Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhy Spicy Foods Make You PoopTreatment and PreventionWhen to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Why Spicy Foods Make You Poop
Treatment and Prevention
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Indulging in spicy treats like a big bowl of chili or a platter of hot wings may feel enjoyable, but it’s no fun when these spicy foods cause diarrhea. Most spicy foods cause diarrhea due to a chemical calledcapsaicin. This chemical triggers a specific receptor that causes a burning sensation.
While the simplest way to prevent diarrhea from spicy foods is to avoid the spicy foods that trigger diarrhea, there are other steps you can take, too.
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You might assume that having diarrhea after eating something spicy means there’s something wrong with your digestive tract. However, this reaction to spicy foods is actually completely normal. It’s a sign that your body is hard at work protecting you from possible harm.
Foods made with hot spices such as cayenne or chili peppers contain a powerful ingredient called capsaicin. The substance can irritate your skin and other bodily tissues—including the lining of your gut. When you eat hot peppers or salsa, capsaicin is what causes the burning sensation and the symptoms.
Capsaicin and Your StomachCapsaicin 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 todiarrhea.
Capsaicin and Your Stomach
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 todiarrhea.
Digestionis a very well-organized process that starts with the first bite of food and finishes when we have a bowel movement.
Eating capsaicin stimulates the vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1 or the capsaicin receptor), which tells your brain that you are burning from the inside.
Our brain tries to understand what’s going on in the body and will release pain blockers known as endorphins. Endorphins are also the “feel good” hormones in the body. The endorphin release is why you may feel happy eating spicy food and find yourself reaching for more and more wings.
The burning effect of capsaicin triggers the body to take action against what it interprets as potential harm.
Usually, digestion slows when food gets to the colon so the intestines can absorb water. But when you’ve eaten something spicy, capsaicin activates your GI tract’s TRPV1 receptors. So, instead of slowing things down, the colon speeds the process up to eliminate the “threat” it senses.
The result? You get diarrhea.
Additionally, sometimes people even feel like their bottom is on fire, thanks to the manypain receptorsin the anus.
While eating spicy food can be uncomfortable in the short term, capsaicin has several potential health benefits, especially for your metabolic health. It may also reduce overall inflammation and help prevent some cancers.
Foods That Contain Capsaicin
Capsaicinoidsmake peppers spicy. Peppers and their derivatives are commonly used in various seasonings and spice mixtures, such as chili and other red pepper powders and red pepper paste.Whole peppers containing capsaicin may be eaten plain or in salsas and dips.
Examples of common capsaicin-containing foods include:
The only surefire way to prevent diarrhea from spicy food is to figure out what yourtrigger foodsare and avoid eating them.
However, there are several ways to reduce the burning sensation, such as:
Milk:Drinking a glass of milk (it doesn’t matter if whole or skim) with spicy foods can reduce the oral burning sensation. Dairy contains a protein called casein that helps break down capsaicin. It won’t stop you from getting diarrhea, but a sip of milk can relieve the burning sensation in your mouth.
Sugary beverages:Consider sipping on a sweet drink. Kool-aid may be especially helpful in reducing burning since it also contains citric acid, which may help to neutralize the capsaicin.
Keep wipes on hand:If you’re sure you’llend up with diarrheaafter enjoying an extra spicy meal, keep some hypoallergenic wipes handy to help ease the discomfort in the bathroom.
Consume starch or extra fat:Both extra starch and fatty foods (e.g., tortilla chips with queso) may reduce burning.
Pepto-Bismol:Anecdotally, Pepto-Bismol may helpprevent diarrheaand some symptoms from eating spicy foods. Pepto-Bismol is often recommended to reduce the risk of traveler’s diarrhea and may help prevent diarrhea related to capsaicin. However, there isn’t a lot of data on the topic.
Pregnancy:Pregnant individuals are sometimes more susceptible to GI upsets like nausea, diarrhea, and heartburn. Avoiding spicy foods during pregnancy may help reduce heartburn and other GI issues, such as diarrhea.
Drinks thatdon’thelp much with a burning sensation in your mouth include:
In most cases, taking it easy on your gut and eating non-spicy foods for a few days will get you through occasional diarrhea. Several foods can also helpease diarrhea symptoms. It’s also important to drink plenty of water so you stay hydrated and avoid caffeinated beverages, which could make diarrhea worse.
However, if your symptoms do not get better in a day or two or they get worse, and you have signs of dehydration (like dry mouth, urinating less, and headaches), seek medical attention.
Summary
Some people’s guts are sensitive to spicy foods. Eating too much spicy food can cause them to experience diarrhea. If this describes you, it’s simply your body’s way of protecting itself from potential harm.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Poison Control.Capsaicin: When the chili is too hot.Frias B, Merighi A.Capsaicin, nociception and pain.Molecules. 2016;21(6):797. doi:10.3390/molecules21060797Bal S, Sharangi AB, Upadhyay TK, et al.Biomedical and antioxidant potentialities in chilli: perspectives and way forward.Molecules. 2022;27(19):6380.Cho H, Kwon Y.Development of a database of capsaicinoid contents in foods commonly consumed in Korea.Food Science & Nutrition. 2020;8(8):4611.Nolden AA, Lenart G, Hayes JE.Putting out the fire - Efficacy of common beverages in reducing oral burn from capsaicin.Physiol Behav. 2019;208:112557. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.018CDC yellow book 2024.Travelers’ diarrhea.Takaishi M, Uchida K, Suzuki Y, et al.Reciprocal effects of capsaicin and menthol on thermosensation through regulated activities of TRPV1 and TRPM8.The Journal of Physiological Sciences : JPS. 2015;66(2):143.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Poison Control.Capsaicin: When the chili is too hot.Frias B, Merighi A.Capsaicin, nociception and pain.Molecules. 2016;21(6):797. doi:10.3390/molecules21060797Bal S, Sharangi AB, Upadhyay TK, et al.Biomedical and antioxidant potentialities in chilli: perspectives and way forward.Molecules. 2022;27(19):6380.Cho H, Kwon Y.Development of a database of capsaicinoid contents in foods commonly consumed in Korea.Food Science & Nutrition. 2020;8(8):4611.Nolden AA, Lenart G, Hayes JE.Putting out the fire - Efficacy of common beverages in reducing oral burn from capsaicin.Physiol Behav. 2019;208:112557. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.018CDC yellow book 2024.Travelers’ diarrhea.Takaishi M, Uchida K, Suzuki Y, et al.Reciprocal effects of capsaicin and menthol on thermosensation through regulated activities of TRPV1 and TRPM8.The Journal of Physiological Sciences : JPS. 2015;66(2):143.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Poison Control.Capsaicin: When the chili is too hot.Frias B, Merighi A.Capsaicin, nociception and pain.Molecules. 2016;21(6):797. doi:10.3390/molecules21060797Bal S, Sharangi AB, Upadhyay TK, et al.Biomedical and antioxidant potentialities in chilli: perspectives and way forward.Molecules. 2022;27(19):6380.Cho H, Kwon Y.Development of a database of capsaicinoid contents in foods commonly consumed in Korea.Food Science & Nutrition. 2020;8(8):4611.Nolden AA, Lenart G, Hayes JE.Putting out the fire - Efficacy of common beverages in reducing oral burn from capsaicin.Physiol Behav. 2019;208:112557. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.018CDC yellow book 2024.Travelers’ diarrhea.Takaishi M, Uchida K, Suzuki Y, et al.Reciprocal effects of capsaicin and menthol on thermosensation through regulated activities of TRPV1 and TRPM8.The Journal of Physiological Sciences : JPS. 2015;66(2):143.MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.
Poison Control.Capsaicin: When the chili is too hot.
Frias B, Merighi A.Capsaicin, nociception and pain.Molecules. 2016;21(6):797. doi:10.3390/molecules21060797
Bal S, Sharangi AB, Upadhyay TK, et al.Biomedical and antioxidant potentialities in chilli: perspectives and way forward.Molecules. 2022;27(19):6380.
Cho H, Kwon Y.Development of a database of capsaicinoid contents in foods commonly consumed in Korea.Food Science & Nutrition. 2020;8(8):4611.
Nolden AA, Lenart G, Hayes JE.Putting out the fire - Efficacy of common beverages in reducing oral burn from capsaicin.Physiol Behav. 2019;208:112557. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.018
CDC yellow book 2024.Travelers’ diarrhea.
Takaishi M, Uchida K, Suzuki Y, et al.Reciprocal effects of capsaicin and menthol on thermosensation through regulated activities of TRPV1 and TRPM8.The Journal of Physiological Sciences : JPS. 2015;66(2):143.
MedlinePlus.Diarrhea.
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