Chongqing spicy hotpot, with red oil rolling and boiling; Hunan chopped chili fish head, with bright chili color; Shaanxi oil splashed spicy noodles, with hot oil making a sizzling sound... Spicy cuisine that is mouth watering. Are "Xin" and "La" the same thing? What are their benefits to the body? Let's see what Chinese and Western medicine experts have to say. Why is spicy food becoming more addictive the more you eat? "Hearing the word" spicy ", Xiaoqiu, a girl from Hubei, lit up her eyes -" The feeling of eating spicy food is like setting off fireworks, the stimulating "bang" explosion on the tip of the tongue, it's just painful and happy! "Zhao Luqing, chief physician of the Digestive Department of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, told reporters that spicy food is a general term for a group of food ingredients with stimulating flavors, including vegetables such as onions, ginger, garlic, onions, and chives, seasoning products such as star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, white atractylodes, chili peppers, peppers, mustard, curry, as well as various alcoholic beverages, ginger cola and other drinks. So, can "Xin" and "La" be equated? Although these two words are often used interchangeably in daily expressions, they are not exactly the same Wang Rui, Deputy Chief Physician of Clinical Nutrition Department at Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, said. On the one hand, the pungent and spicy flavors in food originate from the same chemical composition, and they also provide similar taste sensations to people. Wang Rui introduced that compounds such as capsaicin, allicin, and gingerol can stimulate pain receptors in the mouth, producing burning, stinging, and numbness sensations, while also promoting the release of endorphins from the nervous system, bringing a sense of pleasure. The coexistence of stimulation and reward makes people both "painful" and "fast", which is the reason why eating spicy food is addictive. On the other hand, from the perspective of sensory experience and pharmacological properties, the meaning of "spicy" is broader than that of "pungent". Zhao Luqing explained that unlike "spicy" which focuses on pain sensation, when it comes to "spicy", it also means a volatile aromatic substance, as well as the nature and taste of a type of food and medicinal herbs summarized in traditional Chinese medicine theory. They have the functions of dispersing pathogenic factors, promoting qi circulation, and activating blood circulation. Spicy food is full of nutrients. In the back kitchen of a Chinese restaurant, the chef's quick knife and cutting board make a crisp sound. Garlic is crushed and finely chopped, mixed with millet chili, cilantro, and seasonings into steamed eggplant strips to enhance flavor and kill bacteria; On the dining table of the neighboring Japanese restaurant, diners picked up a piece of salmon sashimi from the smoothie, lightly sprinkled mustard, and the umami flavor mixed with spiciness slid into their throats... Is eating spicy food good for the body? The controversy over this issue has never ceased. Experts say that for healthy individuals with suitable physical conditions, moderate intake of spicy food actually has certain health benefits. Spicy medicines are mostly warm in nature, with a fragrant aroma, and can be classified into multiple meridians. They are commonly used to relieve wind cold colds and spleen and stomach deficiency cold Zhao Luqing introduced that ginger, dried ginger, and cassia twigs entering the lung meridian can disperse and dissolve the surface, promote qi and blood circulation, and clear the nasal cavity. Pinellia ternata, Tiannanxing, white mustard seeds, and other herbs help to reduce phlegm and promote lung function; Xiangfu, Chaihu, and Qingpi enter the liver meridian and can soothe the liver and relieve depression; Fuzi enters the kidney meridian, warming the kidneys and promoting yang; Spring sand kernels can enter the spleen and stomach meridians, which can help to gasify dampness, dissolve turbidity, and restore gastrointestinal function. In addition to oral administration, traditional Chinese medicine also recommends soaking feet in ginger slices and Sichuan peppercorns boiled in water, which helps to promote qi circulation, relieve pain, warm meridians and unblock collaterals, warm the middle and dispel cold, and generate yang qi. From a nutritional perspective, spicy foods are generally low in sugar and fat, and are rich in vitamin A B1、B2、 Niacin, carotenoids, minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, and rich dietary fiber have high nutritional value. These substances have a certain positive regulatory effect on human functions, "said Wang Rui. Spicy food entering the stomach first promotes gastric acid secretion and intestinal peristalsis, thereby boosting appetite. Meanwhile, spicy foods can promote blood circulation, which is particularly beneficial for people with cold hands and feet. Gynecology also commonly uses brown sugar, ginger tea to warm the uterus and promote blood circulation. The "Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (Revised 2024 Edition)" mention that eating spicy food regularly can prevent hypertension because capsaicin can promote the production of nitric oxide in vascular endothelium, thereby dilating blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. Wang Rui introduced that prostaglandins and quercetin in onions can also prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases to a certain extent. At the same time, other ingredients in onion can increase the utilization of blood sugar by cells, inhibit insulin resistance, and assist diabetes patients to regulate blood sugar. In addition, some spicy ingredients also help with pain relief, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. For example, ointments and trauma medications may contain capsaicin and capsaicin; Garlic capsules are clinically used to treat diseases such as Helicobacter pylori and intestinal inflammation, and can also be consumed in moderation in daily meals; The antioxidant effect is manifested by clearing free radicals, inducing cancer cell apoptosis, thereby playing a certain anti-aging role, and also helping to inhibit cancer. It should be pointed out that the experimental research conclusions on spicy ingredients cannot be equated with the daily consumption effects of spicy foods. Because it is not scientific to talk about the effect without considering the dosage, and statistical correlation does not necessarily mean a definite causal relationship, "Wang Rui emphasized." We can only say from the perspective of the same origin of medicine and food that trace components in spicy food have certain health benefits, but daily consumption cannot achieve significant therapeutic effects. "Overconsumption of spicy food carries great risks, and there are so many benefits of spicy food. Is it better to eat more? Of course not. Excessive internal heat is the most common small problem that spicy diet can bring to the body. Common symptoms include gum swelling and pain, oral ulcers, red and swollen eyes, eyelash inflammation, constipation, hemorrhoids, etc Zhao Luqing explained that according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, this is because the warm nature of spicy food can consume water and body fluids in the human body, leading to insufficient Yin fluid and inability to regulate Yang qi. Excessive Yang heat can cause a "rising fire" phenomenon. Long term and excessive consumption of spicy food can cause significant damage to the body's organs, with the stomach being the most affected Wang Rui introduced that under gastroscopy, after eating spicy food, the stomach wall of a person appears red and congested, and the secretion of stomach acid also increases. Long term congestion and high acidity environment can damage the gastric mucosa, easily leading to chronic gastritis and even gastric ulcers, and repeated inflammatory stimulation is one of the important factors that induce gastric cancer. Xiaoqiu has a special fondness for spicy food, but even so, she has experienced a moment of collapse when she was "so spicy that tears streamed down her face" in a restaurant. I had to eat two bowls of rice to put out the fire in my mouth and stomach. I suspect that chili powder may have been added to the dishes, "she said. Experts introduce that chili powder is a legal food additive extracted and concentrated from chili peppers, but its taste is extremely strong, and consuming it in large quantities can harm one's health. In addition, spicy dishes are usually high in oil and salt, and a high salt diet can increase the burden on the heart. Some spicy snacks also contain a lot of chemicals, which can exacerbate renal metabolic pressure. Another curious question for Xiaoqiu is, which spicy eating behaviors are harmful to health? Wang Rui pointed out that consuming too much spicy food at once, or exceeding the body's tolerance for spiciness, can cause excessive secretion of stomach acid, burn the digestive mucosa, and even trigger acute gastroenteritis and gastrointestinal bleeding, which may cause irreversible damage to the digestive system. Therefore, the online "spicy challenge" is highly undesirable. We also need to avoid the hot and cold combination eating method of 'a large amount of chili peppers+chilled drinks' Wang Rui said that the rapid changes in blood vessels pose a particular threat to the health of patients with cerebral infarction, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and those who have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. Who is suitable for eating spicy food? Zhao Luqing said that people who often have cold hands and feet, and are afraid of coldness in the stomach and abdomen belong to the spleen and stomach deficiency cold constitution. It is suitable to use spicy food to help yang dispel cold, warm the middle and dispel dampness, such as pepper and pork belly soup, brown sugar and ginger water, which are good choices; People with a constitution of yin deficiency and excessive fire often experience fever in their hands, feet, and heart, dry mouth and tongue, less tongue coating, and irritability in their five hearts. They are not suitable for eating spicy food, as it can further damage their yin and worsen internal heat. In addition, humid areas and cold seasons are relatively suitable for eating spicy food; For the healthy population in the Central Plains region, eating spicy food 1-2 times a week is a suitable frequency that can provide significant health benefits. I can't eat spicy food, I can eat colored peppers Wang Rui said that colored peppers are warm and contain only trace amounts of capsaicin, making them the least stimulating spicy food. This vegetable is known as the "king of vitamin C", with a content of up to 104mg/100g, which is three times that of oranges and 34 times that of apples. Eating one colored pepper can meet the daily vitamin C needs of adults. In addition, components such as capsaicin esters, vitamin A, and carotenoids in colored peppers are also beneficial to human health. (New Society)