you consume spicy foods.

For instance, your pain receptors related to a temperature, similar to when you accidentally touch a hot object, can get triggered and communicated to the brain. So, spicy foods, particularly those containing capsaicin, could promote the pain reaction process. However, some foods you may pair with spicy foods that help reduce this effect, like daily or acidic food and drinks like milk and orange juice. 

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Everyone can have different reactions and sensitives towards spicy foods. For some people, more than others, they could lead to an uncomfortable stomach and difficulty digesting them. Often, the extra flavours and the sensation that spicy foods may provide can feel good. However, they could generally be acidic and even have some irritating properties, which may cause unpleasantness in the stomach. 

Depending on how you take spicy foods, you may face very little to no problems, but they could cause stomach pains and digestive discomfort for some. You may benefit from getting your body used to it and testing the reaction you get from spicy foods in small amounts. Also similar to pain sensation. You could have foods or drinks on the side, which may help decrease the effect of unwanted feelings in the stomach, like yoghurt.

Another con of spicy food is that it could potentially cause acid reflux. It is known as the condition where the stomach contents flow backwards into the oesophagus and even cause heartburn or lead to gastroesophageal disease (GERD). Often, spicy foods can contribute to unpleasant symptoms like abnormal pain and burning sensations, especially if you already have a functional gastrointestinal disorder.

The key compound that exists in various spicy foods, called capsaicin, is considered to contribute to causing acid reflux. This compound can trigger receptors in the oesophagus, which make a burning sensation. It is recommended to reduce or avoid spicy foods if acid reflux happens frequently, and best to discuss any concerns with your health professional. 

Similar to how spicy foods can cause irritation to your stomach, they may affect your taste buds too. Spicy foods could cause your taste buds to be disrupted, but often only temporarily becoming numb and dull the taste senses. 

Also, as you eat more spicy foods over time, you could build a tolerance to them and be more desensitised. This may encourage you to raise the spicy levels to feel the extra flame and flavours. However, it is good to be cautious about spices with a much higher spicy spectrum which may cause more permanent or long-term damage.

As spicy foods seem to still be pretty popular and their presence growing, you could find experimenting with them and come to enjoy them. Perhaps, you have found these surprising pros and cons of spicy foods fascinating. They can be great and add extra spiciness to your foods that you already enjoy and open you to different flavours. If you were wondering how you could easily add a spicy element to your foods, you might want to try tobasco or sichuan sauces. 

However, although there are all these surprising pros and cons of spicy foods. Depending on situations and individuals, you could have different reactions to spicy foods, so it can be important to be aware of any potential negative symptoms or concerns. With many other things, if you consume more than a moderate amount of spicy foods, there could be some risks. Also, if you have any concerns, it would be recommended you talk to your medical professional.