Can’t Take the Heat? How to Eat Spicy Foods (2024)

FAQs

Can’t Take the Heat? How to Eat Spicy Foods? ›

Technically, this reaction to an ingredient is a pain signal sent to the brain. The physical response to eating something spicy can include sweating, stomach pain and discomfort, headaches, and a tingling sensation of the tongue and lips.

Technically, this reaction to an ingredient is a pain signal sent to the brain. The physical response to eating something spicy can include sweating, stomach pain and discomfort, headaches, and a tingling sensation of the tongue and lips.

If you're not used to spicy foods, start slow. It's likely your heat tolerance – and enjoyment – will increase over time, while reaping the many health benefits.

“People can try to desensitise themselves to the burning sensations caused by spicy food by slowly and gradually introducing spicy foods into their diet over a period of time,” says Yang. “This repeated exposure could increase tolerance slowly and people will start to enjoy hot food.”

A recent “Flavor Trend Category Report” by Technomic concludes that Asian people have the highest tolerance for spicy foods, while Caucasians have the least. While it's easy to joke about various cultures' spice tolerances (or lack thereof!), it's difficult to have a truly universal understanding of spice tolerance.

Thailand: Thailand is frequently considered to have the spiciest food in the world. Popular, widely recognized spicy dishes include Tom Yum soup, spicy Thai papaya salad, and green Thai curry.

Over time, your entire nerve ending can degrade, which is a phenomenon that science still doesn't fully understand yet. However, these nerves can grow back, so if you want to maintain your tolerance to spicy food, you have to eat it often.

Why can't my stomach handle spicy food? ›

Capsaicin can irritate the lining of your stomach and intestines. Some people can handle the minor irritation just fine but for more sensitive stomachs, it can lead to diarrhea. Digestion is a very well-organized process that starts with the first bite of food and finishes when we have a bowel movement.

India: Phaal Curry

Recognised as the spiciest dish on the planet, those who attempt to eat the fiery Phaal Curry are often required to sign a form before eating (essentially so they won't sue the restaurant if something goes terribly wrong).

The capsaicin receptor (TRPV1) in the mouth regulates the amount of pain that comes with a spicy meal. People's sensitivity to spicy food varies, which helps to explain why some individuals can't stand spicy dishes while others enjoy them.

If that Nashville hot chicken or Thai green curry has left you with a troubled tummy, your best bet is to pop a calcium carbonate antacid (like Tums® and Rolaids®), which will neutralize your stomach acid and help stop the burn.

This explains why spicy foods can have such a kick to them, and along with irritating the esophagus and increasing the risk of reflux, can make it easy for heartburn to occur. If you've eaten spicy food or another trigger food that causes heartburn, try TUMS Chewy Bites for fast heartburn relief you can count on.

Keep a glass of milk or some yogurt nearby when trying a new spicy dish. Don't drink water: As we discussed earlier, water can actually make the burning sensation worse.

Your sudden sensitivity to spicy food could be due to various factors, such as changes in taste buds, oral health issues, or increased stomach acid. It's best to consult a dentist or doctor to determine the exact cause and receive appropriate treatment.

So typically, from what I have noticed with myself and with others whom I have shared food with regularly, I would say tolerance comes over the course of probably about a few weeks to a month, depending on how consistently you eat capsaicin rich foods.