11 Cases When It's Best Not to Eat Spicy Food
1. Individuals with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as patients with high blood pressure, should avoid eating chili peppers. This also applies to those with chronic bronchitis, pulmonary heart disease, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Capsaicin dramatically increases circulating blood volume, accelerates heart rate, and causes tachycardia. A large intake in a short period can lead to acute heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Even without such incidents, it can impede the recovery of existing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and pulmonary diseases.
2. Patients with chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, or esophagitis should avoid spicy food. The stimulation from capsaicin can cause mucosal congestion, edema, and erosion, as well as a sharp increase in gastrointestinal motility, leading to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and affecting the restoration of digestive function.
3. Patients with chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis (gallstones), or chronic pancreatitis should avoid spicy food. The stimulation from capsaicin can increase gastric acid secretion. Excess gastric acid can cause the gallbladder to contract and the sphincter of the bile duct to spasm, leading to difficulty in bile excretion. This can trigger cholecystitis, biliary colic, and pancreatitis.
4. Patients with hemorrhoids should avoid spicy food. The stimulation from capsaicin can cause congestion and edema of the hemorrhoidal veins, worsening the condition and potentially leading to perianal abscesses. Additionally, spicy food can aggravate constipation, further worsening hemorrhoids.
5. Patients with conjunctivitis (pink eye) or keratitis should avoid spicy food. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, it is considered to "heat up the body" and can exacerbate the condition.
6. Postpartum and pregnant women should avoid spicy food. It can not only cause mouth sores and constipation but may also cause illness in a breastfeeding infant.
7. Patients with kidney disease should avoid spicy food. Capsaicin is excreted through the kidneys and can damage renal parenchymal cells. In severe cases, it can lead to changes in kidney function or even renal failure.
8. Patients with hyperthyroidism should avoid spicy food. Since they already have a fast heart rate, consuming spicy food can further accelerate it and make the symptoms more pronounced.
9. Patients with dermatitis and some other skin conditions should avoid spicy food, as it often aggravates the condition after consumption.
10. Thin individuals should avoid spicy food. Thin people often experience a dry throat, bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, and anger. Eating spicy food not only worsens these symptoms but can also lead to bleeding, allergies, and inflammation. In severe cases, it can cause infections such as carbuncles and abscesses.
11. Patients currently undergoing treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should also avoid spicy food, as capsaicin can affect the therapeutic efficacy.
Even healthy individuals should not consume spicy food long-term. According to relevant data, a significant proportion of patients with esophageal and gastric cancer have a history of long-term spicy food consumption. In conclusion, while spicy food is delicious, it should be consumed in moderation.