Here’s the thing – you adore Szechuan cuisine, are passionate about fiery chili, and absolutely love Indian curry. But over the past few months, you have noticed that you have developed a sudden sensitivity to spicy foods. Why is that?
You want your spicy food back, and you’re tired of diluting it with yogurt, but your mouth and your stomach just won’t tolerate it, is there anything you can do?
There are a few things that could be causing your sudden sensitivity to spicy food.
You Have an Ulcer
Well, it happens to the best of us. Ulcers are not necessarily caused by what you eat, but they can lead to a sudden sensitivity to spicy foods. Ease back on the spices and see your doctor.
Your Habits Have Changed
It might not be the food. Have you changed your drinking habits? If you are combining hard liquor with spicy foods, you could develop a sensitivity to them.
Spicy Foods Make You Stuff Up
Have you been noticing a lot of congestion in your throat and nose? This could be a result of your sudden sensitivity to spicy foods, or even the cause of it.
Did You Just Quit Smoking?
No one is ever going to tell you that quitting smoking is a bad idea, but sometimes, people who have just quit find that they develop a sudden sensitivity to spicy foods. The cause is not known – it just is what it is.
Are You Taking Antibiotics?
Sometimes, people on antibiotics experience a temporary sensitivity. It will pass.
Have You Been Eating a New Spice?
This is actually the most likely cause of your sudden sensitivity to spicy foods. The thing is, if you eat out a lot, you really have no way of knowing what spices are going into your food. You might be accustomed, for instance to a certain type of chili pepper, and then when a new one is introduced – WHAM! There you go, with your upset stomach and your diarrhea. Then you suffer for days on end. Or just for a couple of days, depending on how much of the new spice you have ingested.
What I’m saying here is that a dash of cayenne here and there is not going to hurt you – but if you’re not used to it, it could lead to serious gastric discomfort. And often, people tend to blame allergies to certain foods rather than assuming that it could be the spices that are used to prepare the foods. That’s because spices are so common, we don’t often even think of them as foods – they’re just additives. But often, the spices themselves can be the culprits when it comes to gastric discomfort.
Conclusion
If you think you have developed a sudden sensitivity to spicy foods, consider what you had in your diet before, and what you have added. It’s usually easy to identify the spice that has caused the discomfort, and then all you have to do is eliminate it from your diet.