The super spicy condiments in your kitchen cupboard could cause agonizing ulcers and stomach ruptures — as well as potentially fatal heart attacks, experts have told DailyMail.com.
Doctors say that, for those who are vulnerable, some extra hot sauces on grocery store shelves contain dangerous levels of capsaicin, the chilli pepper extract that causes the heat.
For people with an enlarged heart and congenital heart defects, it can be ‘like putting a bomb in your stomach,’ according to Dr Allan Capin, an urgent care physician at the Cleveland Clinic.
At high levels, doctors told DailyMail.com that capsaicin causes an intense pain response that constricts blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and increases heart rate. This leads the heart to strain and can result in a heart attack.
The warnings follow the shock death of Massachusetts teenager Harris Wolobah, 14, who suffered a fatal heart attack after eating the alleged spiciest chip in the world, as part of a social media challenge.
Harris Wolobah, 14, died last year after attempting the ‘One Chip Challenge.’ His autopsy revealed that he had a heart attack and suffered a congenital heart defect
Paqui has been promoting the one chip challenge since 2016. The brand, which is now owned by the Hershey Company, issued an extensive warning on the coffin-shaped packaging
An investigation found that the 10th grader suffered an underlying heart condition that was exacerbated by the large dose of capsaicin.
The chip responsible, from snack brand Paqui, has since been pulled from shelves.
Experts noted that while it’s rare to die from high levels of capsaicin, it’s not impossible. Now, they have warned that other products available to buy could have a similarly disasterous effect.
In addition to Paqui’s chip, several brands of hot sauce containing capsaicin have marketed themselves as the ‘hottest in the world,’ which could spell trouble for those with heart issues.
The Last Dab Xperience, which is available to buy at Walmart and the most extreme sauce on popular YouTube show Hot Ones, is made with Pepper X, which the Guinness Book of World Records has deemed the officially the world’s hottest.
It scores nearly 2.7million on the Scoville scale and more than 90 percent of its ingredients include dried, fresh, or distilled Pepper X.
And a hot sauce called The End: Flatline, available on Amazon, showcases a flatlining EKG with the discription: ‘This is a warning, and a real warning, not like some of the funny, we-only-sorta-mean-it warnings on our other hot sauces: This is our hottest hot sauce.
And Pepper Palace’s Hottest Sauce in the Universe – 2nd Dimension boats over 40 pounds of ghost peppers in each batch.
Harris’ family prays with Rev Jonathan Slavinskas during a vigil in Worcester, Massachusetts, on September 8, 2023
The Last Xperience and The End: Flatline both promote being the hottest in the world, with the former scoring over 2.6million on the Scoville scale
A sauce from Pepper Palace is dubbed the Hottest Sauce in the Universe, touting nearly 40 pounds of ghost peppers in each batch
‘It combines some of the fiery-est peppers in the world for a blazing, tongue-torching flavor that will burn everything from your tastebuds to your britches. If you’re ready to completely flatline, then this extreme-hot sauce made with reapers, pepper extract, ghost peppers, scorpion peppers, and 7 pot chocolate douglah peppers is for you.’
Experts say it’s hard to quantify how much spice is too much, but taking it slow or steering clear of spices labelled ‘hottest in the world’ is key.
The autopsy for Harris, who died in September 2023, revealed that was born with cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart, and a congenital defect called a myocardial bridge which affects blood flow to the organ.
Dr James Udelson, chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center, told AP that if someone has ‘significant stimulation of the heart,’ for example, after eating very spicy food, the myocardial bridge could result in abnormal blood flow and irregular heartbeats.
‘There have been reports of acute toxicity with capsaicin causing ischemia of the heart muscles,’ he added.
‘Under the right combination of problems like this kid seems to have had, it could cuse the heart to malfunction like it did,’ Dr Jack Rubinstein told DailyMail.com
Paqui, manufacturer of the chip Harris ate, encouraged people to test their physical limits. Those who can sustain the burning pain for up to an hour without food or drink earn the title of ‘Apex Predator’
Dr Jack Rubinstein, a cardiologist and internal medicine professor at the University of Cincinnati, told DailyMail.com that this is because capsaicin binds to the brain receptor TRPV1, which is activated by extreme heat.
This lets out a pain response in the body, which causes blood vessels to narrow. This causes heart rate and blood pressure to increase and putting pressure on the heart.
Dr Rubinstein said that while this may just cause discomfort in most people, in patients like Harris, it could lead to more severe consequences. ‘With the right combination of problems it could cause the heart to malfunction.’
Michelle Routhenstein, a preventative cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourishedtold DailyMail.com that sustained high heart rates can lead to irregular heart beats called arrhythmias.
‘If someone has an underlying heart condition like a congenital heart defect, it can make it work so hard that it causes cardiac arrest,’ she said.
Additionally, she noted that capsaicin can weaken the esophageal sphincters, bands of muscles that open or close the esophagus at either end.
When these become irritated, it can lead to acid backing up into the esophagus, or acid reflux.
In one such casea 47-year-old man in California ripped a hole in his esophagus by eating a hamburger topped with ghost pepper puree.
Dr Rubinstein noted that while he did not treat Harris, it’s possible that neither Harris nor his family knew that he had a congenital heart defect. ‘Most people live and die with myocardial bridging and never really know they have it unless a problem comes up,’ he said.
While experts have noted that these cases are rare, some seemingly healthy people have experienced severe reactions to high capsaicin.
In 2012, for example, a healthy 25-year-old man in Turkey suffered a heart attack and constricted arteries five days after he started taking cayenne pepper pills for weight loss.
However, Dr Rubinstein pointed to recent research suggesting that capsaicin, in much lower doses, could have health benefits. These include lowering inflammation, reducing pain, and alleviating gastrointestinal conditions like IBS.
‘There’s some pretty strong evidence that low doses of capsaicin, either eaten or on the skin, can actually protect the heart through a completely different mechanism than what happened to this poor kid,’ he said.
‘It can actually protect the heart.’
And Dr Capin cautioned that while extremely hot sauces, such as those with ghost peppers, ‘it’s highly unlikely’ to suffer adverse effects. ‘You would have to eat a huge amount of them,’ he said.
He estimated that someone weighing around 150 pounds would need to eat three pounds of ghost peppers to cause a deadly reaction. Dr Capin’s rule of thumb is to not eat more than 1/50th of your weight in spicy peppers.
For a 150-pound person, that’s three pounds, or 40-50 peppers – the average ghost peppers weighs 0.3 ounces.
Since the average American man weighs 199 pounds, according to the CDC, he would have to eat almost four pounds, roughly 64 peppers.
If you do experience a severe reaction to hot peppers or sauce, Dr Capin warns not to reach for a glass of water. That’s because capsaicin is oil-based, so it will clash with water and not quell any discomfort.
Instead, he recommends keeping bread, lemonade, or milk on hand.
