Is it true that the more spicy food a place has, the more anorectal hospitals there are?

Local climate and soil nurture local people, but who would have thought that local climate and soil also nurtured local anorectal hospitals! Not long ago, an APP released data on anorectal hospitals across the country. Unexpectedly, this list magically coincided with the "spicy food map"!

“Eat the spiciest food and go to the best anorectal hospital.”

This comment from netizens has indeed been confirmed by big data. Sichuan and Hunan have never lost in the field of eating spicy food! So what is the connection between eating spicy food and anorectal diseases?

01 How does spicy food affect the body?

Every time we indulge in spicy food, it is always our stomach and intestines that bear the pressure in the end.

The main spicy ingredient in chili peppers is capsaicin, which can activate the receptor molecules on the pain-sensing neurons in the human body, producing a burning sensation or even pain. So in essence, spiciness is not a taste we feel, but a pain sensation. And pain receptors are all over our body, so including the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and anus, they may be painful from the spiciness. Capsaicin cannot be fully absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, so you may feel stomach pain after eating spicy food. In addition, the sensitivity of each person's pain receptors is different, so there are a wave of people who can eat spicy food and a wave of people who can't eat spicy food.

As the saying goes, "Nine out of ten people have hemorrhoids." So, are hemorrhoids definitely related to eating spicy food? According to years of research and medical evidence, the occurrence and development of hemorrhoids are related to a variety of reasons. Here are two main points.

1. Downward movement of anal cushions: Factors such as constipation, pregnancy, and emotional tension will increase the pressure in the anal canal, causing increased congestion of the anal cushions, making us more susceptible to hemorrhoids.

2. Food factors: Spicy foods can irritate the rectal and anal mucosa. Eating spicy or extremely spicy foods frequently can cause the blood vessels in the anus to become congested and rupture (especially sensitive and painful during bowel movements). Over time, hemorrhoids will occur.

From this we can see that eating spicy food can indeed easily cause anorectal diseases. So does eating spicy food only have adverse effects on our health?

02 Eating spicy food also has benefits

1. Helps to take in vitamins

Peppers are rich in beta-carotene (which can be converted into vitamin A in our body) and vitamin C. Both of these substances are beneficial to the health of the body's mucous membranes and protect our bodies from invasion by pathogens.

It is hard to imagine that peppers are the king of vitamin C. The variety with the highest vitamin C content is sweet pepper, which has a vitamin C content of 130 mg/100 g (4 times that of oranges and 43 times that of apples).

2. Helps lower blood pressure

This is thanks to a substance called nitric oxide. Because nitric oxide is fat-soluble, it can quickly penetrate the cell membrane. Simply put, nitric oxide is a signal molecule that guides the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. After the smooth muscle cells relax, they can promote vasodilation and lower blood pressure. When pepper enters our body, it stimulates vascular cells to produce nitric oxide, which can ultimately help achieve the effect of lowering blood pressure.

3. Protect the stomach and intestines

According to a study by Capital University of Medical Sciences, a small dose of capsaicin can activate a substance called TRPV1 (a new type of ion channel protein that can be activated by capsaicin), which increases the secretion of gastrin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the body, ultimately protecting the gastric mucosa. In addition, consuming a small amount of capsaicin every day can improve indigestion, prevent ulcers, inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori, etc.

It seems that eating spicy food moderately is good for our body.

03 How to eat spicy food correctly?

1. Don’t eat too much spicy food. Don’t eat too spicy food.

People who can only eat slightly spicy food can remove the seeds and threads (tendons) of the pepper when processing it, so that the spiciness will be reduced. For some people with gastric ulcers or gastric inflammation, it is not recommended to eat spicy food . If gastric inflammation leads to bleeding, the consequences will be disastrous.

In addition, when we cook at home, we should choose fresh peppers, which are more nutritious, and use less dried peppers or chili oil, which have greater "fire power". If peppers are already in the dish, be careful to put less peppercorns, various spices and other seasonings (this is equivalent to "adding fuel to the fire"), which will make our stomachs more uncomfortable and have a burning sensation.

In addition, whether you are at home or dining out, avoid eating spicy food with heavy oil and salt. Drink more water after eating spicy food. You can also buy some yogurt and soy milk to relieve the spiciness (the effect is better).

2. Avoid eating chili peppers on an empty stomach

It is best not to eat chili peppers on an empty stomach, as chili peppers will cause greater irritation to the gastric mucosa on an empty stomach. In addition , do not drink ice water or eat iced food immediately after eating chili peppers , otherwise it will cause damage to the gastrointestinal blood vessels.

3. Eat dietary fiber before meals

In the face of various "sequelae" of eating spicy food, you can drink some milk to protect the gastric mucosa , and you can add some dietary fiber to moisten the intestines and save the damaged intestines! You can also eat dietary fiber before meals. These fibers can wrap up fats, proliferate intestinal bacteria and other substances that are not good for the stomach and intestines, and finally excrete them out of the body. So doing so can better protect our anorectal. In short, although spicy food is delicious, you can't be greedy. A reasonable diet will make our body healthier!

Review | Wu Xinsheng, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology

Source: Digital Beijing Science Center