Spicy Sweat: Myth or Miracle?

Spice Myth Busted: When the heat is on, do we get warm under the collar and cooler lower down?

Spicy food lovers gather 'round! We're debunking a common misconception: as a way of trying to convince yourself that sweating following a demanding fiery dish is an effort to cool you down.

The Truth: There has never been a better universal cooling system than the chloride of sweat.

When you’re eating spicy food, like this bowl of habanero salsa which is making my mouth feel like a furnace right now, you do not get hot. The cause of the sweat is a molecule called capsaicin – it is a compound extracted from chili peppers.

Capsaicin acts on the receptor that is meant to help the body register the sensation of heat. This leads to activation of the internal body cooler: sweating!

Here's the key takeaway: perspiring is a natural response that your body will give to any sign of heat, irrespective of the root cause. Whether it is a hot summer day, a sports practice session, or spicy wings, sweat impacts your body temperature by exiting your skin through evaporation.

Is Extremely Spicy Food Good for You?

Not exactly. On the contrary, this initial result may go in the opposite direction due to some reasons indicated below. The intensity of the ‘heat’ that capsaicin produces is quite mild and it is capable of slightly increasing your body temperature and induce sweating.

Nevertheless, this does not portend to long-term cooling. After some time or when the capsaicin has been washed away, your body temperature goes back to normal.

The Final Verdict: Spicy Food and Temperature There exists a relationship between spicy food and temperature where cats experience an increase in body heat due to the consumption of spicy foods.

Although it may be widely believed that spicy food will make you even sweatier during the summer, it is far from being the evil you would expect it to be. Some research even points to an observation that if one takes chili on a regular basis then his/her workouts to heat reduces when taking hot food or being in hot weather.

Thus, you can spend the evening easily enjoying spicy foods without worrying about excessive sweating! So the next time you’re eating spicy food while working up a sweat, remember the body needs more water regardless of perspiration.

Thank you for reading!