# Why is spicy bad?



## alongtin (Jul 30, 2002)

The diet that I've been following is Heather Van Vorous'. She claims that soluble fiber is the key to healthy bowels. She also says that spices are not bad for you and that there is no evidence that spicy food makes you sick. She says that the reason people believe that spices are harmful is because a lot of spicy food is also fatty, and fat is the culprit and spice is being blamed.Could someone let me know what the evidence is that spicy is bad? I'm sure I'll believe documented evidence- maybe the book that talks about this.I just read this, and it sounds kinda snotty, but I don't intend it to be. I'm just kind of sheltered in terms of diet- the only books I've read other than Heather's were not very helpful, but then again, I have to rely on what's at my local library so the books haven't been updated since probably the 1920s.







I've been following Heather's diet, but I'm really afraid that my body responds poorly to something that I'm not aware of. I'm strongly considering the LEAP system (can't afford it yet), but I want to feel healthy for at least an hour!!


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

If your IBS is related to Foods or additives..they can be a trigger for you..Nutmeg is on my list....So I would say that spices can upset your gut.....Just ask several people that has learned how staying away from certain ones has improved their IBS..Everybodys system is different


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some people some times have some reactions to some spices, but I know of no evidence that indicates that all spicy food is typically bad for IBSers. Heck they tend to no longer believe that spicy food is bad for ulcer patients either, although some people sometimes have some problems with some spices.The "cultural" perception is that bland food (basically starch with added starch with a side of starch) is what you should eat to fix any and all digestive ills.I do not know of any evidence to support that particular cultural (at least in the US mainstream culture) belief, but usually the first thing any lay person tells you to do when you have any GI upset is cut out all spices of all kinds. But that is just a cultural belief, I don't think that they feel that way in all cultures, and sometimes some spices acutally make some things better.Some people find that some things bother them, but there is no reason to go on a all starch all the time, nothing else, extrememly bland diet because you have IBS. Now if you find a particular spice consistantly bothers you then it makes sense to avoid that spice.Diets that consist of all bland starchy foods may make IBS worse for some people as we do not digest starches completely and the undigested starch (other than rice, which is much better digested) feeds the colon bacteria and SOME people with IBS do nto handle even normal levels of gas production from those bacteria eating the starch.K.


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

By spicy do you mean red hot chilli pepper spicy or cumin spicy. It makes all thr difference in the world


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## alongtin (Jul 30, 2002)

I've just noticed people on the board saying stuff like, "I ordered well at the restaurant, no spices." or "I didn't eat any spices today, but I still feel bad."It didn't make sense to me, because I've never heard the simply "spices" hurt you. So I guess I don't even know what kind of spice- I've simply heard people talk about spice in general being bad. Maybe that's why that didn't make much sense to me!


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