You may have heard about using capsaicin for a range of different types of ailments. Many believe it has the potential to help with anassortment of issues including prostate cancer, arthritis, congestion, weight loss, and more. While there are certainly many positive capsaicin effects, it is important to note that there is the potential for some unwanted side effects, as well. Let’s look at the positive and potential negative effects of this substance.
Positive Capsaicin Effects
Pain relief is probably one of the most well-known effects of capsaicin. People who are dealing with the pain from arthritis, and those who are dealing with pain from muscle aches and pains have found relief with these creams. Those who eat spicy food and hot sauce with capsaicin may find that they have an increased metabolism and that they have a curbed appetite.
Both the topical and ingested capsaicin have some nice benefits for many people. However, not everyone is so lucky. Some people may have some unpleasant side effects, and it is just as important to point these out.
Negative Capsaicin Effects
In many cases, minor topical side effects will not need to be treated medically. These side effects will often go away on their own. If they do not, then you will want to talk with a medical professional. Some of the effects from capsaicin patches include nausea, vomiting, tiredness, pain around the eyes or check bones, change in taste, and a loss of taste.
Some of the severe effects can include shortness of breath, blurred vision, dizziness, change in the rate of the heartbeat, cough, sore throat, tightness in chest, increased sensitivity to pain or to touch, tingling in the hands or feet. With severe issues, you will definitely want to speak with a doctor.
When it comes to ingesting the capsaicin through spicy food and hot sauce, some of the potential negative effects include acid reflux and gastritis. This can be caused by an increase in the acids in the stomach. Others might even suffer from insomnia.
What If You Experience Negative Capsaicin Effects?
If you are one of the rare individuals that has negative capsaicin side effects, you need to gauge the severity of those effects, and the only way to do this properly and safely is by speaking with a medical professional. The doctors can test you to determine if the reason you are having these side effects is because you suffer from allergies to capsaicin. If you are, it is time to stop using it, no matter how much you think you might like spicy food.
If you have negative experiences with capsaicin, you should not keep trying to use it. If you continue to have allergy issues when you are eating it, for example, you are not suddenly going to be able to tolerate the spicy food. Instead, you will want to speak with your doctor about some of the other things that you might be able to do in order to get similar results without the capsaicin.