Spicy food – this is what happens in your body

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Spicy foods divide opinions but are loved by many. But what actually happens in the body when you enjoy chili and co.

Whether you want to add milk after tomato sauce with garlic or always season your food with chili paste, the hot pepper has become famous around the world and is always in the news. Just recently, a new heat record was set with the “Pepper X” variety. But what actually happens in our bodies when it burns on the tongue?
Different substances are responsible for spiciness depending on the food group. Piperine gives pepper its spiciness; in garlic, it is allicin; in ginger, it is gingerols. The classic is capsaicin in chili peppers, which also determines the Scoville spiciness scale—it is based on the concentration of capsaicinoids in a dish.

All these substances activate receptors in the mouth that detect heat above 42 degrees. This stimulates blood circulation and the heartbeat, the blood vessels dilate, and the metabolism is stimulated. In the stomach, capsaicin binds to nerve receptors that transmit the feeling of pain to the brain. As a result, you feel hot, even if the dish is actually cold.
By sweating and burning on the tongue, your body tries to cool you down and stimulate saliva production. It also stimulates the secretion of gastric juices, which has a positive effect on digestion. Capsaicin has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. There is even talk of it releasing the happiness hormone endorphin – although this has not yet been scientifically proven.
People with sensitive stomachs should be careful, as spicy foods irritate the stomach and intestinal mucous membranes. Even small doses can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, or heartburn.

For everyone else: if you add enough spice to make it taste good, you have nothing to worry about. According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), five milligrams of capsaicin per kilogram of body weight per meal is unproblematic – although you can’t recognize this from the outside of the meal, with a traditional Indian curry or similar, you are on the safe side in terms of health (it can still burn in the mouth). Pure chili peppers, spicy sauces, or spicy foods can be tricky. Nausea, vomiting and, in extreme cases, even symptoms of poisoning are possible.