Have you ever heard that hot peppers could help indigestion? As improbable as it seems, many readers insist cayenne pepper cured heartburn for them. Here are a few testimonials. We have also found some research supporting their experience.
How Hot Pepper Cured Heartburn:
Q. I read in your column that hot peppers could help heartburn. My gastroenterologist told me to eat hot chiles, the hotter the better, for my acid reflux. The capsaicin in the chiles cuts down the inflammation in the esophagus and it helps neutralize the acid.
It does work. If I’m having a flareup, I will take a teaspoon of Tabasco. The relief is almost instantaneous.
He also told me to avoid mint and citrus in addition to chocolate because they can make heartburn worse.
A. Most physicians and patients would find this approach to indigestion odd, at the least. Many people can’t tolerate spicy food. But some people report that eating hot peppers every day can control reflux symptoms (Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, April 2010). Daily consumption is key, though. Repeated exposure to capsaicin, the hot stuff in hot chiles, desensitizes the receptors that react to it (World Journal of Gastroenterology, Feb. 7, 2020).
Most lists of foods that make heartburn worse include both mint and chocolate. Well-controlled trials, however, are lacking. That said, people should pay attention to how their own bodies react to foods and avoid those that cause discomfort.
Cayenne Pepper for Acid Reflux:
Q. I used to have heartburn and took drugs to treat it for several years. I later learned that hot peppers could help, so I purchased a bottle of cayenne pepper capsules. I take just one a day with food.
I don’t remember how long it was before I stopped taking the prescribed drugs, but when I did, I no longer had a problem with acid reflux. No one would believe me that cayenne pepper cured heartburn for me, so I was pleased to read about the research in your column.
A. It seems counterintuitive that the hot stuff in hot peppers (capsaicin) could be helpful against heartburn. We certainly know that many people cannot tolerate spicy food. However, you are certainly not the only person to use this remedy.
You can learn about many other approaches to controlling acid reflux in our eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders. Some researchers have concluded that eating less has more impact on discomfort after meals than the foods in the meal. If you do experience heartburn, you might try herbal tea, ginger, persimmon punch or DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice).
