Can spicy noodles give you diarrhea?

Hot spice is not really a flavor but a physical and mental sensation triggered by a chemical compound called capsaicin that interacts with the sensory neurons on your tongue and mouth.

When you eat hot peppers, the hot receptors on the tongue are activated and the brain thinks your mouth is actually burning. The same thing happens with menthol and the mouth’s cold receptors.

But because the brain thinks your body is in actual danger, a fight or flight response commences. The heart starts racing and you begin to sweat. Your mouth literally feels like its on fire. It’s an extremely uncomfortable experience, and yet, some people like this.

People love doing things others cannot. Super spicy food separates the men from the boys. Eating a hot bowl of spicy noodles without breaking a sweat exemplifies strength, toughness, and personal determination. But there’s more to it than that.

The consumption of spicy foods releases endorphins into the bloodstream in the same way jumping out of an airplane does. These hormones help relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve your sense of well-being.

Interesting, isn’t it? Eating spicy food can create feelings of euphoria, like how runners get a “runner’s high” or that feeling you get after watching a concert performance of your favorite band.

But hot spice is not something people can eat whenever they want. Eat a big bowl of extra spicy noodles and your next bowl movement could feel like a poop-filled balloon exploding inside the toilet.

The back of the Samyang 2x buldak noodle packaging

Can spicy food cause diarrhea?

Remember that one riotous toilet scene in the film Dumb and Dumber? Lloyd Christmas had put a bunch of laxative into Harry Dunne’s coffee. A short while later, Harry develops a severe case of the hershey squirts.

Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself after eating a big plate of spicy food. The visit to the toilet has you in extreme pain, relief, pleasure and fear. But why does this happen?

Within our digestive system, the capsaicin in spicy foods stimulates a protein called vanilloid receptor 1. The protein tells our brain that we are burning on the inside.

To protect the body, the intestines and colon push everything through as quickly as possible; the half digested food and any liquid that was consumed in the meal make a fiery exit.

It feels like fire on the way out because there are more pain receptors in the anus that are activated by the capsaicin.

When should I see a doctor?

Diarrhea caused by hot or spicy food usually resolves itself within a day or two. So, it’s not something you typically have to worry about.

Dehydration is a common symptom of diarrhea so make sure to drink enough liquids afterwards.

To make your stools solid, eat oatmeal, bread, bananas, and rice. These foods are easy on the digestive system and help ease your irritable bowels.

Otherwise, don’t be afraid to search Google Images for details and information on “healthy poops”. If you’re not in the ball park, well, maybe you should see a doctor, nutritionist, or gastroenterologist.

Buldak 2x noodles and its spicy seasoning packets

How to neutralize spicy food

If you eat spicy noodles and it feels like your tongue is going to burn right off, you might think water can douse the fire. But water doesn’t actually help.

Capsaicin is an oil-based alkaline. When you drink water, it just spreads the capsaicin around your mouth in the same way toilet paper smears poop around your butt. It just doesn’t work.

Instead, you can try drinking a little milk. Milk contains a protein called casein that helps break down the capsaicin molecules.

You can also try acidic foods like lemon juice and tomatoes to neutralize the the pH level of spicy oils. Sugar can also help absorb the oil in spicy food.

One surprising tip for taking care of hot pepper spice is peanut butter. The oils in nut butter help sweep away the capsaicin in ways you wouldn’t expect.

You could also just puff out your chest and wait for the burning sensation to dissipate. It takes about 15 minutes.

Spicy fire noodles by Samyang Foods with tofu and jalapenos

Are spicy noodles good for you?

Hot peppers are a great way to spice up otherwise boring food. But spicy food can also be good for you when eaten in moderation.

There is some clinical evidence that capsaicin can help with:

Weight loss. Capsaicin increases your core temperature. You sweat bullets as your metabolism increases and burn more calories to flush the spicy peppers out of your system.

Digestion. Capsaicin might increase digestive fluids in the stomach that help digestion.

Heart Disease. Hot peppers help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and inflammation. When eaten as part of a healthy diet, capsaicin can lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

Cancer. Capsaicin helps reduce the risk of cancer by protecting cells from free radicals and harmful molecules.

Depression. The body responds to capsaicin by releasing endorphins into the bloodstream because it thinks you’re in pain. The endorphins make us feel good and are why people keep going back to fire noodles.

Samyang 2x Buldak Noodles

If you want spicy noodles, these are what you want. Thick and tasty noodles with a sauce packet that's a fiery inferno. Empties out your bowels in no time!

Buy on Amazon

Summary

Eating a bowl of spicy noodles set your mouth on fire because the capsaicin interacts with the pain receptors on the tongue, making the brain think your body is on fire, literally.

The body responds by sweating, increased heart rate, and emptying out your bowels as quickly as it can. It’s an uncomfortable experience for most people. But they keep going back to fire noodles because it feels good.

Endorphins are released into the bloodstream because the brain thinks the body is in actual danger. The endorphins make us feel great, like having a “runner’s high”.

If you want to experience this yourself, check out Samyang’s 2x spicy Buldak noodles. These are a very popular noodle by the Korean noodle maker, Samyang Foods.