In 2017, 90% of US consumers said they enjoy eating hot and spicy food in a Kalsec survey.
Despite the growing popularity, spicy foods do have a downside — they can cause health problems, especially if you have too much.
INSIDER spoke to several doctors to find out how spicy food can affect your health and what signs you should watch out for if you're overdoing it.
You experience heartburn.
Heartburn occurs when your stomach acid flows back up into your food pipe, causing a burning feeling in your chest.
"Hot peppers, spicy curry, and other spicy foods trigger a reflux of gastric juices of the stomach into the esophagus, which causes heartburn,"Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, MD, told INSIDER.
Plus, many spicy foods contain a compound called capsaicin, which slows down the rate at which you digest. The food, therefore, will stay in your stomach longer, increasing your risk of heartburn.
You're breaking out.
If you've ever accidentally touched your eye after eating spicy food, you know how much it can burn. Spicy ingredients, sauces, and dishes can be serious skin irritants and can also cause flare-ups in existing skin conditions.
Specifically, the side effects you may experience from eating spicy foods can increase your chances of a breakout. After a spicy meal, the body temperature rises and produces sweat, which triggers oils to be released in the skin. Dirt and bacteria get trapped by those oils, exacerbating skin conditions like acne.
"Spicy foods may cause people to break out,"Rebecca Tung, a dermatologist in La Grange Park, Illinois, told Allure. "When spicy food creates inflammation in the gut — from an upset stomach, acid reflux, or other symptoms — sometimes this inflammation can also be seen on the skin with flushing, acne breakout, or even eczema."
You have the runs.
Diarrhea can be caused by foods that contain oils, stimulants, artificial ingredients, and spices. In fact, spicy seasoning is one of the most common sources of food-induced diarrhea.
The capsaicin in some spicy foods can irritate the lining of the stomach or intestines, which may have a laxative effect in some people as the meal makes its way through their digestive system.
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