Fancy trying an intense hot sauce challenge? Be warned, it could leave you vomiting so hard that you tear your oesophagus

They will undoubtedly add piquancy to any dish.

But viral problems with eating chili peppers can cause stomach cramps, severe vomiting and, in extreme cases, even rupture of the esophagus, experts say.

Chili pepper refusal made famous by YouTube shows such as Hot Ones. It features celebrities like Cardi B and Louis Theroux eating hot sauce while interviewing YouTuber Sean Evans.

It has also taken TikTok by storm, where videos of people eating ghost chilies (which are 200 times hotter than a jalapeno) while crying and blushing have received thousands of views.

In one video posted by @Ramizeinn, who has 16.3 million followers, he is seen eating several ghost chillies before swallowing a carton of milk and visibly suffering.

Another video posted by @peteypappi, who has 658,000 followers, shows two people trying to eat the pepper but giving up halfway.

Dr Duane Mellor, a nutritionist at Aston University in Birmingham, warned the trend could cause digestive problems and in extreme cases even increase the risk of cancer.

After eating something spicy, many people notice that their lips begin to tingle, there is a burning sensation on the tongue, and they begin to sweat due to the intense heat.

But aside from the temporary burning sensation, eating a lot of hot sauces and chilies, or extremely hot varieties, can also affect your internal organs.

One of the side effects is reflux, which occurs when stomach acid backs up into the throat, Dr. Mellor says.

He said: “If this continues for a long time, it could cause changes in our esophagus and increase the risk of cancer.”

This is because recurrent acid reflux can develop into gastroesophageal reflux disease, which increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

Dr Mellor noted that the combination of the heat of the sauce and whether it is consumed as part of a meal or on its own determines how severe reflux symptoms are.

But eating very spicy foods can also cause nausea, vomiting, painful bowel movements and diarrhea.

People with bowel disease are at greatest risk of these side effects due to due to their increased gut sensitivity, said Professor Tim Spector, an expert in epidemiology and gut health at King’s College London.and co-founder of ZOE.

Although it is not usually serious, a 2016 case report in Journal of Emergency Medicine explained in detail that this could lead to rupture of the esophagus.

It reported on an unidentified 47-year-old man from California, USA, who showed up at a hospital emergency room after vomiting and severe abdominal and chest pain following a ghost pepper eating contest.

A scan showed he had a 2.5cm tear to his esophagus due to violent vomiting. He was forced to stay in the hospital and eat and drink through a tube for weeks.

Eating more spices than you can handle can also trigger symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

One Iranian, produced in 2013. studyfound that people who eat spicy foods about 10 times a week were 92 percent more likely to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, which causes stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhea, compared to those who never ate spicy foods.

The results were based on responses from 4,763 adults. However, the results also showed that spicy foods were not associated with the incidence of IBS in men.

In addition to online, chili eating has become popular at in-person competitions and food festivals.

They see spicy lovers battling each other to eat extremely hot chili peppers as quickly as possible. These include the Foodies Festival chilli eating competition, which is held annually in several locations across the UK, and the League of Fire competition, which hosts food and chilli festivals across the UK, Europe, US, New Zealand and Australia.

However, drinking the usual amount will not cause any problems, says Professor Spector.

“Like almost any food, eating too much hot sauce can have negative consequences. For most people, consuming a moderate amount will not cause any problems. But as a general rule, if a food causes you severe stomach discomfort, you should stop eating it or at least reduce your dose.”

But as long as you don’t eat a handful of extremely hot ghost peppers, eating spicy food can be good for you.

According to Professor Spector, hot sauces, whether minimally processed or homemade, can have health benefits.

“At the end of the day, chili peppers are a plant. They contain beneficial plant chemicals called polyphenols, which help support the gut microbiome. And there is some evidence that regularly eating chili peppers may even extend your life,” he said.

A 2015 Chinese study found that those who ate spicy foods had a 14 percent lower risk of early death.

The researchers looked at data from nearly 500,000 people in the country aged 30 to 79 at the start of the study, who were followed for about seven years.

In subsequent studies, scientists found that eating spicy foods was associated with a reduced risk of death from cancer, as well as heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

This result remained unchanged when the analysis was adjusted for risky lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption.

But to make sure your hot sauce is healthy, it’s best to make it yourself and avoid ultra-processed jars full of “unpronounceable chemical names”, says Professor Spector.

He said: “As with many foods these days, other colours, flavourings, emulsifiers etc can ultimately affect your health if consumed in excess.

“If you’re looking for hot sauce, it’s best to read the label and choose one that has a shorter list of ingredients and fewer unpronounceable chemical names.”