How Spicy Is Too Spicy?

Researchers believe chili peppers were first grown and eaten in Central and South America during ancient times, at least 6,000 years ago. From there, these spicy fruits spread, and they have been used around the world for centuries to give dishes a flavorful kick. Jamaica’s sweet and smoky jerk chicken, for example, gets its heat from Scotch bonnet peppers. Thailand’s hot and sour tom yum soup is made with spicy bird’s eye chilies. India’s fiery vindaloo curry is made with dried red chilies.

Chili peppers get their heat from a chemical called capsaicin (kap-SAY-suhn). The more capsaicin a chili contains, the hotter it is. When you pop a pepper—or anything containing capsaicin—into your mouth, the chemical tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating something scalding hot in temperature, even though you’re not. As a result, you feel a burning sensation in your mouth. If you’re sensitive to spice—or if what you’re eating contains a lot of capsaicin—it might really burn. Your cheeks might flush, and you might start to sweat.

This might not sound like a pleasant experience, but for many people, eating spicy food is worth it. In fact, many enjoy the burn.

Here’s why: When a person eats something spicy, their brain releases a flood of feel-good chemicals, including dopamine and endorphins. These chemicals combat what the brain perceives as painful heat and make the experience more enjoyable. It’s similar to the rush some people get when riding a roller coaster—the ride might feel terrifying at times, yet when it’s over, somehow they want to do it all over again.

“The first time I tried hot peppers, it knocked me to my knees,” says Currie. “I was sweating, I was snotting, I was drinking as much water as I could. . . . But it made me feel good.”

Today new breeds of peppers are reaching mind-blowing extremes of heat. Take Pepper X. It’s about 1.6 times hotter than the previous record holder for hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper. Meanwhile, super-spicy foods are more popular than ever. In recent years, challenges to eat chips or wings or noodles that have been flavored with wildly hot peppers have gone viral on social media. 

Often these challenges end with stomach-churning reactions like the one Currie had. (It took him an agonizing six hours to recover from eating an entire Pepper X.) In some tragic cases, viral challenges have ended in hospitalization and even death. 

In general, of course, spicy food is not dangerous or unhealthy—especially if it’s eaten in moderation. But ingesting something with too much capsaicin can have serious side effects.

“The burning sensation can be very painful,” says Paul Terry, a scientist who studies health and disease at the University of Tennessee. “Sometimes it can be difficult to breathe, especially if capsaicin gets in the windpipe.” Other side effects can include stomach cramps, vomiting, and headaches. 

Considering the risks, has people’s obsession with spice gone too far?

Currie wants people to be aware of the dangers extremely spicy peppers can pose. Though he is proud of his pepper’s record-breaking status, he warns that his ultrahot chilies aren’t meant for the average person to eat in large amounts—and they’re definitely not for kids or teens. 

Concerns about the harmfulness of extremely fiery products—especially for kids and teens, who can be more sensitive to spice—have led to some of these products being discontinued. But plenty of potentially dangerous spicy foods are still out there.

To stay safe, advises Terry, young people should avoid extremely spicy food until they’re older. “Never do a ‘challenge’ to prove anything to anybody,” he warns. 

Eating spicy food should be a good thing, he says. If the heat is unbearable or making you sick, it’s time to switch to something milder. But as long as the spice feels nice, go ahead and enjoy it. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, anyone?