吃超辣的辣椒有危險嗎
It's standard for spicy food to cause your upper lip to sweat, your nose to run, and your mouth to feel like it's on fire. But can eating hot peppers mess with your health post-meal? The question is worth considering, especially as the ALS Pepper Challenge gains popularity.
一般來說，辛辣食物會讓你的上嘴脣出汗、流鼻涕、嘴巴好似着火一般。但吃辣椒會不會打亂你的餐後健康呢？這一問題值得考慮，尤其是在ALS辣椒挑戰越來越受歡迎的情況下，更是如此。Stars like Kelly Clarkson and Shaquille O'Neal have been spotted swallowing spicy stuff for the challenge, which aims to raise awareness and funds for the neurodegenerative disease. But while we watched them struggle to chomp on crazy hot peppers, we couldn't help but wonder: What makes chilies so darn fiery and are they even safe to nosh on in excess? Here, we pepper nutritionist Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, with all our burning questions.
人們已發現凱莉·克拉克森和沙奎爾·奧尼爾等明星吞下辣椒、接受了這一挑戰，這一挑戰旨在提高人們對神經退行性疾病的認知、併爲其籌資。但看着他們痛苦地吃下超辣的辣椒時，我們不禁思考：辣椒爲什麼這麼辣，吃的過多是否安全？在此，辣椒營養師溫迪·巴齊蓮博士解答了我們所有有關辣椒的問題。
What makes peppers so hot?
爲什麼辣椒如此之辣？
The main compound that gives chilies their signature kick is a phytonutrient called capsaicin. "Capsaicin attaches to the receptors on the taste buds that detect temperature and sends signals of spicy heat to the brain," explains Bazilian, who's also the author of Eat Clean, Stay Lean.
令辣椒如此之辣的主要化合物是被稱作辣椒素的植物營養素。"辣椒素附着於受體的味蕾，能夠檢測溫度、向大腦發送辛辣信號，"巴齊蓮解釋道，她也是Eat Clean, Stay Lean的作者。The amount of heat a pepper packs has to do with the level of capsaicin it contains. To figure out how spicy a certain type of hot pepper is, adventurous eaters can refer to the Scoville scale, which ranks varieties from most to least spicy based on their capsaicin concentration. The scale ranges from standard bell peppers that have no capsaicin to ghost peppers and the Trinidad scorpion-the spiciest chilies around.
辣椒的熱量也與它的辣椒素含量相關。爲了弄清楚某類型辣椒的辛辣程度，愛冒險的食者可以參考史高維爾指標，它基於辣椒的辣椒素濃度，將辣椒從最辣到最不辣進行了排列。該指標包含不含辣椒素的標準甜椒、印度鬼椒和特立尼達蠍子椒--最辣的辣椒。Dangers of eating hot peppers
吃辣椒的危險"It's a bit of a myth that hot peppers can actually create physical damage to the esophagus or tongue," says Bazilian. But that doesn't mean there are no dangers associated with noshing on fiery foods. Why? When we eat very hot peppers, the brain receives "pain" signals that can result in an upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting, says Bazilian. The stomach reacts as if you've consumed a toxic substance.
"辣椒實際上會對食道或舌頭造成傷害是個謎，"巴齊蓮說道。但這並不意味着吃辛辣食物不會有任何危險。爲什麼？當我們吃超辣的辣椒時，大腦會接收"痛苦"信號，導致腸胃不適、噁心或嘔吐，巴齊蓮說道。胃的反應就好像你攝入了有毒物質一般。"If vomiting occurs, the acid that comes up from the stomach can irritate the esophagus," explains Bazilian. Depending how hot a pepper is, that irritation can cause serious damage. Back in October 2016, one man actually burned a hole in his esophagus after consuming ghost peppers during an eating contest.
"如果吐了，那胃中的酸會刺激食道，"巴齊蓮解釋道。基於辣椒的辛辣程度，這種刺激會造成嚴重的損害。2016年10月份，一名男子在一次大胃王比賽中吃了印度鬼椒後，食道上燒了一個洞。
