Can eating hot chilli peppers actually hurt you?

We all know the burning sensation we get when eating chillies. Some can tolerate the heat, while others may be reaching for the milk carton.

Some people even actively choose to participate in chilli-eating competitions, seeking out the world’s hottest chillies, such as the Carolina Reaper.

The global hot sauce market has grown substantially in the last few years. It sits at around $2.71 billion and is expected to grow to $4.38 billion by 2028.

But can the heat harm our bodies?

Let us take a look.

The major active compound in chillies, capsaicin, is associated with multiple health benefits. Photo credit: Christian Moro, Author provided

Heat is ‘trick’

For all their health benefits, eating hot chillies may cause a bit of discomfort.

This includes swelling, nausea, vomiting, eye pain, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, heartburn from acid reflux and headaches.

But the feelings we get are simply from our body’s response, not anything the chilli is doing to actually burn us. As such,…

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