I love hot and spicy Mexican food, even though it tends to give me heart burn. Are hot and spicy foods bad to eat and can they actually damage my stomach?
The “hot” in hot, spicy Mexican food comes from capsicum peppers, better known as chili or red peppers, which have been eaten in large quantities by many cultures for at least 400 years. Along with being highly desired for their pungent, hot quality, they are rich in vitamins A and C. And, as many of us have learned the hard way, they can set your mouth on fire. The ingredient in the peppers that causes the “burning sensation” is the alkaloid capsaicin. This can be fairly powerful stuff. It is used in antidog and antimugger sprays and as we all know very hot sauces. But capsaicin will not damage your stomach. Aspirin is more of a concern.
