It's unclear when exactly, but Sichuan and Hunan restaurants, Malatang (spicy hot pot), Wushan grilled fish, and other spicy foods have become ubiquitous on streets and alleys. Even regions like Guangdong and Jiangsu-Zhejiang, which traditionally don't favor spicy food, have started to "get addicted to the heat." Some have even linked eating spicy food to health benefits, such as "weight loss, beauty enhancement, dispelling cold and removing dampness." Undeniably, medical research has confirmed that chili peppers do have many benefits, but spicy food is not for everyone. Excessive or improper consumption can be harmful to health, and in severe cases, even life-threatening.
The history of Chinese people eating spicy food is less than 400 years
Professor Lan Yong, from the Institute of Historical Geography at Southwest University, is the undisputed expert on the "history of eating spicy food." Through his research, he concluded that chili peppers were only introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty, less than 400 years ago. He also geographically classified regions based on their tolerance for spice, finding that the areas with the highest tolerance are in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, such as Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and southern Shaanxi. The northern regions, including Beijing, Shandong, Shanxi, northern Shaanxi, and most of Gansu, Qinghai to Xinjiang, are "lightly spicy zones." The southeastern coastal areas south of Shandong, including Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, generally do not eat spicy food.
Three major misconceptions about eating spicy food
Although chili peppers have many benefits, they are not suitable for everyone. Generally, there are three misconceptions about eating spicy food: First, some believe that chili peppers stimulate the appetite and should be added to any dish. However, excessive consumption can damage the sensitivity of nerve endings, and over time, it can harm the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing chronic inflammation, leading to symptoms like vomiting, spasms, pain, and diarrhea. Second, some think that eating spicy food aids in weight loss. This claim lacks scientific basis. While chili peppers can indeed boost local metabolism, the effect is not lasting and is insufficient for actual weight loss. Third, some believe that eating spicy food prevents cancer. Chili peppers do contain antioxidants, but there is no scientific evidence to support their anti-cancer properties. On the contrary, oral leukoplakia, a precancerous lesion for oral cancer, is often caused by consuming spicy food.
In addition to triggering or worsening certain conditions, eating spicy food can also reduce the effectiveness of medications. For example, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, "heat-related" conditions such as "excessive internal heat" or "yin deficiency" require taking Chinese patent medicines like She Dan Chuan Bei Pipa Gao, Qingkailing Oral Liquid, or Liuwei Dihuang Wan, which are meant to clear heat or nourish yin. Spicy food should be avoided as it can diminish the therapeutic effect. Spicy food should also be avoided when taking certain Western medicines, such as Compound Tretinoin Gel for treating bedsores and acne, or live bacterial preparations, antibiotics, and mucosal protectants for treating digestive tract ulcers and gastritis.
After eating spicy food, have something sweet and sour
Chili peppers are both loved and feared. For the sake of health, it's advisable to eat spicy food scientifically and in moderation.
1. Eat spicy food according to your body constitution and the season. People who often have cold hands and feet or suffer from anemia can eat it in moderation. Those with stomach ulcers, esophagitis, hemorrhoids, conjunctivitis, constipation, or acne should eat less. People in northern China should also eat less during the dry spring and autumn.
2. Sour and spicy is better than numbing and spicy. It's best to eat fresh chili peppers as they are more nutritious. Chili peppers should be cooked to avoid the large amount of capsaicin in raw ones irritating the oral and gastrointestinal mucosa. Diced chili peppers with a sour taste, due to the addition of vinegar, can reduce the chances of getting "heatiness" (a concept in TCM). The Sichuan peppercorn in numbing and spicy dishes is considered "hot" and can easily cause "heatiness," so it should be eaten less.
3. Choose good companions when eating spicy food. When eating spicy food, you can pair it with sweet and sour foods. Sweetness can mask the spiciness, and sourness can neutralize the alkaline capsaicin. You can also pair it with foods that nourish yin, reduce dryness, and clear heat, such as duck, shrimp, crucian carp, bitter gourd, loofah, and cucumber. You can also cook some cooling mung bean or lotus leaf congee to "reduce internal heat." It's best to choose coarse grains like corn or sweet potatoes as the staple food, as their rich dietary fiber can prevent constipation caused by dryness and heat in the intestines. After eating, you can drink a glass of yogurt or milk to relieve the spiciness and cool down. It's also good to eat more sour fruits after a meal that contain tannins, cellulose, and other substances, as they can stimulate digestive juice secretion, accelerate gastrointestinal motility, and nourish yin and reduce dryness. Fruits like apples, pears, bananas, hawthorn, grapes, and pomelos all have the effect of "reducing internal heat."