By Edward J. Thomas –
Bless the Canadians. They’ve been under a lot of pressure of late thanks to potential trade wars, President Trump’s push to make Canada the 51st state, upcoming federal elections and geopolitical concerns.
If nothing else, they are a stout and formidable people as witnessed in early March when Canadian Mike Jack broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to eat 25 Carolina Reaper chili peppers. Just to be clear, Jack’s accomplishment didn’t involve just any pepper, Carolina Reapers are reputed to be one of the world’s hottest peppers, registering a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) measurement of about 1,640,000 compared to 4,000-8,500 (SHU) for the average jalapeno pepper.
Specifically, the iron-stomached Canadian gobbled down 25 of these reapers in four minutes and 36.26 seconds.
“I might make it look a little easier than it is but I’m burning up here; I really feel it,” Jack told Guinness World Records. “The peppers, they really hurt a lot.”
The pain and discomfort are kind of a given. What’s less considered is whether this pepper plunge was dangerous. It could be, medical experts warn.
The good news about hot peppers is that munching them may help people live longer. One study reports that people who ate one hot pepper a month for 20 years saw their risk of mortality decrease by 13 percent.
The capsaicin in pepper, which gives their spicy kick, may also kill cancer cells in people with colon, liver, lung and pancreatic cancer. Capsaicin also reduces pain and may also support people losing weight by possibly preventing fat build-up and suppressing appetites.
Beyond this, hot peppers are loaded with nutrients and vitamins such as A, C, and E. Finally, a decent hot pepper will relieve nasal congestion.
Not surprisingly, there are potential drawbacks to chowing down on these peppers, especially in the quantities Jack consumed in less than five minutes. By themselves, peppers will not harm the esophagus. But they can generate symptoms that will produce stomach acid that can damage or irritate the esophagus if someone vomits.
What are other possible negatives to hot peppers? They can lead to breathing difficulties, diarrhea, eye and skin pain and inflammation and, if inhaled, respiratory issues.
Certainly, it seems someone would be pushing their luck to gobble down handfuls in a few minutes. But anyone who discovers the burn from even one pepper is too much to bear should turn to milk and bread to lessen the spicy heat building in their mouth and throat. Water will only make the condition worse. However, if the eyes get inflamed by peppers, rinse them with water and then apply a cool compress.
Ultimately, it is probably not a good idea to follow Jack’s lead.
