In terms of flavor, spicy food can be divided into numb-spicy, sour-spicy, and mustard-spicy. Numb-spicy food contains the pungent heat of Sichuan peppercorns, which can easily lead to "internal heat" (上火), so it should be eaten in moderation. Pickled peppers contain less capsaicin; in sour-spicy food, the detoxifying effect of vinegar reduces the chance of getting "internal heat," so it can be eaten in appropriate amounts.
Although spicy food can be addictive, eating too much of it can be overwhelming. Experts suggest that eating more sweet and sour foods can help alleviate the spiciness. Sweetness can cover and interfere with the spicy taste, while acidity can neutralize the alkaline capsaicin. If something is too spicy, dipping it in vinegar, drinking a cold sweet beverage, or having a cool piece of fruit can be very effective. If you are cooking spicy food at home, try to pair it with foods that nourish yin, reduce dryness, and clear heat, such as duck, shrimp, crucian carp, bitter melon, loofah, and cucumber. You can also cook some cooling mung bean or lotus leaf congee to reduce "internal heat."
Who is more suitable for eating spicy food?
Wang Fengqi, an expert in internal medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chief Physician, Professor, and a direct disciple of the great master of Chinese medicine, Qin Bowei, points out that people with heavy internal dampness, those affected by wind-cold, and individuals with blood and qi stagnation are more suited to eating spicy food, as it helps expel dampness and promote the smooth flow of qi and blood.
1. People with heavy internal dampness
As mentioned earlier, pungent foods have the effect of "dispersing." They can expel external pathogens through sweating. Dampness can also be expelled from the body through this method. Why do people in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions (川蜀) love spicy food? It's because the climate there is very humid. The human body has self-regulatory functions; to get rid of internal dampness, it instinctively seeks out pungent foods. So, if you also have dampness in your body, you can eat more spicy food. How can you tell if you have heavy dampness? Traditional Chinese Medicine has a term for it: "head feels heavy as if wrapped" (头重如裹). This means your head feels tight and bound, making you lethargic, which is a sign of heavy dampness. Heavy dampness is also reflected in bowel movements. If your stools are often unformed and tend to stick to the toilet, a condition known in professional terms as "loose stools" (便溏), it's another sign of internal dampness. In this case, you should use some herbs to strengthen the spleen and expel dampness, and eating more spicy food in your diet will help you recover.
2. People affected by wind-cold
Occasionally getting caught in the rain or being exposed to cold can lead to wind-cold entering the body. The most obvious symptoms are fever, a clear runny nose, and headache, which we commonly call a wind-cold cold. At this time, you can drink some ginger soup or green onion soup to induce sweating, allowing the cold pathogens to be expelled along with the sweat.
Another situation is getting a headache from air conditioning in the summer or constantly having a runny nose. Most people would take Huoxiang Zhengshui Water (藿香正气水) in such cases. The primary ingredient in Huoxiang Zhengshui Water is Huoxiang (Agastache rugosa). Have you noticed the spicy taste when you drink it? Huoxiang is a pungent herb, and its spiciness helps to expel pathogens and induce sweating, driving out the cold. You can eat more spicy food in the summer. Sun Simiao, in his "Essential Formulas for Emergencies" (千金要方), wrote: "For the 72 days of summer, reduce bitter foods and increase pungent ones to nourish the lung qi." This is because in summer, the heart's qi is abundant. The heart belongs to the fire element in the Five Elements, and fire overcomes metal (the lung). Eating spicy food nourishes the lung qi from the perspective of the Five Elements.
3. People with blood and qi stagnation
Women often suffer from dysmenorrhea (painful periods), which is actually caused by blood and qi stagnation. Taking Yuanhu Zhiteng Pian (元胡止痛片) is effective in this case. Why? Yuanhu (Corydalis yanhusuo), also known as Yanhusuo or Xuanhu, is described in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" (本草纲目) as having the effects of "invigorating blood and qi, relieving pain, and promoting urination." Yuanhu is pungent, so it can resolve stagnant blood. Another example is Yimucao (Motherwort), a common herb for treating dysmenorrhea, also because it is pungent and has the effect of invigorating blood and regulating menstruation. Furthermore, medicated wines are often used to treat sprains and bruises for the same reason.