The spicy food is one of the foods that is the most connoisseur. The spicy sensation of spicy food can increase appetite. It's just that sometimes at an interval of some time after eating spicy food, most people experience diarrhea.
Why Can Spicy Food Trigger Diarrhea?
Hot foods such as chilies that contain active substances in capsaicin. Capsaicin is a component contained in chilies that causes a spicy and hot effect. This is what eventually makes your reason for being hungry when eating spicy food and making the tongue feel burning until the nose is runny.
The capsaicin content can also cause irritation in the coating of the stomach and intestines. Some people may still be able to tolerate it, but in large numbers people have quite sensitive intestines, so this can lead to diarrhea.
Because the digestive system has a very long process ranging from biting food to removing dirt in the form of feces. Throughout this process, food will flow to several parts of the organ each of which has an important task.
When you consume capsaicin, it will stimulate a protein known as a receptor TVanilloid 1 Potential Ranceent (TRPV1) where its job is to inform the brain that there will be arson in it. Then the brain will interpret the stimulation and start releasing the hormone endorphins, which makes the spicy food make you feel happy and make your appetite increase.
Reported Very WellHealth, to protect the body from its hot sensation, the small intestine rapidly encourages capsaicin through the intestines. When food reaches the large intestine, the digestive process becomes slower and the large intestine undergoes its function as a water absorber in the intestine. However, at the same time capsaicin reactivates its receptor so that it makes the intestine move faster to avoid intestinal irritation due to capsaicin.
If this happens, the large intestines cannot absorb water properly and will eventually cause diarrhea. And it caused the stomach to burn and eventually caused diarrhea.
How To Overcome The Diarrhea Caused By Spicy Foods?
The diarrhea caused by spicy food can actually heal by itself. All you need to do is rest your intestines, eat foods that are not spicy for a few days so that diarrhea will recover on its own.
The most important thing when you experience diarrhea is to meet your fluid needs properly and try to avoid caffeinated drinks. If this diarrhea problem does not heal in a day or two and causes a sign of dehydration (fluid shortage) you should immediately consult your condition to a doctor.
First update: 19-May-2021
- dr Nadia Opmalina
1. Kenneth Brown, MD. Why Eating Spicy Food Can Give You Diarrhea?(2021). Available from : Why Eating Spicy Food Can Give You Diarrhea (verywellhealth.com)
2. Ashley Marcin. What Causes Burning Diarrhea? (2019). Available from : Burning Diarrhea: Causes, Treatments, and Other Symptoms (healthline.com)