Introduction.
What in the world had gotten into my blood? About 10 Sundays ago, I suddenly decided that I wanted to try Nakamoto’s very spicy ramen, which I had never had before, and ordered it for delivery. I haven’t eaten spicy food in the past few years, and it’s not like I’m good at it.
As expected, it arrived in an extremely red state.
And, no wonder, I finished it in about 30 minutes without drinking any water or milk, even though my mouth was tingling. I was dripping with sweat and felt a sense of accomplishment that I had overcome the intense heat, but I had no way of knowing at the time that hell would be waiting for me for the next three days or so.
Diarrhea and fire from the buttocks
I think it is partly because I have a weak stomach (I have self-diagnosed myself as having diarrhea-type IBS. Whenever I drink an iced coffee from Starbucks, I get diarrhea and have to run to the bathroom 3 or 4 times. As expected, the capsaicin stimulates the peristalsis of the intestinal tract, and my stomach begins to growl.
But, well, this much was expected. I thought that after 3 or 4 episodes of diarrhea, as usual, it would subside, but when I finally ran to the bathroom, my buttocks became agonizingly hot and painful when I defecated.
It was the first time in my life that I felt the same tingling sensation in my mouth from my anus, and dare I say it, the same pain and burning as during VIO hair removal.
I managed to get rid of the diarrhea about three times, with about as much pain as I had experienced from eating ramen noodles.
Stomach upset for 3 days
However, for some reason, the upset stomach would not stop and I was unable to sleep that night. The next day and the day after that, the stomach queasiness did not go away.
I had previously received Nexium and Takecab when I had symptoms of reflux esophagitis (endoscopy results were negative, but it may have been NERD symptomatically), and I took the remaining medication, but the effect was not as immediate as with the reflux, and the blurring remained.
I thought to myself, “This is obviously Nakamoto, but will it ever go back to normal? Fortunately, the nausea gradually eased, and about four days later, I was back to normal.
Now, what was the series of physiological phenomena up to this point?
Capsaicin receptor TRPV1 is activated at temperatures above 43°C
Temperature-sensitive Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are involved in diverse biological functions as sensors that sense not only temperature but also many other chemical and physical stimuli.
TRP channels are called a superfamily, and within this superfamily there are various subfamilies. One representative subfamily is the TRPV channels. Among these, the TRPV1 receptor is of particular interest. This receptor is related to the pungent ingredient capsaicin in this case.
Why did you feel a burning sensation even in the anus?
The capsaicin induced a burning sensation because TRPV1 receptors are present around the anus as well as in the mouth. In addition, capsaicin is not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, so it activates TRPV1 receptors around the anus when it is excreted during defecation.
Similarities between capsaicin and VIO hair removal?
TRPV1 receptors are sensitive to stimuli such as
- High temperature: usually activated at temperatures above 43°C.
- Capsaicin: When capsaicin, the pungent component of chili peppers, binds to TRPV1, the receptor is activated.
In other words, in laser hair removal, the heat from the laser destroys the hair follicles, at which time the TRPV1 receptors are activated by the high temperature and feel pain and heat. Since the TRP1V receptors targeted for activation are the same as those for capsaicin, it is thought that the same burning sensation is felt. I see!
Why didn’t the stomach feel a burning sensation?
Because there are few TRPV1 receptors in the stomach lining, capsaicin is less likely to directly activate the receptors.
Why did I get an upset stomach?
Due to enhanced gastric acid secretion via TRPV1 receptors.
Personally, I felt that it was similar but not exactly the same as the stomach upset I had with reflux esophagitis, but the after-the-fact measures would include PPIs, PCABs, and H2-receptor antagonists.
Dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.) can help to lessen the pungency of capsaicin. This is because the protein casein in dairy products binds to capsaicin and reduces its irritation in the oral cavity and digestive tract. So taking dairy products may help some.
Oils and fats also aid in the dissolution of capsaicin and soften the pungency of the capsaicin. Adding a small amount of olive oil or butter to meals can help.
Can you keep ingesting spicy food and get used to it?
I often see people who love spicy food and seem to consume incredibly hot food for days a week, but I suddenly wondered if they suffer from agonizing diarrhea or upset stomach like myself, so I did some research.
There seems to be a phenomenon called “capsaicin desensitization,” although it is not yet fully understood. How long the desensitization lasts, whether it is reversible, etc., is not yet understood, but if it is correct, there may be a problem of habituation.
As a student myself, I used to eat Mae Yau, a very hot curry that was as good as Nakamoto’s, about 2-3 days a week, but at the time it was nothing special.
The persistent stimulation from the pungent ingredient may reduce sensitivity to stimulation and suppress stomach acid secretion, resulting in less upset stomach.
Conclusion
Personally, I feel the same burning sensation because TRPV1 receptors are located in the anus as well as the mouth. And it was a shock to me that TRPV1 receptors respond not only to capsaicin, but also to high temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius, thus inducing the same sensation at high temperatures.
I thought what a double whammy to feel pain not only when eating but also when defecating (I hadn’t eaten spicy food recently and my digestive tract has probably weakened due to aging), so I decided, with no disrespect to Nakamoto, to avoid consuming spicy food from now on.
