Is There a Link Between Spicy Food and Rectal Bleeding?

Spicy food can cause all kind of different effects.

For many people all over the world, it leads to pure, hot happiness.

It can also make people sweat profusely.

There’s no doubt it does something very distinctive to your breath.

However, some people believe that spicy food is responsible for far more sinister reactions. Sure, bad breath is unpleasant, but we’re talking about things like the potential link between spicy food and rectal bleeding.

Is there any truth there? Let’s take a look.

Do You Have Rectal Problems?

Many people believe spicy food and rectal bleeding are related because of sheer coincidence. Simply put, the first time they noticed rectal bleeding was sometime shortly after they had enjoyed spicy food, so they make the connection.

Other times, the spicy food and rectal bleeding are related, but not because of the former’s trademark taste.

Instead, it’s because of the large quantity of the food someone ate. This tends to be a recurring theme when it comes to blaming spicy food for certain adverse effects.

If you love pasta, there’s a possibility you might eat as much of it as you can in one sitting. No matter how benign the flavoring is, that much pasta is probably going to give you indigestion and even hurt your bowels.

The same goes for any other type of food.

Furthermore, you could have preexisting problems that were made worse or simply brought to light by spicy food. Rectal bleeding could definitely be one of those things.

It’s important to understand this because you may quit eating spicy food, but rectal bleeding continues.

Other Ingredients That Could Be to Blame

Furthermore, there is actually a fairly long list of food that could be responsible. Aside from spicy food, rectal bleeding may be caused by:

Soda
Alcoholic beverages
Tea
Coffee
Tomatoes
Chocolate

Even large amounts of vitamin C sometimes cause rectal bleeding. While you may want to quit eating your favorite spicy foods for awhile just to be on the safe side, understand that you should probably avoid the above list, as well.

The Issue of Hemorrhoids

One version of rectal problems that deserves its own section is hemorrhoids. That’s because they’re actually incredibly common and can definitely be aggravated by eating spicy food. Rectal bleeding would be just one of the potential consequences when this happens.

In case you’re not familiar (count yourself lucky), hemorrhoids are veins in the anus or rectum that have become swollen and tear because of the pressure caused by constipation or diarrhea. If this happens to you, you’ll probably notice blood on your toilet paper. There could be other reasons for this, but hemorrhoids would rank toward the top of a list of most likely causes.

Other telltale signs that you have hemorrhoids are symptoms like:

Itching
Burning
Constant pain, even when you’re not using the bathroom

Now, if you have hemorrhoids, some things may make them more painful. One of these things could be spicy foods. Any of the things from the aforementioned list could result in pain, too. Nuts are also worth considering.

That being said, there is no proof to link spicy food to rectal bleeding caused by the formation of hemorrhoids. Countless people go their entire lives eating spicy foods and never get hemorrhoids as a result.

Again: spicy foods do not cause hemorrhoids.

Spicy Foods May Cause Diarrhea

This isn’t to say there is absolutely no link between spicy food and rectal bleeding, only that such a connection is a bit vague.

Another way to look at this is by considering diarrhea. If you have this unfortunate ailment and you have hemorrhoids, you’re going to be in for an uncomfortable time. It will probably involve rectal bleeding, but this could also occur even if you don’t have any hemorrhoids at all.

The key ingredient in chili peppers – the thing that gives them such a kick – is called capsaicin. Capsaicin, in and of itself, shouldn’t trigger diarrhea. If your stomach is already in trouble, though, this could be the element that pushes it over the edge.

As we mentioned earlier, eating too much of any food in one sitting is going to have adverse effects. Therefore, if you eat an overly ambitious amount of spicy food, diarrhea could result and you might find blood in your stool because of it.

Note that if you are eating spicy foods prepared with a lot of grease, it’s probably the oil that’s giving you diarrhea more than anything.

Constipation May Be Responsible

On the other end of the spectrum, constipation can be behind rectal bleeding. It could lead to hemorrhoids which would eventually cause bleeding or it might just be the reason for blood all on its own.

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, constipation is usually the result of a diet that is rich in fatty foods.

Once again, we see how spicy food and rectal bleeding could be linked but not because capsaicin is directly responsible.

Think of all the spicy foods that are high in fat. There are Buffalo chicken wings, often served with high-fat blue cheese, for example. You might enjoy tamales drenched in cheese. Many of the very popular Asian dishes that pack a kick are made with pork and beef.

Whatever the case, these foods are what will lead to the type of pressure in your colon that can cause bleeding.

When you think about how many cultures all over the world rely on spicy foods as a major part of their diets, it becomes clear that there’s no way it automatically causes rectal bleeding. If it did, India would never have found the time to become a superpower.

Still, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t back off spicy foods for awhile if you’re experiencing rectal bleeding. You should see a doctor who will most likely advise a very bland diet until your stomach is back in better shape.

The good news, then, is that once you’re the right path, you can return to consuming a regular diet of fire.